bloody night, if I have anything to say about it,” Nicholas retorted none too pleasantly.
For a heart-stopping moment, Roslynn had thought Anthony was addressing her. But Nicholas’ surprising reply, which earned him a sharp jab in the ribs from his wife, disabused her of that giddy notion.
“Oh, bother, must I always play referee?” Regina said to no one in particular, then promptly flounced over to the fireplace and gave each Malory brother a kiss. “As if anyone could ignore either of you for very long,” she added with a laugh. “But I don’tsuppose for a minute that it’s my attention you’re so impatient for. Come along, then, and I’ll introduce you.” She hooked an arm through each of theirs and dragged them forward. “Lady Frances, I don’t believe you’ve met my uncles, James and Anthony Malory, have you?”
Uncles? Uncles! Why was it that that wee bit of information hadn’t surfaced sooner? Roslynn wondered angrily. She certainly wouldn’t have come here if she had known the Malorys were that close to Regina Eden. Their niece. Hell’s teeth!
The uneasiness was palatable with four in their group, the Wartons and Frances. Justin in fact made haste to leave with his womenfolk, protectively getting his sister out of the presence of two such notorious rakes. Roslynn could almost wish she had someone to look after her so diligently, someone to whisk her away from this present encounter. But she held her own. Not by look or word did she reveal that she was just as uneasy with the situation. Frances was not so inscrutable, however. Tight-lipped, curt during the introductions, her animosity for these two men couldn’t have been more apparent, and she wasted little time in making her own excuses and moving on to the next group of people.
Which left Roslynn in a horrid predicament. To depart as well would have been grossly rude at this point. So she had to stand there, for a while at least, and suffer both Malorys’ close scrutiny. And neither of them had any compunctions about openly staring at her.
Neither did James feel it necessary to ignore what had just happened. “I do believe the lass is embarrassed for us, Tony. You needn’t be, Lady Roslynn.My brother and I are quite immune to such reactions.”
“ You might be, old man,” Anthony remarked with a definite sparkle in his cobalt eyes. “I for one could do with a little sympathy.”
Roslynn was left with no doubt as to what kind of sympathy he would like, since he was looking directly at her when he said it. She couldn’t help smiling. He couldn’t even wait until he found her alone to press his seduction. Now that was incorrigible.
Regina must have thought so too. “Now, Tony, you promised you’d behave.”
“And so I am,” he protested in all innocence. “If I was inclined to do as is my wont, puss, you’d have a scandal on your hands.”
Roslynn had the feeling he was quite serious, even though Regina laughed as if he were teasing her. “You’re going to scare her off, Tony, if you’re not careful.”
“Not at all,” Roslynn demurred.
“There, you see, sweet?” James put in. “You can feel free to run along and attend to your hostessing. The lady will be quite safe in our hands.”
“Oh. I never doubted it for a minute,” Regina said, only to add in parting, “Nicholas, don’t let either of them out of your sight.”
“Splendid.” Nicholas scowled.
James chuckled. “A decided lack of trust, that.”
“Unfortunately warranted,” Nicholas grumbled beneath his breath.
“I do believe he still hasn’t forgiven us, Tony,” James said.
“Speak for yourself, brother. All I did was point out to him that it would be detrimental to his health if he didn’t marry Reggie. You, on the other hand,were responsible for his being confined to bed for several weeks, not to mention your dragging him home from the West Indies when he proved such a reluctant spouse.”
“I was never—”
Roslynn interrupted
For a heart-stopping moment, Roslynn had thought Anthony was addressing her. But Nicholas’ surprising reply, which earned him a sharp jab in the ribs from his wife, disabused her of that giddy notion.
“Oh, bother, must I always play referee?” Regina said to no one in particular, then promptly flounced over to the fireplace and gave each Malory brother a kiss. “As if anyone could ignore either of you for very long,” she added with a laugh. “But I don’tsuppose for a minute that it’s my attention you’re so impatient for. Come along, then, and I’ll introduce you.” She hooked an arm through each of theirs and dragged them forward. “Lady Frances, I don’t believe you’ve met my uncles, James and Anthony Malory, have you?”
Uncles? Uncles! Why was it that that wee bit of information hadn’t surfaced sooner? Roslynn wondered angrily. She certainly wouldn’t have come here if she had known the Malorys were that close to Regina Eden. Their niece. Hell’s teeth!
The uneasiness was palatable with four in their group, the Wartons and Frances. Justin in fact made haste to leave with his womenfolk, protectively getting his sister out of the presence of two such notorious rakes. Roslynn could almost wish she had someone to look after her so diligently, someone to whisk her away from this present encounter. But she held her own. Not by look or word did she reveal that she was just as uneasy with the situation. Frances was not so inscrutable, however. Tight-lipped, curt during the introductions, her animosity for these two men couldn’t have been more apparent, and she wasted little time in making her own excuses and moving on to the next group of people.
Which left Roslynn in a horrid predicament. To depart as well would have been grossly rude at this point. So she had to stand there, for a while at least, and suffer both Malorys’ close scrutiny. And neither of them had any compunctions about openly staring at her.
Neither did James feel it necessary to ignore what had just happened. “I do believe the lass is embarrassed for us, Tony. You needn’t be, Lady Roslynn.My brother and I are quite immune to such reactions.”
“ You might be, old man,” Anthony remarked with a definite sparkle in his cobalt eyes. “I for one could do with a little sympathy.”
Roslynn was left with no doubt as to what kind of sympathy he would like, since he was looking directly at her when he said it. She couldn’t help smiling. He couldn’t even wait until he found her alone to press his seduction. Now that was incorrigible.
Regina must have thought so too. “Now, Tony, you promised you’d behave.”
“And so I am,” he protested in all innocence. “If I was inclined to do as is my wont, puss, you’d have a scandal on your hands.”
Roslynn had the feeling he was quite serious, even though Regina laughed as if he were teasing her. “You’re going to scare her off, Tony, if you’re not careful.”
“Not at all,” Roslynn demurred.
“There, you see, sweet?” James put in. “You can feel free to run along and attend to your hostessing. The lady will be quite safe in our hands.”
“Oh. I never doubted it for a minute,” Regina said, only to add in parting, “Nicholas, don’t let either of them out of your sight.”
“Splendid.” Nicholas scowled.
James chuckled. “A decided lack of trust, that.”
“Unfortunately warranted,” Nicholas grumbled beneath his breath.
“I do believe he still hasn’t forgiven us, Tony,” James said.
“Speak for yourself, brother. All I did was point out to him that it would be detrimental to his health if he didn’t marry Reggie. You, on the other hand,were responsible for his being confined to bed for several weeks, not to mention your dragging him home from the West Indies when he proved such a reluctant spouse.”
“I was never—”
Roslynn interrupted
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