“Of course it’s your fault. You scared the stuffing out of me.”
“Which was apparently responsible for you heaving a book at me.”
“You’re fortunate a book was the only weapon I had at hand.”
Gideon stopped moving. “Do you normally haveotherweapons readily available?”
“Well, no, because I don’t make it a habit to arm myself when I’m attending dinner parties, since I’m not usually confronted by men who are skulking about.”
“I wasn’t skulking.”
“I beg to differ. But if you’re so opposed to me believing you’re the type of gentleman to prowl about in a most suspicious fashion, all you need to do to deprive me of that notion is explain what you were doing in the library before I wandered in here.”
Gideon completely ignored her request as he pulled her into motion again. “Not that I want to offend you, but you’ve now taken to looking pale as a ghost. Permit me to get you settled in a spot far removed from the guests, who are bound to notice your pallid state, which will undoubtedly have them asking questions I know you won’t want to entertain. If you’ll recall, I saw how frustrated you got that time you caught on fire and were then left with a barrage of inquiries after we got the flames put out. Since you’ve now suffered another fright, one that has clearly left you out of sorts, know that after I get you settled, I’ll fetch you a cool drink, which should put some color back in your cheeks.”
Considering her cheeks felt as if they were blooming with color, due to the notion Gideon was obviously not keen to explain the skulking, it was evident the man was making a less-than-subtle attempt to remove her from the library. Frankly, he seemed to be going to herculean lengths to distract her from whatever it was he was up to by being far too solicitous of what he kept suggesting were her tender sensibilities.
She came to an abrupt stop, forcing him to do the same. “I’m fairly certain this library, being at the end of a very long hallway, is as far removed from the guests as we’re going to find.”
He didn’t miss a beat. “True, but now that I think about it, it’s actually too far away from the festivities, because it’s not close to where refreshments are being served. Given the ashen hue of your face, it’s clear you’re in desperate need of a beverage before you find yourself succumbing to a fit of the vapors.”
She dug in her heels when he attempted to prod her into motion again. “I’m the lady who suffers mayhem on a frequent basis. As you just mentioned, I once caught myself on fire. I didn’t suffer a fit of the vapors when I suddenly went up in flames, which means I’m not a lady who is going to succumb to vapors merely because you startled me when you materialized from behind those curtains. But speaking of Mrs. Nelson’s drapes, you’ve yet to explain what you were doing behind them. Most people aren’t prone to disappearing into the folds of window dressings during a dinner party.”
He arched a brow. “Most people also aren’t prone to retreating to libraries when a night’s festivities are soon to begin, and in this case, that would be dancing. Mrs. Nelson brought in a complete orchestra, which isn’t something most ladies care to avoid.”
“I’m not most ladies. Besides, it’s not a crime to avoid dancing. Loitering behind curtains, on the other hand, suggests something a little more sinister.”
Annoyingly enough, Gideon neglected to cough up an explanation.Instead, he took to regarding her for a few seconds before he cocked his head. “May I assume your decision to remove yourself from the guests is because you’ve experienced some manner of turmoil already?”
“It wouldn’t be a normal evening for me if some manner of chaos didn’t occur,” she returned. “But it wasn’t really a noteworthy bout of turmoil. I mean, granted, tongues will be wagging about my latest incident for weeks, but in all honesty, what I experienced was a, um, wardrobe sputter, if you will.”
“How unfortunate,” he said before he grinned, the sight of it causing her pulse to accelerate the tiniest bit, something she strove to ignore because it certainly would never do to allow this gentleman’s far-too-appealing grin to leave her behaving like a giddy schoolgirl, not when it had been eons since she’d been in a classroom. Besides that, she had the sneaking suspicion Gideon used his grins much like weapons, pulling them out whenever he needed a distraction. Unfortunately for him, she was determined to remain undistracted.
“May I dare hope you’ll appease my curiosity and tell me exactly how this sputter occurred?” Gideon asked as he placed his hand on the small of her back and gave her a gentle nudge toward the door again.
She refused to budge, having no intention of allowing him to whisk her out of a room he evidently didn’t want her lingering in, not until she discovered exactly what he was up to.
Summoning up the limited acting abilities she possessed, Adelaide began fluttering a hand in front of her face. “I’m afraid I’ll need to do that telling at some later date because you may be on to something regarding my emotional state. I’m suddenly feeling all sorts of lightheaded, which means we’ll need to stay here until I get my nerves under control.”
Gideon’s grin disappeared in a flash. “You just told me, and vehemently no less, you’re not a lady prone to vapors.”
“Perhaps my life of mishaps has finally caught up with me.”She gave another flutter of her hand. “Why, I’m even beginning to feel rather weak in the knees. Given that unfortunate development, I’m sure you’ll agree I should immediately sit down before I crumple to the floor.”
Instead of ushering her to the nearest chair, Gideon took a step away from her and gave her a thorough perusal. “You don’t look as if you’re about to faint. In fact, your face is no longer pale, and your eyes have begun sparkling with what appears to be amusement.”
“I’m sure they’re doing no such thing. If they’re sparkling at all, it’s probably a sign I’m about to swoon. I’ve been told ladies’ eyes every so often start sparkling right before those eyes roll back in their heads.”
“Why do I get the distinct impression you just conjured that bit of ridiculousness out of thin air?”
Swallowing a laugh, she feigned a wobble, which caused Gideon to immediately steady her with another hand to the small of her back, although instead of leading her to the fainting couch, he headed for the door again.
“There’s a billiard room just down the hallway that has a comfortable-looking settee in it,” he said. “Your weak knees will certainly appreciate being able to rest there.”
Adelaide sidestepped away from him, releasing a breathy sigh that she hoped he’d take for additional distress. “I don’t believe my knees are strong enough to make it out of this room. Since I’ve already drawn far too much notice with my wardrobe sputter and have no desire to attract additional attention if I swoon and you’re then forced to carry me about, if it’s all the same to you, I’ll rest here, in the library, on that fainting couch I was lounging on a few moments ago, one that’s simply too comfortable for words.”
“You seem rather articulate for a lady in danger of swooning.”
“I’ve been known to chatter away at the most unusual of times.”
