She would enjoy tonight, but two days from now she would no longer be part of society.
Where before the thought had excited her, now it depressed her. She blamed Bramstone Nightingale for making her feel things she hadn’t felt in years.
CHAPTER12
Dressed in his evening clothes, Bram made his way along the hall to the parlor where the other guests would be gathered awaiting the call in to dinner. Mungo had even managed to tie a passably good necktie.
“Bramstone.”
He turned to look behind him and found his mother. “Good evening.” He bowed before her. “You look lovely.” It wasn’t a lie. In fact, the deep burgundy was pretty on her.
“Thank you.” She held up her hand, and he raised his arm.
“You may escort me.”
“It would be my honor.”
Strangely, he had made peace with his relationship with his family over the last few days. Ivy, he thought. She had made him feel different.
Since the kisses they’d shared, she was always hiding in the background attempting to be invisible. He hadn’t let her. He’d talked to her. Made her laugh and forced that inquisitive mind of hers out of hiding.
Ivy Birdwhistle was important to him, and Bram found he liked that.
They entered the room to the hum of voices, and his eyes went around the room searching for her.
Something about that woman touched a place deep inside him. It was like he alone could see the Ivy beneath the facade she hid behind. How was it no man had noticed her beauty? Looked into those pewter eyes and lost themselves?
“Well now, it’s about time.”
He turned to see who Lady Osborne was looking at and saw her entering the room with her cousin. He couldn’t be completely sure but thought he’d swallowed his tongue.
Ivy was dressed in soft lavender. The dress seemed to float around her and show off far too much of her breasts. Her hair was softer, with a single curl resting on her pale shoulder. She wore a matching lavender band around her head. She looked different, but the same. Looking around the room, he noted the other men staring at her. He didn’t like it.
Who had made her dress like that? He felt his anger start to simmer. She’d been perfect as she was.
Lord Forthersham intercepted her as she walked with her cousin to where her aunt and uncle stood. Bram wanted to gnash his teeth.
“Miss Birdwhistle has certainly gone through a transformation since I saw her several hours ago,” David said.
Bram grunted.
“You have still not told me what that incident with Haldane was about, Bram.”
“It’s of no consequence.”
He felt his cousin’s eyes on the side of his face while he watched her. Ivy was clearly uncomfortable. Were men so fickle they saw her now, but hadn’t before? He’d seen her.
“I have never seen that look on your face before, Bram.”
“What look?” He dragged his eyes from Ivy.
“Like Miss Birdwhistle is the most important thing in the world to you,” David said so only he could hear. “I look at Penny that way.”
“How do you know that?” Bram watched the side of Ivy’s lips kick up. That was a smile. He’d watched her enough to realize she was only mildly amused at what Lord Forthersham was saying.
“Penny told me.”
“Well it must be true then,” Bram said, moving as they were being called in to dinner. “I will speak with you soon, David.”
