She cleared her throat. “That would be pleasant, thank you.” She finished her food, although not cleaning her plate. It would seem that she was as affected by their discourse as he was.
Attempting to distract his errant thoughts, Reid recalled something. “I saw you speaking with Lord Southwick earlier. He seemed…distraught?”
“Oh, that man at the ale table?”
Reid nodded. “Yes.”
“I did not realize who he was. ‘T’was odd, Mr. Chillendale. He turned and saw me and his color paled. He stared at me for the longest time, and finally he mumbled something about likenesses and then hurried off.”
“Well.” Reid was puzzled. “That is unlike him. But perhaps he thought you were someone else?”
She took his arm and let him lead her back through the Hall. “I’m sure it was something like that. I took no offense. It’s far too delightful an evening to worry about a small and unimportant incident.”
“And I do believe the best is yet to come.”
“Indeed.” She cast her eyes downward, demurely, lifting her gown slightly to reveal chestnut leather boots.
Reid was reminded of her hair. It was bound up in a tidy knot this evening, but still glowed. How much better it looked loose and tumbled around her ivory skin...
“Aren’t you going to introduce us, Reid?”
Lady Southwick’s voice cut through his erotic musings like a sharp knife through a freshly budded rose.
“I do beg your pardon, Ma’am.” He turned to Prudence and drew her forward. “Lady Southwick, may I present Lady Prudence Eldridge? She is cousin to Brent Rowdean and visiting the area in his company.”
“Well, how interesting,” gushed the older woman. “Cousin to a Viscount, eh? That is quite an accomplishment, dear. And might we inquire as to whether there is a Lord Eldridge?”
Nosy old bitch. Reid managed to strangle the thought before he gave it voice, but opened his mouth to respond. Prudence forestalled him with a slight touch on his arm.
“You are gracious to inquire, Ma’am,” she said. “Sadly, my husband was taken from me by illness some years ago now.”
“Oh.” Lady Southwick struggled with that. “My sympathies. It is difficult to be a widow at such a young age, I’m sure.”
“Indeed it is. How kind of you to understand.”
Flustered by the charm and self-control of the woman in front of her, Lady Southwick raised the white flag, metaphorically speaking. “I’m sure your family and friends are a great support to you.”
“Very much so.”
“And here’s dear Brent now. Has he told you of his childhood years here in the county? How he adored it. And we of course adored him. Why Emmeline thought he was the most amazing young man.” She fluttered her hand, in lieu of a fan. “I do believe she had quite thetendrefor him. But I’m sure you remember what it was like to be a young girl.”
With that final shot, Lady Southwick held out her hand to Brent, welcoming him into the group and drawing him next to Emmeline. Who blushed and giggled.
“I hope you’re having fun, dear sir. Aren’t the children delightful?”
To Reid’s surprise, Brent seemed to like that comment, bending his head to answer the girl and bringing a real smile to her face. During the brief conversation that followed, it was astounding to realize that Emmeline had apparently found her “r’s” along with a clear infatuation for “dear Brent”.
When arrangements were made for Brent to escort the Southwicks home in his hired carriage—Lord Southwick having apparently absconded with the family conveyance—both the Southwick ladies seemed eminently satisfied with the arrangement.
“I’ll take care of Prudence,” murmured Reid to Brent. “You take this lot. I owe you.”
“Maybe, maybe not.” Brent shot him a quizzical glance and gathered his charges.
What that meant, Reid had no idea. But since he was standing next to Prudence, and now responsible for her safety, his mind was busy leaping to other matters of a more intimate nature.
“Let’s go,” he said, quietly.
“Where?”
“Our place.”
She looked at him, a slow smile curving those tempting lips.
“All right.”
