I see."
Claudia opened her mouth, then shut it. Then opened it again. "What advice?"
"The royal blue. You are stunningly beautiful, do you know that?"
Color instantly flagged her cheeks. She glanced nervously at her gown, awkwardly smoothing the lap of it, then looked furtively at those around them. Plastering a smile to her face, she muttered, "Now you are being ridiculous!"
"I am deadly serious."
Claudia nervously fingered the sapphire pendant as she looked around the room, smiling and nodding at others. "Do you think, perhaps, you have a fever?" she softly inquired of him. "Perhaps a brain injury of some sort? Have you perchance fallen from a tree recently and landed on your head?"
"I am quite well, thank you."
She shifted her gaze to him again. "Well then, you must simply be out of your bloody mind."
He laughed. "I take it you are not convinced of my sincerity?"
"Sincerity?" She rolled her eyes. "You would come uninvited to a benefit tea, undoubtedly for the purpose of trifling with some young innocent who has captured your fancy for the moment, and would expect me to believe you have an ounce of sincerity in you? I suppose you expect me to believe you are a philanthropist, too!" With a shake of her head, she stepped away, but paused and glanced over her shoulder at him. "But the spectacles are a nice touch." With a superior smirk, the Demon's Spawn marched away.
An idiot grin spread Julian's lips as he watched her glide across the room, greeting her guests, smiling that brilliant smile of hers, and every so often—for good measure, he supposed—tossing a frown over her shoulder at him. Clever girl that one, he thought with not a little bit of pride.
Claudia could feel his eyes on her. Boring a hole through her back, actually, as she explained to Lady Cheevers that her father was at his gentlemen's club. She tried to focus on the woman's meddling conversation, but her mind had turned to mush the moment she had seen him standing near the door, his raven eyes locked on her. And now, as she tried to make herself remember just what a scoundrel he truly was, all she could seem to think was that he had said she was stunningly beautiful. Stunningly beautiful.
Yes, and what exactly did one expect a rake to say?
"Your father won't be joining us for tea, then?" Lady Cheevers asked, bringing Claudia back to the present. Her father's close relationship to the king was a constant source of fascination for some. As a member of the Privy Council, he was privileged with a wealth of information. The one thing Claudia had learned from her father was that William IV was not the brightest monarch to ever sit on the throne. Apparently, his ideas could be rather inappropriate, and it was her father's job to make sure that the most absurd ones didn't harm the monarchy in any way. There were days, however, like today, when he complained that the task was too exacting. He and his friends had repaired to the nearest gentlemen's club rather than face her guests.
Her father was not sorry he would miss her tea. Marshall Whitney believed Claudia's causes were a pleasant hobby for her, but they were not the sort of thing he would ever give serious consideration. That was because Marshall Whitney did not concern himself with such mundane matters as the plight of poor women and children.
"I'm afraid not, Lady Cheevers," she said, smiling apologetically. The woman's mouth puckered slightly; she was about to respond but held her tongue as Randall, the Redbourne butler, appeared. Grateful for the intrusion, Claudia excused herself so that Randall could tell her that tea was served. As everyone was directed to find a seat at one of the dozen tables set up, she moved to the center of the room. Without thinking, she looked around for Julian.
For once his dark eyes were not riveted on her. But they were riveted on Miss Harriet Reed, thank you, sitting next to him at an intimate little table for two near the hearth.
Why that should anger her,
Claudia opened her mouth, then shut it. Then opened it again. "What advice?"
"The royal blue. You are stunningly beautiful, do you know that?"
Color instantly flagged her cheeks. She glanced nervously at her gown, awkwardly smoothing the lap of it, then looked furtively at those around them. Plastering a smile to her face, she muttered, "Now you are being ridiculous!"
"I am deadly serious."
Claudia nervously fingered the sapphire pendant as she looked around the room, smiling and nodding at others. "Do you think, perhaps, you have a fever?" she softly inquired of him. "Perhaps a brain injury of some sort? Have you perchance fallen from a tree recently and landed on your head?"
"I am quite well, thank you."
She shifted her gaze to him again. "Well then, you must simply be out of your bloody mind."
He laughed. "I take it you are not convinced of my sincerity?"
"Sincerity?" She rolled her eyes. "You would come uninvited to a benefit tea, undoubtedly for the purpose of trifling with some young innocent who has captured your fancy for the moment, and would expect me to believe you have an ounce of sincerity in you? I suppose you expect me to believe you are a philanthropist, too!" With a shake of her head, she stepped away, but paused and glanced over her shoulder at him. "But the spectacles are a nice touch." With a superior smirk, the Demon's Spawn marched away.
An idiot grin spread Julian's lips as he watched her glide across the room, greeting her guests, smiling that brilliant smile of hers, and every so often—for good measure, he supposed—tossing a frown over her shoulder at him. Clever girl that one, he thought with not a little bit of pride.
Claudia could feel his eyes on her. Boring a hole through her back, actually, as she explained to Lady Cheevers that her father was at his gentlemen's club. She tried to focus on the woman's meddling conversation, but her mind had turned to mush the moment she had seen him standing near the door, his raven eyes locked on her. And now, as she tried to make herself remember just what a scoundrel he truly was, all she could seem to think was that he had said she was stunningly beautiful. Stunningly beautiful.
Yes, and what exactly did one expect a rake to say?
"Your father won't be joining us for tea, then?" Lady Cheevers asked, bringing Claudia back to the present. Her father's close relationship to the king was a constant source of fascination for some. As a member of the Privy Council, he was privileged with a wealth of information. The one thing Claudia had learned from her father was that William IV was not the brightest monarch to ever sit on the throne. Apparently, his ideas could be rather inappropriate, and it was her father's job to make sure that the most absurd ones didn't harm the monarchy in any way. There were days, however, like today, when he complained that the task was too exacting. He and his friends had repaired to the nearest gentlemen's club rather than face her guests.
Her father was not sorry he would miss her tea. Marshall Whitney believed Claudia's causes were a pleasant hobby for her, but they were not the sort of thing he would ever give serious consideration. That was because Marshall Whitney did not concern himself with such mundane matters as the plight of poor women and children.
"I'm afraid not, Lady Cheevers," she said, smiling apologetically. The woman's mouth puckered slightly; she was about to respond but held her tongue as Randall, the Redbourne butler, appeared. Grateful for the intrusion, Claudia excused herself so that Randall could tell her that tea was served. As everyone was directed to find a seat at one of the dozen tables set up, she moved to the center of the room. Without thinking, she looked around for Julian.
For once his dark eyes were not riveted on her. But they were riveted on Miss Harriet Reed, thank you, sitting next to him at an intimate little table for two near the hearth.
Why that should anger her,
Similar Books
