made into Mayfair. He appeared to be in the best of spirits and would doff his hat to her in the most gallant manner and go so far as to engage her in a few minutes' desultory conversation, and since Briony was always accompanied by one of her attentive cicisbeos and Ravensworth invariably had some doting beauty hanging on his sleeve, Briony was compelled to a civility she deplored.
When his lordship addressed her, however, she never again subjected him to one of her clear-eyed gazes, but slid her eyes away to focus on the points of his collar, or even lower, to the top button of his impeccable waistcoat. Once, when she chanced to meet his insolent stare, the provocative glint which she caught lurking in the depths of his eyes brought the color rushing to her cheeks. Briony did not care to be so discomfitted . She sensed that the Marquess was mocking her, that he was flaunting some kind of power over her, and Briony was incensed.
She took to practicing before her mirror and developed quite a repertoire of stares. No aspiring dandy ever spent more time on perfecting the intricate folds of his fine, starched, linen neckcloths than did Briony in assiduously rehearsing the various glances with which she hoped to wither the proud lord. Her imperious "cool appraisal" sent her eyebrows arching disbelievingly into her hair; her "go to the devil" glare had her lips curl in derision. But of them all, she thought her " stare the world down" scrutiny quite the best invention. With eyebrows arched and cheeks sucked in till her rosy lips formed a sullen pout, she would look down her straight nose with studied insolence.
When she tried it on Ravensworth, however, something went amiss. He had contrived a few minutes' private conversation with her at Lady Besborough's musical evening. He laughed outright and asked her if she was short- sighted. Briony thereupon glared fierily into his eyes. She watched the mocking gleam go out of them. His pupils dilated, darkening the irises to black and his eyes held hers. She tried to look away but she was mesmerized until Ravensworth took it into his head to release her. It left Briony breathless and shaken and determined to avoid his lordship's eyes until she became glare perfect.
One morning, before most members of the ton were up and about, Briony made an excursion to Hatchard's book shop on the other side of Piccadilly from Albany House. By some ill fortune she met Ravensworth as she was leaving the premises with her purchase in her hand. It was her intention to ignore him, but he hailed her in a loud, commanding voice, and Briony turned back reluctantly. She greeted him with the "cool appraisal," being careful to lock her eyes on the imperceptible cleft on Ravensworth's chin. She had never noticed it before. She saw it deepen. "My lord?" Briony inquired coolly.
She heard him chuckle. "Miss Langland, I should like to present you to Lady Adele St. Clair. Our land marches together in Kent. I believe I mentioned that I have an estate in that county," said the Marquess irrepressibly.
Briony's back grew rigid. She gave the lady with the guinea gold locks one of her steady, clear-eyed gazes. Then Briony curtsied and the lady bowed. When next Briony looked into Lady Adele's eyes, she was met by a hostile stare. The lady's lips, however, curved in imitation of a smile.
Briony perceived at once that Ravensworth's unfriendly companion took her to be a rival for the gentleman's affections and she felt sorry for her. She was, noted Briony, as she openly regarded the dashing cut of the lady's ensemble, exactly the sort of woman to attract the eye of a rake like Ravensworth. Her figure molded tightly by her scarlet morning dress was nothing less than voluptuous. In contrast to the lady's ornate costume, Briony's plain, gray- green, kerseymere pelisse was a model of understatement. Briony smiled reassuringly at the lady.
"I don't recall—did you two ladies encounter each other at the Grenfells ' winter
When his lordship addressed her, however, she never again subjected him to one of her clear-eyed gazes, but slid her eyes away to focus on the points of his collar, or even lower, to the top button of his impeccable waistcoat. Once, when she chanced to meet his insolent stare, the provocative glint which she caught lurking in the depths of his eyes brought the color rushing to her cheeks. Briony did not care to be so discomfitted . She sensed that the Marquess was mocking her, that he was flaunting some kind of power over her, and Briony was incensed.
She took to practicing before her mirror and developed quite a repertoire of stares. No aspiring dandy ever spent more time on perfecting the intricate folds of his fine, starched, linen neckcloths than did Briony in assiduously rehearsing the various glances with which she hoped to wither the proud lord. Her imperious "cool appraisal" sent her eyebrows arching disbelievingly into her hair; her "go to the devil" glare had her lips curl in derision. But of them all, she thought her " stare the world down" scrutiny quite the best invention. With eyebrows arched and cheeks sucked in till her rosy lips formed a sullen pout, she would look down her straight nose with studied insolence.
When she tried it on Ravensworth, however, something went amiss. He had contrived a few minutes' private conversation with her at Lady Besborough's musical evening. He laughed outright and asked her if she was short- sighted. Briony thereupon glared fierily into his eyes. She watched the mocking gleam go out of them. His pupils dilated, darkening the irises to black and his eyes held hers. She tried to look away but she was mesmerized until Ravensworth took it into his head to release her. It left Briony breathless and shaken and determined to avoid his lordship's eyes until she became glare perfect.
One morning, before most members of the ton were up and about, Briony made an excursion to Hatchard's book shop on the other side of Piccadilly from Albany House. By some ill fortune she met Ravensworth as she was leaving the premises with her purchase in her hand. It was her intention to ignore him, but he hailed her in a loud, commanding voice, and Briony turned back reluctantly. She greeted him with the "cool appraisal," being careful to lock her eyes on the imperceptible cleft on Ravensworth's chin. She had never noticed it before. She saw it deepen. "My lord?" Briony inquired coolly.
She heard him chuckle. "Miss Langland, I should like to present you to Lady Adele St. Clair. Our land marches together in Kent. I believe I mentioned that I have an estate in that county," said the Marquess irrepressibly.
Briony's back grew rigid. She gave the lady with the guinea gold locks one of her steady, clear-eyed gazes. Then Briony curtsied and the lady bowed. When next Briony looked into Lady Adele's eyes, she was met by a hostile stare. The lady's lips, however, curved in imitation of a smile.
Briony perceived at once that Ravensworth's unfriendly companion took her to be a rival for the gentleman's affections and she felt sorry for her. She was, noted Briony, as she openly regarded the dashing cut of the lady's ensemble, exactly the sort of woman to attract the eye of a rake like Ravensworth. Her figure molded tightly by her scarlet morning dress was nothing less than voluptuous. In contrast to the lady's ornate costume, Briony's plain, gray- green, kerseymere pelisse was a model of understatement. Briony smiled reassuringly at the lady.
"I don't recall—did you two ladies encounter each other at the Grenfells ' winter
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