her eyes widen. Did he mean…?
“Mr. Sutherland, I—”
“You and Lady DeLinn and Miss Tomkins,” he amended quickly, shifting in his seat. “And Archer, too, of course. We could make quite a holiday of it.”
“Yes.” Isabelle searched his face. “Quite.”
He gave her a friendly smile. He had attempted to cover it, but she was certain he had just made her an invitation.
How disconcerting. She felt warm and jittery, like she’d just swallowed a gallon of strong tea.
She ought to be deeply offended, but for some reason she could not decipher, she wasn’t. Maybe because Mr. Sutherland was a handsome man, a rich man, clearly a gentleman. A part of her liked having his attention. She hadn’t experienced the attention of a gentleman for so long.
It made her feel powerful.
Yet it was so odd it was happening now. Now, after seven years of being ignored by the male sex. When Leo just happened to be in the same house.
She looked up into Mr. Sutherland’s eyes and returned his smile.
Susan’s voice cut into their exchange. “…Lord Leothaid…” Isabelle swung her head toward Susan and Lord Archer. “I heard he was away in Scotland?”
Susan glanced over at Isabelle and gave her a terse nod.
“Yes.” Lord Archer ran his fingers over his chin. “He did say he might be gone for some time.”
“So you do know him, then!” Susan exclaimed, feigning surprise.
“I do.”
“I thought you might,” Susan said. “Did you know I was once acquainted with him as well, coz?”
“I did.” Lord Archer’s soft voice penetrated the otherwise silent room. His gaze dropped away from Anna.
“You must be friends, then, Thomas. Very good friends, in fact.”
Lord Archer glanced at Mr. Sutherland. “Indeed. I have known Leo for some years now.”
“Well, is that ever a coincidence? Why, I once knew Lord Leothaid myself,” Anna said.
Lord Archer’s Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat.
Isabelle slanted a nervous look at Mr. Sutherland and discovered him watching her.
“Yes, well, Leo is quite a familiar figure here in London, after all,” Lord Archer said. “Quite a dandy, he is. They say he will be the next Brummell.”
Anna laughed delicately.
Isabelle thought of Lord Leothaid, dirty and unkempt in a dusty cellar, of how much it must chafe him to be there, in that state, in the presence of ladies.
Susan lifted a graceful hand to her mouth, stifling her own laugh. “Do you truly think so, coz? I have trouble imagining Leo sitting in the bow window at White’s with such an arrogant look upon his face.”
“But you cannot deny that he is an arrogant man,” Anna said.
“No, no, I will grant him his arrogance,” Susan said. “But it would be difficult to compete with Mr. Brummell, don’t you think? I can hardly picture Leo being so outwardly disparaging to innocent walkers-by.”
Lord Archer nodded. “It is true. Brummell was unique in his ability to ridicule others. I suspect the spot will go to Lord Alvanley, a fine dandy, but much less caustic a fellow than Brummell.”
“Caustic or not, I rather liked some of Mr. Brummell’s inspirations.” Anna said. “Lord Alvanley is quite dull in comparison, despite his…ah”—she paused, and then finished in the most delicate way—“hourglass figure.”
Susan arched an eyebrow. “That is the result of elephants pulling on his corset strings, I daresay.”
Isabelle’s cheeks burned. Surely this topic could not be appropriate for a gathering between gentlemen and ladies! Then again, Susan and Anna were not typical society ladies.
The conversation progressed from current masculine fashion trends to the theater, and the fashions to be viewed while in attendance there.
“Have you been to the theater since you’ve been in town, Miss Frasier?” Mr. Sutherland inquired.
Isabelle shook her head.
“The theater!” Anna exclaimed. “I haven’t been since we went to see that terrible farce back in May, Susie. We must go, don’t you
“Mr. Sutherland, I—”
“You and Lady DeLinn and Miss Tomkins,” he amended quickly, shifting in his seat. “And Archer, too, of course. We could make quite a holiday of it.”
“Yes.” Isabelle searched his face. “Quite.”
He gave her a friendly smile. He had attempted to cover it, but she was certain he had just made her an invitation.
How disconcerting. She felt warm and jittery, like she’d just swallowed a gallon of strong tea.
She ought to be deeply offended, but for some reason she could not decipher, she wasn’t. Maybe because Mr. Sutherland was a handsome man, a rich man, clearly a gentleman. A part of her liked having his attention. She hadn’t experienced the attention of a gentleman for so long.
It made her feel powerful.
Yet it was so odd it was happening now. Now, after seven years of being ignored by the male sex. When Leo just happened to be in the same house.
She looked up into Mr. Sutherland’s eyes and returned his smile.
Susan’s voice cut into their exchange. “…Lord Leothaid…” Isabelle swung her head toward Susan and Lord Archer. “I heard he was away in Scotland?”
Susan glanced over at Isabelle and gave her a terse nod.
“Yes.” Lord Archer ran his fingers over his chin. “He did say he might be gone for some time.”
“So you do know him, then!” Susan exclaimed, feigning surprise.
“I do.”
“I thought you might,” Susan said. “Did you know I was once acquainted with him as well, coz?”
“I did.” Lord Archer’s soft voice penetrated the otherwise silent room. His gaze dropped away from Anna.
“You must be friends, then, Thomas. Very good friends, in fact.”
Lord Archer glanced at Mr. Sutherland. “Indeed. I have known Leo for some years now.”
“Well, is that ever a coincidence? Why, I once knew Lord Leothaid myself,” Anna said.
Lord Archer’s Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat.
Isabelle slanted a nervous look at Mr. Sutherland and discovered him watching her.
“Yes, well, Leo is quite a familiar figure here in London, after all,” Lord Archer said. “Quite a dandy, he is. They say he will be the next Brummell.”
Anna laughed delicately.
Isabelle thought of Lord Leothaid, dirty and unkempt in a dusty cellar, of how much it must chafe him to be there, in that state, in the presence of ladies.
Susan lifted a graceful hand to her mouth, stifling her own laugh. “Do you truly think so, coz? I have trouble imagining Leo sitting in the bow window at White’s with such an arrogant look upon his face.”
“But you cannot deny that he is an arrogant man,” Anna said.
“No, no, I will grant him his arrogance,” Susan said. “But it would be difficult to compete with Mr. Brummell, don’t you think? I can hardly picture Leo being so outwardly disparaging to innocent walkers-by.”
Lord Archer nodded. “It is true. Brummell was unique in his ability to ridicule others. I suspect the spot will go to Lord Alvanley, a fine dandy, but much less caustic a fellow than Brummell.”
“Caustic or not, I rather liked some of Mr. Brummell’s inspirations.” Anna said. “Lord Alvanley is quite dull in comparison, despite his…ah”—she paused, and then finished in the most delicate way—“hourglass figure.”
Susan arched an eyebrow. “That is the result of elephants pulling on his corset strings, I daresay.”
Isabelle’s cheeks burned. Surely this topic could not be appropriate for a gathering between gentlemen and ladies! Then again, Susan and Anna were not typical society ladies.
The conversation progressed from current masculine fashion trends to the theater, and the fashions to be viewed while in attendance there.
“Have you been to the theater since you’ve been in town, Miss Frasier?” Mr. Sutherland inquired.
Isabelle shook her head.
“The theater!” Anna exclaimed. “I haven’t been since we went to see that terrible farce back in May, Susie. We must go, don’t you
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