tentativesmile in her eyes that were that moment as brilliant as sapphires, his breath caught in his throat.
“It was only a little fun, my lord.” Her voice was both apologetic and defensive. “It wasn’t as if we were playing seriously.”
“I didn’t notice we were playing for pretend louis. I tell you, Cordelia, that if I’d been playing with a man who used such tricks, I would take a horsewhip to him,” he stated.
“Wouldn’t you challenge him to a duel?” Cordelia asked in surprise, momentarily distracted from her own predicament.
“I wouldn’t dishonor my sword with his blood,” he said bluntly.
“Oh.” She chewed her lip again, then rummaged through her reticule. “Here. Every one of them.” She tipped the louis into his hand. “I suppose it was wicked, but I do so love to win. And I’d never do it at the tables.”
She sounded so melancholy and aggrieved that amusement yet again shattered Leo’s justified annoyance. It simply wasn’t possible to be angry with her for more than a fleeting instant, even in the face of such outrageous behavior.
“I give you fair warning, that if anyone catches you cheating in the salons of Versailles, you will be ostracized, and not even the dauphine will be able to redeem you,” he said with dire emphasis. “And if you bring such dishonor on your husband’s name, he would be entitled to have you shut up in a nunnery.”
“But I wouldn’t!” Cordelia protested, horrified as much by the idea that he might consider her capable of such stupidity as by the contemplation of such retribution. “We only played with these tricks in the family. Toinette is just as bad as I am; sometimes it was the only way to beat the archdukes. And they were quite odious when they won and set all sorts of embarrassing forfeits.”
“Well, I’ve a mind to set a forfeit of my own,” he said thoughtfully, tapping his mouth with his fingertips as he examined her.
“What?” A little prickle of excitement ran over her skin. She leaned forward again. “How would you have me pay, sir?”
Leo realized his mistake immediately. Whenever he dropped his guard, he found himself blundering into the morass. Her lips were parted in unmistakable invitation, and the tip of her pink tongue ran slowly over them in a gesture so seductive that it took his breath away. Cordelia was not the least alarmed by talk of forfeits.
He sat back, saying indifferently, “I find this tedious.” Closing his eyes, he rested his head against the seat back and to all intents and purposes went to sleep.
Cordelia frowned. She didn’t believe for a minute that he was truly asleep. She rifled through the contents of her reticule with great sighs and rustles as if looking for something vital. Then she hummed a little tune, tapping her foot in accompaniment. Still the viscount remained apparently asleep.
She let down the window and leaned out to watch the passing scenery. “Goodness, you should see the crowds lining the wayside to watch us pass,” she observed conversationally. “Oh, and there’s a dancing bear on a chain. It looks very sad, poor creature. Oh, and look, they’re chasing a pickpocket … and there’s a gingerbread stall. It’s just like a fair, with stalls and entertainers.” She withdrew her head and regarded her still-somnolent companion. “It’s a deal more entertaining outside than it is in here.”
Leo gave up. He opened his eyes. “Has anyone ever suggested wringing your neck?”
“Not to my knowledge,” she said with a twinkle. “But it’s odious of you to pretend to be asleep. I wouldn’t have disturbed you if you were truly fatigued, but you’re not. And I have so many things I want to ask you.”
“Serious things?” he asked suspiciously.
“Utterly. The empress told me you would use the journey to educate me in the particulars of life at Versailles. Toinettewill have the comtesse de Noailles to tell her things, but I have only you.”
“Very well.”
“It was only a little fun, my lord.” Her voice was both apologetic and defensive. “It wasn’t as if we were playing seriously.”
“I didn’t notice we were playing for pretend louis. I tell you, Cordelia, that if I’d been playing with a man who used such tricks, I would take a horsewhip to him,” he stated.
“Wouldn’t you challenge him to a duel?” Cordelia asked in surprise, momentarily distracted from her own predicament.
“I wouldn’t dishonor my sword with his blood,” he said bluntly.
“Oh.” She chewed her lip again, then rummaged through her reticule. “Here. Every one of them.” She tipped the louis into his hand. “I suppose it was wicked, but I do so love to win. And I’d never do it at the tables.”
She sounded so melancholy and aggrieved that amusement yet again shattered Leo’s justified annoyance. It simply wasn’t possible to be angry with her for more than a fleeting instant, even in the face of such outrageous behavior.
“I give you fair warning, that if anyone catches you cheating in the salons of Versailles, you will be ostracized, and not even the dauphine will be able to redeem you,” he said with dire emphasis. “And if you bring such dishonor on your husband’s name, he would be entitled to have you shut up in a nunnery.”
“But I wouldn’t!” Cordelia protested, horrified as much by the idea that he might consider her capable of such stupidity as by the contemplation of such retribution. “We only played with these tricks in the family. Toinette is just as bad as I am; sometimes it was the only way to beat the archdukes. And they were quite odious when they won and set all sorts of embarrassing forfeits.”
“Well, I’ve a mind to set a forfeit of my own,” he said thoughtfully, tapping his mouth with his fingertips as he examined her.
“What?” A little prickle of excitement ran over her skin. She leaned forward again. “How would you have me pay, sir?”
Leo realized his mistake immediately. Whenever he dropped his guard, he found himself blundering into the morass. Her lips were parted in unmistakable invitation, and the tip of her pink tongue ran slowly over them in a gesture so seductive that it took his breath away. Cordelia was not the least alarmed by talk of forfeits.
He sat back, saying indifferently, “I find this tedious.” Closing his eyes, he rested his head against the seat back and to all intents and purposes went to sleep.
Cordelia frowned. She didn’t believe for a minute that he was truly asleep. She rifled through the contents of her reticule with great sighs and rustles as if looking for something vital. Then she hummed a little tune, tapping her foot in accompaniment. Still the viscount remained apparently asleep.
She let down the window and leaned out to watch the passing scenery. “Goodness, you should see the crowds lining the wayside to watch us pass,” she observed conversationally. “Oh, and there’s a dancing bear on a chain. It looks very sad, poor creature. Oh, and look, they’re chasing a pickpocket … and there’s a gingerbread stall. It’s just like a fair, with stalls and entertainers.” She withdrew her head and regarded her still-somnolent companion. “It’s a deal more entertaining outside than it is in here.”
Leo gave up. He opened his eyes. “Has anyone ever suggested wringing your neck?”
“Not to my knowledge,” she said with a twinkle. “But it’s odious of you to pretend to be asleep. I wouldn’t have disturbed you if you were truly fatigued, but you’re not. And I have so many things I want to ask you.”
“Serious things?” he asked suspiciously.
“Utterly. The empress told me you would use the journey to educate me in the particulars of life at Versailles. Toinettewill have the comtesse de Noailles to tell her things, but I have only you.”
“Very well.”
Similar Books
