question.
“On the contrary, Bannor. By gathering this information I hope to keep someone else from doing just that.”
Bannor breathed a long sigh of relief.
“And Bannor? That was an impertinent question. In the future, be advised I will not tolerate such questions against my character. If it happens again, you may find yourself needing to search for employment elsewhere.”
Bannor nodded furiously and colored a bright crimson. “You must forgive me, my lord. I meant no insult. Truly, I didn’t.”
“Shall we review the books?” Radford said, hoping to move past the awkward moment as soon as possible. He had a day crammed with awkward moments to look forward to and no desire to dwell on any of them.
* * * * *
Try as she might, May could not keep her stomach from fluttering nervously as the viscount’s butler, the long-faced Jeffers, slowly opened the heavy door. He gave a start when he found himself staring down upon her and the smiling Lady Iona.
Lord Nathan grunted at the shocked pause, not taking notice of either the speechless Jeffers or the mortified May. He brushed past the butler and led the group into the parlor. With shocking brashness he announced himself and the ladies to the frail-looking woman lounging on a velvet sofa.
The woman sat up slightly and, smiling all the while, scolded Lord Nathan for his unconventional behavior. Her hand rose in the air for him to kiss. She was dressed in layers of the most diaphanous fabrics and her silky brown hair was peppered with gray.
So this was Lady Evers, the viscount’s mother, May thought after the introductions were completed. Lady Evers rose with great care, as if fearing her thin bones might snap. May worried for a moment that Lady Evers’ weakened legs wouldn’t be able to hold her weight. But the lady surprised May when she managed to cross the room and embrace Lady Lillian with great enthusiasm.
She cupped the young woman’s face in her hands. “Every time I see you I think, my, this girl is as lovely as a jewel. Just look at you,” she said. Her gaze tripped over May and held steady for a moment on Iona. “And your sister. I do pronounce you both diamonds of the first water.”
May’s natural smile tightened into something quite forced. There was no reason to feel slighted. Lady Evers’ reaction to her had been no different the night before, nor was it any different than many of the ton’s . But here, under the viscount’s roof, Lady Evers’ expectation that May meekly fade into the background stung worse than the most thinly veiled insult Lady Lillian could ever utter.
Lillian and Iona naturally drank up the praise and lapsed into comfortable conversation with the viscount’s mother. It was only right that Lillian should make friends with Lady Evers. The woman would very likely become her mother-in-law, after all.
Just once , May thought. Her smile strained till her jaw ached. Just once, I would like to be the pretty one—the one everyone is dying to love . But that would never happen. Not even her parents—the very two people who should love her no matter how ugly a duck she turned out to be—they didn’t even love her enough to stay by her side.
She stepped back toward the window seat, as was her habit, and allowed herself be forgotten. An interloper, perhaps . . . but she did have her pride.
A lifetime of minutes passed before Lord Evers entered the parlor. Cane in hand, he was blessedly giving his injured foot a well-deserved rest. Despite May’s discomfort at being the forgotten guest, her smile relaxed at the sight of him using that cane. Her words that morning must have made an impact. He was letting his finely polished wooden cane with a golden cap take the weight off his damaged leg . . . and looking more dashing than ever for it.
His gaze swept the room. A brief hesitancy darkened his expression as his eyes flicked from Lady Lillian’s lovely pout to his cane and back to Lillian again. The gel played the part
“On the contrary, Bannor. By gathering this information I hope to keep someone else from doing just that.”
Bannor breathed a long sigh of relief.
“And Bannor? That was an impertinent question. In the future, be advised I will not tolerate such questions against my character. If it happens again, you may find yourself needing to search for employment elsewhere.”
Bannor nodded furiously and colored a bright crimson. “You must forgive me, my lord. I meant no insult. Truly, I didn’t.”
“Shall we review the books?” Radford said, hoping to move past the awkward moment as soon as possible. He had a day crammed with awkward moments to look forward to and no desire to dwell on any of them.
* * * * *
Try as she might, May could not keep her stomach from fluttering nervously as the viscount’s butler, the long-faced Jeffers, slowly opened the heavy door. He gave a start when he found himself staring down upon her and the smiling Lady Iona.
Lord Nathan grunted at the shocked pause, not taking notice of either the speechless Jeffers or the mortified May. He brushed past the butler and led the group into the parlor. With shocking brashness he announced himself and the ladies to the frail-looking woman lounging on a velvet sofa.
The woman sat up slightly and, smiling all the while, scolded Lord Nathan for his unconventional behavior. Her hand rose in the air for him to kiss. She was dressed in layers of the most diaphanous fabrics and her silky brown hair was peppered with gray.
So this was Lady Evers, the viscount’s mother, May thought after the introductions were completed. Lady Evers rose with great care, as if fearing her thin bones might snap. May worried for a moment that Lady Evers’ weakened legs wouldn’t be able to hold her weight. But the lady surprised May when she managed to cross the room and embrace Lady Lillian with great enthusiasm.
She cupped the young woman’s face in her hands. “Every time I see you I think, my, this girl is as lovely as a jewel. Just look at you,” she said. Her gaze tripped over May and held steady for a moment on Iona. “And your sister. I do pronounce you both diamonds of the first water.”
May’s natural smile tightened into something quite forced. There was no reason to feel slighted. Lady Evers’ reaction to her had been no different the night before, nor was it any different than many of the ton’s . But here, under the viscount’s roof, Lady Evers’ expectation that May meekly fade into the background stung worse than the most thinly veiled insult Lady Lillian could ever utter.
Lillian and Iona naturally drank up the praise and lapsed into comfortable conversation with the viscount’s mother. It was only right that Lillian should make friends with Lady Evers. The woman would very likely become her mother-in-law, after all.
Just once , May thought. Her smile strained till her jaw ached. Just once, I would like to be the pretty one—the one everyone is dying to love . But that would never happen. Not even her parents—the very two people who should love her no matter how ugly a duck she turned out to be—they didn’t even love her enough to stay by her side.
She stepped back toward the window seat, as was her habit, and allowed herself be forgotten. An interloper, perhaps . . . but she did have her pride.
A lifetime of minutes passed before Lord Evers entered the parlor. Cane in hand, he was blessedly giving his injured foot a well-deserved rest. Despite May’s discomfort at being the forgotten guest, her smile relaxed at the sight of him using that cane. Her words that morning must have made an impact. He was letting his finely polished wooden cane with a golden cap take the weight off his damaged leg . . . and looking more dashing than ever for it.
His gaze swept the room. A brief hesitancy darkened his expression as his eyes flicked from Lady Lillian’s lovely pout to his cane and back to Lillian again. The gel played the part
Similar Books
