The door opened, and before Miranda even turned, she knew who had entered.
Her skin prickled with energy, and her body warmed. Keeping her eyes lowered, she studied her teacup, hoping her controlled demeanor wouldn’t give anything away.
“Ah, speak of the devil,” Lucas remarked with a teasing tone.
“And he shall appear,” the viscount finished, his tone slightly strained.
Miranda glanced up then. He met her gaze, then flickered his away, studying his friend. “I see you’ve made yourself right at home.” He took a seat close to Miranda, on a wingback chair.
“I thought it was only fair to return the favor,” Lucas replied.
“Eh, fair enough.” The viscount chuckled.
“You have a lovely estate, Viscount Kilpatrick.” Liliah spoke with civility. “I see from the windows that you have a courtyard behind the house.”
The viscount nodded. “It’s home. But I must say, my favorite location is the pond over the hill.”
Miranda’s gaze shot to him, but he didn’t seem as if the words held any undercurrent.
They surely did for her.
Lifting her almost empty teacup, she took the last cool sip of tea, needing something to do.
“What about you, Miss Miranda? Have you enjoyed the estate?” He directed the question to her.
She glanced up, her mind quickly spinning to come up with an articulate answer.
She could be cautious.
She could say something benign.
But in those few seconds, as she thought, everything within her revolted against doing the proper, the right thing.
She could have said a hundred things, but instead, she met his gaze with a bold one of her own and replied, “I quite prefer the stables.”
The freedom the truth gave was powerful.
As was the shock in his gaze.
That warmed into appreciation, but then cooled into a frosty indifference as he turned away. “If you’re visiting the stables, I’d take a footman with you.”
Miranda gave a single nod, then turned toward her sister.
There was something in her sister’s gaze that fortified her confused heart.
She almost didn’t recognize it, but it fed her soul.
It was hope.
And if Liliah saw hope, she could see it too.
