She stopped toying with her artful tendrils to frown at him. “You could be a willing business partner if you wished.”
He stared back at her without responding.
“And we could be friends,” she continued softly, hesitantly. “If you wanted to.”
He chose one of the bowls of slowly melting ice and handed her the other.
“Eat this,” he said gruffly. “And stop playing with your hair. It looks like it took an hour to curl.”
“Two,” Bryony muttered. “It apparently takes longer if you fidget.”
He frowned. “Why bother if you dislike it?”
“This is one of the first times Ihavebothered,” she admitted.
Max shoved a spoonful of flavored ice in his mouth before he could inquire whether she’d done so for him. Because she wanted him to find her beautiful. As if he didn’t already.
“I like your waistcoat,” she said shyly. “It reminds me of the deepest parts of the ocean. Somewhere a Kraken might live.”
Damn it. It was hard to stay furious at a woman whose views mirrored his.
“Bryony,” squealed a trio of blonde females as they flocked over as one. “Tell your mother to send us a new invitation. Ours never arrived.”
“She won’t,” Bryony said between spoonfuls of ice. “She’s hoping to marry me off to the first man whose signature she can forge on a wedding contract, and it won’t work if all the eligible gentlemen are distracted by you three.”
Marry her off?
Surely the somersaults in Max’s stomach were because such a turn would be disastrous news for the future of his club. When Bryony married, the deed would belong to some titled toff, not to her.
The girls giggled and pouted. “How are you supposed to charm anyone if you’re playing the violin instead of conversing?”
“Mother believes that’s the only time Iamcharming,” Bryony said with a self-deprecating chuckle. “She’ll be at Lady Roundtree’s on Wednesday, if you want to press your case then.”
“Your mother doesn’t know everything,” one of the chits assured her earnestly. “Why, just look at your hair. Itcancurl!”
The other girls chimed in with their effusive agreement.
“Thank you for noticing,” Bryony said with a straight face. “These ringlets are my greatest achievement. The culmination of four Seasons’ hopes and dreams.”
“They’re very pretty.” The girls cast curious glances at Max. “And…”
Bryony stared back at them without blinking.
After an increasingly awkward stretch of silence, they curtsied and left without a single word in his direction.
“Friendly bunch,” he said when they were gone.
“Oh, were you hoping they would speak to you?” Bryony asked sweetly. “I’m afraid they couldn’t do so without an introduction.”
“You could have introduced them.”
“And have them charm you out from under me? I think not. Especially when I haven’t a violin handy with which to drown out their sweetness.”
“Do you play in a theater?” he asked, curious despite himself.
She shook her head. “At home, and at my sister’s school.”
He had heard music at Vauxhall, but never touched an instrument of his own. “You must love it.”
