She sat down next to him. “I was quite tired of the small talk tonight as well. You were very distracted at dinner. Who were you watching down the table?”
Jack’s eyes slid from hers. He took another drag of his cheroot. “No one. I just wasn’t interested in conversing with my dinner companions.”
“Well, I know you don’t mean Caroline and I hope you are not referring to me, so that leaves Lord Davenport. What do you have against him? He is a very friendly fellow.”
His lips twisted. “Friendly, yes. I could see how friendly he was with you this afternoon.”
“Pardon me?”
“When you were walking with him in the rose garden this afternoon. I saw you two through an upstairs window. He certainly wants to be very friendly with you.”
She hoped he hadn’t seen Davenport kissing her. “Jack, you misunderstood what you saw.”
“Are you telling me he is not interested in you at all?” He threw his cheroot on the ground, stomping it with his boot heel.
“Well…” she evaded, not sure how honest to be with him.
Abruptly he grabbed her around the waist, sliding her close. With only a hair’s breadth between his face and hers, he said, “I can well understand his objective but tell me, Vivian, does he make you feel the way I do? Can he set you on fire?”
His lips came down on hers in a punishing kiss, not at all like his previous ones. Taken aback, she pushed her hands against his shoulders, but his arms kept her prisoner against him. His mouth mounted an assault on her senses: the heat of his lips, the spicy scent of tobacco, his hard chest pressed against her breasts melted away her alarm. She slid her hands up through his hair, holding him in place as they kissed in what seemed like an endless dance of lips and tongue.
Jack pulled back first, just far enough to send a string of kisses down the side of her neck. Her pulse beat rapidly. His lips curved into a smile against her skin before he nuzzled her ear. He whispered, “No one can enflame you like me. Remember that, my darling, as you assess all your suitors.”
The lovely haze of desire evaporated at his words. She tugged his head up viciously, her fingers still threaded through his hair.
“Just what the hell is that supposed to mean? What do you think, I am keeping several men dangling at my fingertips like some tart?” How dare he insult her like this? Did he view her as some scheming debutant? She stood and slapped him across the face. “I thought you were the one person who understood me the best.” A single tear dared to roll down her cheek. Turning, she hurried back to the house before he could see it.
Chapter Twenty-Three
After spending the night berating himself for being such an ass, Jack stumbled downstairs early, heading for the kitchens. He could not face the crowd in the dining room this morning. Last night he had let his jealousy over Davenport’s attentions toward Vivian cloud his judgment, and he had ended up hurting Vivian’s feelings. Not his intention at all. He had merely wanted to show her how their chemistry was something unique. He sat down at the kitchen table, and scrubbed a hand down over his unshaven face. Now he had to figure out a way to apologize properly to her.
A steaming mug of tea slid in front of him. Surprised, he looked up to find Caroline standing next to him.
“Come to hide out as well, big brother?”
“Yes.” He gave her a sheepish grin. “You are the last person I expected to see down here.”
She sat across the scarred wood table from him. “If I go into the dining room, Mother is ready to pounce on me, and she always wants to discuss the details for the day. I never get to eat a proper breakfast. So, a couple of days ago I started coming down here first and letting Mrs. Tuttle feed me.” She took a bracing sip of her tea. “Who are you hiding from?”
“Everyone.” He frowned into his cup. “Well, mostly Vivian.”
“What did you do, Jack?”
“Why do you assume I did something?” But she just frowned at him. He let out a sigh. “I may have, not intentionally, mind you, hurt her feelings last night.”
“Why? Over what?”
“Davenport. I may have overreacted over his attention toward her.” He scowled, thinking about Davenport walking closely next to Vivian, her hand on his arm.
Caroline’s face softened from a frown to a look of pity. “Oh, Jack, you fool.” She reached across and put her hand on his. “Yesterday afternoon Davenport asked Vivian to marry him. She turned him down flat.”
“Really?” His heart buoyed briefly, then plummeted again. Vivian had tried to tell him. He was a fool.
Mrs. Tuttle set down two plates of eggs and sausages in front of them.
Caroline smiled at the older woman, “Thank you so much, Mrs. Tuttle. Jack, figure out a way to apologize. She will forgive you, eventually. Vivian does have a hot temper, but it always dies out quickly.” Caroline ate a forkful of eggs. “Today we are planning our excursion to the fair. Perhaps you could get her alone there, buy her a gift of some sort to say you are sorry.”
He got up and kissed her on the cheek. “Thanks. I am going to go make myself presentable.” He left to shave and change, trying to think what, if anything, he could do to gain Vivian’s forgiveness.
