He’d hurt her, and he’d had no right to do that. Bram never spoke without thought anymore. But she made him irrational. He’d thought she was beautiful before, but now she was exquisite. Every inch of her perfect.
“You shoot extremely well, Mr. Nightingale,” Miss Burrows said.
“Thank you. I’ve had many years of practice.” Bram dragged his eyes from Ivy to focus on his dinner companion.
“I do so admire someone who shoots as well as you.” She smiled at him, and he felt nothing. He’d rather have one of Ivy’s scowls.
“Thank you. You must also admire Miss Birdwhistle?”
Her lips pursed, annoying him further. He turned to speak to the woman on his right.
“Has your cousin always been so accurate with her bow and arrow, Lady Dorothea?”
Ivy’s cousin paused midchew to look at him. She then swallowed and lowered her knife and fork.
“We didn’t realize how good initially, or that she is fiendishly competitive, but it did not take long for Father to find out. You see, he was the one in our family who excelled at archery.”
She had a sweet smile, but he did not react to her like he did with Ivy, who rarely smiled.
“I love my cousin very much, Mr. Nightingale.”
He nodded, knowing something else was coming.
“I vowed the day she walked into our house, brokenhearted, when I was six years old that I would do everything I could to ensure no one hurt her again. I have failed a few times.” Her smile was small now.
“I’m sure having you and your family was a comfort to her.” The thought of Ivy in any pain was insufferable, which told him pretty much everything he’d been denying.
He cared about Ivy Birdwhistle.
“Ivy is my sister in every way, Mr. Nightingale. I would do anything for her.”
He was fairly sure there was a threat in there somewhere and had to admire her for it.
“I mean her no harm.”
“Excellent. In that case, it’s my hope you can break through her hard shell and get her to like you back.”
He barked out a laugh, drawing eyes, then drew in a large breath before speaking his next words.
“I wonder, Lady Dorothea, if you would do me a favor?”
“If I can and it does not upset my cousin, I will.”
“It won’t, but I owe her an apology and wish for you to help me tender it.”
CHAPTER13
The night had been a long one, especially as Ivy had spent it avoiding a certain large, angry man. She had no idea why in a matter of hours he’d gone from someone who’d appeared to want to spend time in her company to the growling man she’d encountered as he took her to dinner. And all because of the way she’d dressed.
“And they say woman are fickle.”
Was he regretting kissing her?
“Well, it’s not like it worked out well last time,” Ivy muttered, pulling on a shawl. She grabbed her quiver and stomped to the door.
But she’d believed Bramstone Nightingale was different. Thought he seemed genuinely interested in her.
“You are a gullible fool.”
