Not so much because she actually considered them excellent prospects, but because she didn’t think she’d be able to be in the same room with him and the lordlings and not die laughing.
But of course, Gemma’s prayers went unanswered.
Lord Percy and Lord Bertie, as they insisted she call them, began a long, convoluted recitation of the events of their uneventful journey from London, just as Hal stalked down the stairs with murder in his eyes and a bland smile on his handsome face.
When he caught sight of the pair of popinjays strutting about Gemma, however, the murder was replaced by mischief.
As expected, Gemma could hardly keep her countenance as Hal sauntered across the public room and dipped his head in a nod of greeting.But rather to Gemma’s surprise, Lord Bertie brightened upon meeting Hal, exclaiming, “I say, you must be the, er, barman the Duke of Thornecliff mentioned!What?”
“Ah yes, so he must be, how very perspicacious of you, Bertie.”
“Why, thank you, Percy.”
“Don’t mention it, old chap.”
Gemma frowned slightly, taking the opportunity of the two lordlings self-congratulatory back and forth to lean close to Hal.“I wonder what cause Thorne would’ve had to include a mention of you in whatever story he’s telling about his visit to Five Mile House,” she said in a low voice.
“Perhaps he enjoyed the scotch I chose for him,” Hal replied lightly, but there was a tension Gemma didn’t understand pulling his long, muscular limbs taut.
Before Gemma could dig deeper, however, the two lords returned their attention to her.“Do you have a room or two to spare?”Lord Percy inquired, waggling his brows.“Preferably conveniently close to your own bower.”
Oh Lord.Gemma fluttered her eyelashes to hide how very badly she wished to roll her eyes instead.“Lord Percy, you are too naughty!Of course we can accommodate both of you gentlemen.I shall put you in rooms right next door to one another, how would that be?”
They proclaimed that it would be absolute perfection, and in short order, were installed in their comfortable rooms with their valets to attend them as they dressed for dinner, despite Gemma’s repeated assurances that there was no need.
She then spent the next hour going back and forth between their rooms, fulfilling one request after another, each more ridiculous than the last.An extra pillow for Lord Percy; a different coverlet for Lord Bertie.A larger cheval glass for Lord Percy; a smaller chair for Lord Bertie.
Once Hal had settled the coachman and outriders in the stable lodgings, he returned to help Gemma swap out the chairs.
“After this, I’m done,” she vowed as she attempted to maneuver the small chintz armchair out of her own room.“They must be engaged in some sort of competition as to which of them can make the biggest nuisance of himself.”
Hal stepped around her and hefted the chair easily, making Gemma huff.She refused to acknowledge the tingle of awareness in her lower extremities at the concrete evidence of Hal’s strength.
“It’s a bet,” he told her, carrying the chair down the hall to Lord Bertie’s room.“I had it from the footman they brought with them, Tom.”
Gemma knew she shouldn’t be surprised—these lads considered themselves protégés of the Duke of Thornecliff, after all.Still, her jaw felt slack.“What sort of bet, exactly?”
“Tom didn’t know all of the particulars.”Hal was clearly enjoying all this a bit too much.“But he did think the terms had something to do with getting you into bed.Charming fellows.”
“Those little bastards!”Gemma fumed.
“Perhaps in this case,” Hal suggested smugly, “you won’t mind when I run them off?”
Gemma pondered for a moment, then decided, “Wait until tomorrow.They can at least pay for their overnight stay.”
Hal gave a toothy grin and knocked on the door of the blue room.Lord Bertie answered it himself with a lecherous smile that dropped quickly from his face upon seeing Hal standing on the threshold.
“Ah, thank you!Many thanks, my good fellow,” he gabbled, stepping back to let Hal in with the chair and stumbling over the corner of the Aubusson rug.
“Don’t mention it.”Hal’s voice was a growl that shivered through Gemma’s stomach and sent heat prickling along her skin.
The way he loomed over poor Lord Bertie, pushing him back into the chamber with nothing more than his size and the force of his personality, had Gemma’s pulse racing.
With a conspiratorial smirk over his shoulder, Hal carried the chair into Lord Bertie’s room…and shut the door behind him.
Cursing under her breath, Gemma stepped closer to the closed door but she couldn’t make out a single sound from within the room.
A few short moments later, Hal emerged with the rejected article of furniture, a lovely wing chair covered in blue damask, and an air of satisfaction.
