“No,” she said flatly.
“You wound me.”
“I doubt it.”He was flirting with her.It had been so very long since anyone had bothered, and she wasn’t quite sure what to do.“Perhaps you could point me in the direction of the south wing.I’ve rather gotten turned around.”
“Even better, I’ll escort you there.”
“I think not.I do not know what game you’re playing, Mr.de Malheur, but it’s not one I’m interested in.”
He smiled then, one of genuine amusement.“Aren’t you worried about offending the son of the household?”
“I think your mother would take my side,” she said, hoping she was right.
“Alas, she would,” he said mournfully.“She put you in the corridor farthest from my rooms in order to avoid temptation.Are you tempted, Miss Lancaster?”
“Mrs.Lancaster,” she automatically corrected him, surprised he’d remembered her name.And then she wanted to bite her tongue.Widows had a certain reputation, and she was much better off as a starched-up spinster than a merry widow.
“Mrs.Lancaster?”His deep, hypnotic voice emphasized the title.“But how delightful.Virgins are so tedious.”
He was trying to shock her, but she refused to allow him to.“Good night, Mr.de Malheur,” she said firmly, starting to move past him, when he caught her arm, his ungloved hand on her wrist, and the touch of skin to skin seemed to set her on fire.She froze.
“Are you afraid of me, Mrs.Lancaster?”he said, looking amused.“I promise I don’t go in for rape.”
“James!”The door to the salon had opened, spilling light into the hallway, and Brat de Malheur’s mother stood there, looking stern.
He didn’t release her wrist, and she felt a strange lassitude flowing over her.He was a badly behaved boy, and he shouldn’t disturb her so much with his little tricks.He was probably just bored.
“Yes, Mama?”
“Since you decided to miss dinner, I believe you ought to come in and entertain the ladies.”
“I’m trying to do just that.”
“James.”
He released Jenny, reluctantly, a wry smile on his mouth.“You’re right about my mother,” he murmured.“She’ll definitely take your side.Coming, Mama.”
Moving past her, he disappeared into the salon, leaving the two women alone.“I must beg your pardon for my son’s behavior,” Miranda said.“He’s usually more adroit.”
Jenny didn’t pretend to misunderstand.“I imagine he’s just bored.”
“Oh, I don’t think that’s it.But I promise you he won’t bother you again.He’s badly behaved, but he has some manners.The south wing is the first staircase on your left.”
“Thank you, my lady,” she said, sketching a little curtsey as she made her way back to her pretty little room.There were only two things on her mind.The troubled expression on Lady Miranda’s face...
And the feel of Brat de Malheur’s hand on her arm.
Jenny wokeup from a troubled sleep to a world of white.She couldn’t remember her dreams, which was a blessing, since she suspected they’d featured Brat de Malheur significantly, but the blanket of snow covering everything was so magical she was able to put her concerns from her mind.
There was no sign of him at breakfast the next morning, no sign of any of the gentlemen of the household, and Jenny’s appetite returned full force as she herded the twins into the breakfast room.“They’ve gone out shooting,” Hortensia said with a doleful expression.“I don’t know what the birds ever did to harm them, but they’ll be out all day, tramping through the snow and mud, leaving us alone to entertain ourselves.And Brat promised to take us ice skating.”
“Ice skating?”Jenny echoed.“Is it cold enough?”
“Aunt Miranda said the pond’s been frozen over for weeks, and we should be perfectly fine.But now we’ll have to stay inside and be bored while they go out and have all the fun.”
“We should have fresh pheasant for dinner,” Lady Emma said soothingly, sitting at the far end of the table with a rosy-cheeked baby in her arms.Apparently the Rohans didn’t believe that children should be kept in the nursery and trotted out from four to five every day—there were hordes of children of all shapes and sizes clambering over the breakfast buffet.
“You can come with us, Horry,” said a young lad of about fifteen.“We’re going to build a snow fort and maybe even have a snowball fight.”
