"My townhouse is a few doors down from yours now. Let me give you a ride home. See your father, get washed up, and for the love of God, have a shave. The first event of the season is tonight, and you need to come along with me. My wife Margot has a friend staying with us and I am already discarded in favour of shopping and gossip."
Sin followed him to the carriage where Daniel kept up a constant of stream of conversation and questions. As they pulled into Grosvenor Street, the discussion turned bawdy.
"So, all those women in all those countries, and must have gone through thousands of french letters?" Daniel asked.
"I may have lost all good sense, but I didn't lose my good taste in women", Sin laughed, thinking of the beautiful women he had bedded.
"There is my home,” Daniel suddenly pointed out the window. “That is my wife." Two women exited the carriage. One was blonde and petite. The other had fiery hair and was the very definition of voluptuous. Sinclair poked his head out of the window to get a closer look. The women waved back curiously, as they recognised Daniel. The red-haired woman conjured vividimagery of the ancient statues and paintings he had seen on red clay pots as he travelled through Greece and Italy. A man could only hope to come across one of the beautiful women of myths and legends in his lifetime.
Who is this Goddess?
"Daniel?"
"Yes Sin?"
"Please tell me your wife is the blonde."
Chapter Three
“Margot, is it my imagination or was that man with your husband ogling me?”
Sophie stood frozen in place, mostly flattered but a little concerned. Who was this leering stranger? Was this a compliment or did she look ghastly? She tried to catch her reflection in a window. She tried and failed to conjure a vision of him in her mind, as her brief glimpse of him had only left an impression of his expression, like he wanted something from her. This man had seen something in her.
“I saw it as well. He was indeed ogling you,” Margot confirmed with a big grin. “I have no idea who he is or how my husband spent his day. Let’s go inside and wait for him. An interrogation is in order!”’
She followed Margot to the parlour and accepted the cup of tea and saucer placed in her hands. Sophie tapped her foot impatiently against the floor as they waited for Daniel to arrive home. The house was in a quiet lull while the children napped. Taking a sip of her tea, she looked to the door again and let out a sigh.What could possibly be delaying Daniel so?
“You are so eager to find out who he is. Are you smitten with the ogling stranger?” Margot teased at hearing her sigh.
“No, I was actually thinking how nice and quiet it is when the children are asleep,” she teased back. There was no pretence that the children were anything but a boisterous duo.
Margot started a retort but they heard the door closing.
He was home!
Margot stuck her head outside the parlour door and gestured to the viscount. “Come in here and be quiet. The children are asleep, but we have many questions for you, dear husband.”
In a moment, Daniel's grinning face appeared as he entered the parlour. He poured himself a cup of tea and took a seat on the cushioned chair next to Margot. Sophie giggled at how quickly he joined them for tea and gossip. She gazed fondly at the blonde and blue-eyed golden couple that ticked all polite society's boxes. Both came from respected families and had now started their own with their two fair-haired boys.
“This is about my friend, isn’t it?” Daniel asked as he waggled his eyebrows at her.
“Never do that again, you look like a ridiculous fop!” Margot answered, a snort escaping as she mocked him.
“Hush! Do you want those beautiful terrors to awaken?” Daniel said, waving off his wife’s jibe. "But I’m correct, am I not?” he added, as he turned to Sophie.
Knowing these two could heartily banter for hours she interjected before either could speak.
“You are correct, I am very curious as to why he looked at me so…so…something?” she finished lamely, not finding the appropriate words to describe the heated gaze.
“He is quite taken with you,” Daniel said with a sly smile. “His was a look of pure interest in knowing every detail about you.”
“I knew it!” Margot said loudly, which caused her husband to hush her again.
“What did he say? Who is he? Does he like me?” she gushed out, not knowing what to think or ask first. Her stomach fluttered like she had swallowed hundreds of butterflies and they were beating their wings furiously in an effort to escape.
Daniel held up his hands in surrender.
“Let me start from the beginning. His name is Sinclair Montgomery. He is my oldest friend and has returned home today from a long sojourn aboard. He is indeed very much interested in you. To quote Sin he said, ‘please tell me the blonde one is your wife' and then proceeded to tell me that you were the most delectable goddess he had ever set his eyes upon.”
