She stared back at him.
She hadn’t left him, but stood there as well, so she must want a kiss.
Emory leaned in.
“Lord Ferrard, what are you doing?”
“I was going to kissy you.”
“You are also drunk.”
“I am not,” he defended. Though, perhaps he was, slightly.
“Ours is a courtship of convenience, remember.”
“I’ve not forgotten.”
“Then I see no cause for you to kiss me.”
He frowned. “What if I wish to.”
“Unfortunately, we are not always granted our wishes.” She opened the door. “Good night, Lord Ferrard, and please return to your brother’s home without injury.” Then she was gone, the door shut in his face, and he heard the click of the lock.
Tonight was not well done of him.
Emory turned for home and kicked imagined stones out of his path. Who said there could be no kissing? That hadn’t been part of the agreement because if it had been, he’d remember. Violet had not once said there was to be no kissing, therefore, he’d simply need to remind her of that fact.
Chapter 15
“Good afternoon, Lord Ferrard!”Violet called loudly. “How are you feeling today?”
She grinned at him, as she would her brothers after a night of overindulgence.
“You need not yell, Lady Violet. My head does not pain me.”
It didn’t? Then again, it was afternoon, so he’d had time to recover.
“I take it that is how you greeted your poor brothers in the morning after they’d been in their cups.”
“Of course. It is what sisters do, is it not?”
He stared at her for a moment. “You didn’t strike me as having the least bit of meanness within your being.”
“I don’t consider it mean. I always thought of it as repayment for the teasing I suffered as a child.” Though, why did she delight in their discomfort? It certainly wasn’t kind. And, they hadn’t been horrible brothers.
She gave them grief simply because first Blythe, her oldest sister, had done so. Then Lucinda as well. There was just something enjoyable about being able to torment a sibling when it wasn’t being truly harmful.
“All sisters must be the same. Mine delight in my misery,” he grumbled. “These are from my brother,” Lord Ferrard presented a lovely bouquet of flowers to her. “He apologizes for disturbing you last evening.”
“Thank him for me.” She took the fragrant flowers and sniffed. It was the middle of the winter, which meant that Dr. Talbot must have visited the home of Baron Fanshawe, a botanist who managed to have all manner of flowers growing in his greenhouse year-round.
“I did not bring you flowers.”
“It wasn’t necessary that you do, nor for Dr. Talbot to send any.”
“Do you want to know why?” he asked.
“If you wish to tell me.” Goodness he was acting rather strange this afternoon. Then again, she’d not known Lord Ferrard long and there were many aspects of his personality that she was certain that she’d not yet discovered, as it was with everyone in the early stages of friendship.
