nostrils
flare. "Yes, and thank you. How kind of you to say so."
Trehmont flinched next to Redding. "Lady
Gwendolyn, are you possibly available for an afternoon ride through
the park tomorrow?"
No. I'd rather allow Hunter to trap me
against a chair again . "Of course." She forced her face to
break into a smile. "That would be wonderful."
Isabelle elbowed her sister. Perhaps she was
doing it a bit brown. She grimaced.
"Are you in pain?" Trehmont blurted.
If only he knew that his very presence made
her feel ill. His hair was slicked back with gobs of something —
she had never seen such material in a man's hair. His jacket a bit
too tight, and his smile lecherous. If he tried to kiss her, she
was going to murder him.
"The Royal Duke of Haverstone," Goode
announced, as Hunter bounded into the room. With a flourish, he sat
near Gwen and snatched a biscuit from the nearby table.
Never had she been so thankful for the Wolf
to appear.
"Blast, but these are wonderful biscuits.
Tell me." Hunter ignored the men and turned to Gwen. "Does your
cook possess some sort of magic or does she merely add a bit of
your sweetness to the delicacy?" He licked his lips and took
another bite.
Rosalind coughed. Gwen had to bite her lip to
keep from grinning from ear to ear. The fool.
"Ahem." Trehmont stumbled over his words. "I
was just announcing to my valet this morning of your beauty, my
lady."
"Valet." Hunter laughed. "Didn't know you
still possessed the blunt to employ one, Trehmont."
Gwen's mouth dropped open as she tried to
think quickly of what to say to diffuse the situation. She looked
between the two men.
Trehmont's face turned a purplish shade of
red before he squirmed in his seat. "I'm happy to announce I've
come into a bit of a more comfortable situation. Surely enough to
provide for a beautiful young lady."
"Is that so?" Redding suddenly perked up,
seeming quite interested in this sudden change of information. "And
how, may I ask, has your situation improved?"
Rosalind laughed lightly. "Gentlemen, is this
truly a place for such talk?"
"Of course not." Hunter grinned wickedly at
Gwen. "Might I say that gown is terribly awful on you."
"Pardon?" Gwen gaped. "Apologies, but it
seems your attempt at humor has missed its mark."
"It was not an attempt, and I believe I hit
my mark quite well." He turned toward the two gentlemen. "I am,
after all, an excellent marksman."
"So we've heard." Redding glared.
"At any rate, allow me to explain myself."
Hunter cleared his throat and leaned forward. "That particular gown
is a pretty enough gown, but in my mind it detracts away from the
poetry of your face. The angle of your soft jaw, the billowy
softness of your lips against that pale skin. Those are the things
a man wishes to focus on, not gowns."
Gwen squirmed in her seat. Never had a man
been so forward. Unfortunately, the warmth she felt was entirely
false. Hunter might desire her, in a lust-filled selfish way, but
he cared nothing for her heart. In fact, she was convinced she
would never find a man who would.
Which was why this entire farce was almost as
painful as it was difficult. It was akin to giving a child a
beautiful new pony and then at the last minute ripping it out of
their hands.
She nodded in his direction and took a sip of
tea to collect her thoughts. "Your attempt at flattery confuses me,
but I thank you nonetheless. No doubt it took you days to come up
with such a compliment, and even then it fell flat."
Trehmont began to laugh. "Doesn't mince
words, does she?"
Redding joined in.
Hunter, however, did not take his eyes off of
Gwen.
"Say, my lady," Redding spoke up. "Since you
seem to be occupied with Trehmont tomorrow afternoon, would you be
agreeable to a chaperoned walk in the park Monday?"
"I would be honored." Gwen tried to keep
herself from glaring at Redding. Something about him gave her
pause, though she had no idea why.
She sighed.
"Perfect." Redding rubbed his hands together
and leaned
flare. "Yes, and thank you. How kind of you to say so."
Trehmont flinched next to Redding. "Lady
Gwendolyn, are you possibly available for an afternoon ride through
the park tomorrow?"
No. I'd rather allow Hunter to trap me
against a chair again . "Of course." She forced her face to
break into a smile. "That would be wonderful."
Isabelle elbowed her sister. Perhaps she was
doing it a bit brown. She grimaced.
"Are you in pain?" Trehmont blurted.
If only he knew that his very presence made
her feel ill. His hair was slicked back with gobs of something —
she had never seen such material in a man's hair. His jacket a bit
too tight, and his smile lecherous. If he tried to kiss her, she
was going to murder him.
"The Royal Duke of Haverstone," Goode
announced, as Hunter bounded into the room. With a flourish, he sat
near Gwen and snatched a biscuit from the nearby table.
Never had she been so thankful for the Wolf
to appear.
"Blast, but these are wonderful biscuits.
Tell me." Hunter ignored the men and turned to Gwen. "Does your
cook possess some sort of magic or does she merely add a bit of
your sweetness to the delicacy?" He licked his lips and took
another bite.
Rosalind coughed. Gwen had to bite her lip to
keep from grinning from ear to ear. The fool.
"Ahem." Trehmont stumbled over his words. "I
was just announcing to my valet this morning of your beauty, my
lady."
"Valet." Hunter laughed. "Didn't know you
still possessed the blunt to employ one, Trehmont."
Gwen's mouth dropped open as she tried to
think quickly of what to say to diffuse the situation. She looked
between the two men.
Trehmont's face turned a purplish shade of
red before he squirmed in his seat. "I'm happy to announce I've
come into a bit of a more comfortable situation. Surely enough to
provide for a beautiful young lady."
"Is that so?" Redding suddenly perked up,
seeming quite interested in this sudden change of information. "And
how, may I ask, has your situation improved?"
Rosalind laughed lightly. "Gentlemen, is this
truly a place for such talk?"
"Of course not." Hunter grinned wickedly at
Gwen. "Might I say that gown is terribly awful on you."
"Pardon?" Gwen gaped. "Apologies, but it
seems your attempt at humor has missed its mark."
"It was not an attempt, and I believe I hit
my mark quite well." He turned toward the two gentlemen. "I am,
after all, an excellent marksman."
"So we've heard." Redding glared.
"At any rate, allow me to explain myself."
Hunter cleared his throat and leaned forward. "That particular gown
is a pretty enough gown, but in my mind it detracts away from the
poetry of your face. The angle of your soft jaw, the billowy
softness of your lips against that pale skin. Those are the things
a man wishes to focus on, not gowns."
Gwen squirmed in her seat. Never had a man
been so forward. Unfortunately, the warmth she felt was entirely
false. Hunter might desire her, in a lust-filled selfish way, but
he cared nothing for her heart. In fact, she was convinced she
would never find a man who would.
Which was why this entire farce was almost as
painful as it was difficult. It was akin to giving a child a
beautiful new pony and then at the last minute ripping it out of
their hands.
She nodded in his direction and took a sip of
tea to collect her thoughts. "Your attempt at flattery confuses me,
but I thank you nonetheless. No doubt it took you days to come up
with such a compliment, and even then it fell flat."
Trehmont began to laugh. "Doesn't mince
words, does she?"
Redding joined in.
Hunter, however, did not take his eyes off of
Gwen.
"Say, my lady," Redding spoke up. "Since you
seem to be occupied with Trehmont tomorrow afternoon, would you be
agreeable to a chaperoned walk in the park Monday?"
"I would be honored." Gwen tried to keep
herself from glaring at Redding. Something about him gave her
pause, though she had no idea why.
She sighed.
"Perfect." Redding rubbed his hands together
and leaned
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