“Yes,” Phillip ground out, wondering if Gunning was trying to see how red in the face his employer could get without actually collapsing to the floor in an apoplectic fit.
“I thought I’d let you inquire, sir.”
“You thought you’d let me inquire.” This one came out as a statement, Phillip having realized the futility of asking questions.
“Yes, sir. She’s here to see you, after all.”
“So are all of our callers, and that has never stopped you from ascertaining their identities before.”
“Well, actually, sir—”
“I’m quite certain—” Phillip tried to interrupt.
“We don’t have callers, sir,” Gunning finished, quite clearly winning the conversational battle.
Phillip opened his mouth to point out that theydidhave callers, there was one downstairs that very moment; but really, what was the point? “Fine,” he said, thoroughly irritated. “I’ll go downstairs.”
Gunning beamed. “Excellent, sir.”
Phillip stared at his butler in shock. “Are you unwell, Gunning?”
“No, sir. Why do you ask, sir?”
It didn’t seem quite polite to point out that the broad smile made Gunning look a bit like a horse, so Phillip just muttered, “It’s nothing,” and headed down the stairs.
A caller? Who would be calling? No one had come to visit in nearly a year, since the neighbors had finished making their obligatory condolence calls. He supposed he couldn’t really blame them for staying away; the last time one of them had come to visit, Oliver and Amanda had smeared strawberry jam on the chairs.
Lady Winslet had left in a fit of temper quite beyond anything Phillip would have thought healthy for a woman of her years.
Phillip frowned as he reached the bottom of the stairs and turned into the entry hall. It was a she, wasn’t it? Hadn’t Gunning said his visitor was a she?
Who the devil—
He stopped short; stumbled, even.
Because the woman standing in his entry hall was young, and quite pretty, and when she looked up to meet his gaze, he saw that she had the largest, most achingly beautiful gray eyes he’d ever seen.
He could drown in those eyes.
And Phillip did not, as one might imagine, eventhinkthe worddrownlightly.
Chapter 2
... and then, I’m sure you will not be surprised to hear, I talked far too much. I simply couldn’t stop talking, but I suppose that is what I do when I am nervous. One can only hope I have less cause for nerves as the rest of my life unfolds.
—from Eloise Bridgerton
to her brother Colin,
upon the occasion of
Eloise’s debut into London society
Then she opened her mouth.
“Sir Phillip?” she asked, and before he even had a chance to nod in the affirmative, she said, at quite the speed of lightning, “I’m so terribly sorry to arrive unannounced, but I really had no other option, and to be honest, if I’d sent notice, it probably would have arrived behind me, making the notice really quite moot, as I’m sure you’ll agree, and ...”
Phillip blinked, certain he was supposed to be following what she was saying but no longer able to make out where one word ended and the next began.
