are.”
Isabelle stared at the girl and her shameless attempt at flirting while Sebastian appeared to be choking. The only one who didn’t seem to care was Giles. “What are the rules?”
Sebastian cleared his throat. Twice. “You have to get a trick.”
“ Like a magic trick?” Lady Mary asked with an obnoxious giggle.
Giles winced at the shrillness of her reaction and Sebastian twisted his lips and if she wasn’t certain she could have sworn he muttered something under his breath about the best magic trick he knew would involve her disappearing.
Isabelle grinned at him and he flushed, then shrugged. He’d never been one to speak so bluntly. At least she had never heard him make a comment like that. Perhaps his years of travels had changed him.
“ No, a trick is having the trump—”
“ Like Gabriel?” Lady Mary asked.
The entire table went quiet. Was Lady Mary completely addled or did she think acting like a simpleton was a good way to get a gentleman’s attention? The stone-hard look on Sebastian’s face should be enough to tell her it wasn’t working. “Gabriel?” he asked in a tone that held a slighty annoyed edge.
Lady Mary nodded her head. “You know, the archangel Gabriel from the Bible. He blew his trump.”
Sebastian’s lips thinned and Isabelle had to duck her head to hide her grin and squeeze her empty hand into a fist to keep from laughing, her entire body shaking uncontrollably with mirth. Squeezing her eyes closed to clear her mind and regain her composure, her body began to move less as the giggles left, only to be provoked again when someone—likely Lady Mary—made a loud “ doot-de-doo” trumpet noise and Isabelle lost it completely.
***
Sebastian stared stupefied at the tableau in front of him.
Giles’ face was an odd mix of shock and humor—almost as if he couldn’t quite make sense of why this well-bred woman was acting like she belonged in an asylum.
Lady Mary grinned in between bursts of annoying cackles and snorts.
As for Belle...
Genuine giggles were pouring out of her mouth, filling the room with a sound sweeter than anything he’d ever heard. While that drew his attention, it was her body’s reaction, however, that kept it. Shaking almost violently with mirth, her shawl had fallen from its former position and he was almost certain her breasts were about to pop right out of the top of her gown.
Without thinking, he reached for her arm, catching her just above the elbow. It didn’t stop her shaking as she tried to wiggle free.
“Let’s go,” he barked, giving her arm a slight squeeze to let her know what he meant.
Avoiding the curious glances of everyone in the room he gained his feet and helped her to hers, then led her across the room.
“Stop giggling like a madwoman,” he hissed when they were almost to the door. “You’re a lady, act it.”
That sobered her instantly and she moved to pull away from his hold. He had no intentions of letting her go and tightened his grip a fraction, keeping her at his side. He needed to remind her, a bit more gently this time, that her dress was vastly inappropriate, especially when she carried on that way.
They crossed the threshold of the drawing room and entered the hall and immediately Belle jerked her arm from him and started down the hall. He closed his empty hand into a fist. He should have known she’d do that. Scowling at her back, he walked after her. “Belle, stop.”
She kept walking.
“Belle, I said to stop.”
She walked on.
He wrapped his arm around her waist, picked her up, and then carried her into the library and straight to a settee where he put her down with less grace than she might have preferred.
Just as he suspected, that didn’t deter her and she immediately began pushing to her feet. “How dare you!”
“How dare I?” he repeated in the same tone she’d used, jabbing a finger toward his chest. “You’re the one making a public display of yourself.”
“ By finding
Isabelle stared at the girl and her shameless attempt at flirting while Sebastian appeared to be choking. The only one who didn’t seem to care was Giles. “What are the rules?”
Sebastian cleared his throat. Twice. “You have to get a trick.”
“ Like a magic trick?” Lady Mary asked with an obnoxious giggle.
Giles winced at the shrillness of her reaction and Sebastian twisted his lips and if she wasn’t certain she could have sworn he muttered something under his breath about the best magic trick he knew would involve her disappearing.
Isabelle grinned at him and he flushed, then shrugged. He’d never been one to speak so bluntly. At least she had never heard him make a comment like that. Perhaps his years of travels had changed him.
“ No, a trick is having the trump—”
“ Like Gabriel?” Lady Mary asked.
The entire table went quiet. Was Lady Mary completely addled or did she think acting like a simpleton was a good way to get a gentleman’s attention? The stone-hard look on Sebastian’s face should be enough to tell her it wasn’t working. “Gabriel?” he asked in a tone that held a slighty annoyed edge.
Lady Mary nodded her head. “You know, the archangel Gabriel from the Bible. He blew his trump.”
Sebastian’s lips thinned and Isabelle had to duck her head to hide her grin and squeeze her empty hand into a fist to keep from laughing, her entire body shaking uncontrollably with mirth. Squeezing her eyes closed to clear her mind and regain her composure, her body began to move less as the giggles left, only to be provoked again when someone—likely Lady Mary—made a loud “ doot-de-doo” trumpet noise and Isabelle lost it completely.
***
Sebastian stared stupefied at the tableau in front of him.
Giles’ face was an odd mix of shock and humor—almost as if he couldn’t quite make sense of why this well-bred woman was acting like she belonged in an asylum.
Lady Mary grinned in between bursts of annoying cackles and snorts.
As for Belle...
Genuine giggles were pouring out of her mouth, filling the room with a sound sweeter than anything he’d ever heard. While that drew his attention, it was her body’s reaction, however, that kept it. Shaking almost violently with mirth, her shawl had fallen from its former position and he was almost certain her breasts were about to pop right out of the top of her gown.
Without thinking, he reached for her arm, catching her just above the elbow. It didn’t stop her shaking as she tried to wiggle free.
“Let’s go,” he barked, giving her arm a slight squeeze to let her know what he meant.
Avoiding the curious glances of everyone in the room he gained his feet and helped her to hers, then led her across the room.
“Stop giggling like a madwoman,” he hissed when they were almost to the door. “You’re a lady, act it.”
That sobered her instantly and she moved to pull away from his hold. He had no intentions of letting her go and tightened his grip a fraction, keeping her at his side. He needed to remind her, a bit more gently this time, that her dress was vastly inappropriate, especially when she carried on that way.
They crossed the threshold of the drawing room and entered the hall and immediately Belle jerked her arm from him and started down the hall. He closed his empty hand into a fist. He should have known she’d do that. Scowling at her back, he walked after her. “Belle, stop.”
She kept walking.
“Belle, I said to stop.”
She walked on.
He wrapped his arm around her waist, picked her up, and then carried her into the library and straight to a settee where he put her down with less grace than she might have preferred.
Just as he suspected, that didn’t deter her and she immediately began pushing to her feet. “How dare you!”
“How dare I?” he repeated in the same tone she’d used, jabbing a finger toward his chest. “You’re the one making a public display of yourself.”
“ By finding
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