“Quite, although to be perfectly honest, everything about your face is exceptional.”
Her pulse went from jittery to galloping in the span of a heartbeat.
“That’s, ah, very kind of you to say,” she managed to get out of a mouth that had turned rather dry. “Thank you.”
Seth took a step closer, something that allowed her to get a delicious whiff of his cologne, which was definitely sandalwood, but mixed with something she couldn’t quite put her finger on.
“Forgive me again, Annaliese, as I didn’t mean to fluster you. I was merely pointing out a truth about your extraordinary face.”
“It was a lovely truth to point out,” she said, unable to help but smile, because she’d never actually had a gentleman extendher any type of compliment before, let alone one where her face was called extraordinary.
Seth’s gaze drifted to her lips, and his eyes turned distant like they did whenever he was about to get lost in thought, but then he gave himself a shake and returned her smile.
“Forgive me as I fear I’m allowing myself to become distracted from the purpose of my visit,” he said. “Clearly, your time is limited right now, but I remembered you telling me you have a free period before lunch, hence the reason I’m here.”
“You remembered that?”
“Of course, although don’t ask me what I ate for breakfast this morning as I was completing plans for a personal safety device for Norma Jean. I freely admit that there’s only so many things I can remember when I’m planning.”
“You’re inventing a personal safety device for your sister?”
“Indeed, and I’ve already made quite a few prototypes since I thought it might be a good idea to provide these devices to every student here, but I don’t want to say anything more just yet as I haven’t had an opportunity to test the effectiveness of this device, but...” He smiled. “No need to fret that it’s dangerous since there are no bullets, flames, or any explosives involved.”
“Good to know, although I will need you to demonstrate this safety device before you hand any of them out to the students, just to be on the safe side.”
“And here you seem to believe you’re an abject failure in your role here at the academy, but that was something I bet only a very effective instructor—or headmistress, as the case is right now—would request.”
“Co-headmistress,” Annaliese corrected. “Drusilla agreed, but only after I agreed to not turn in my resignation, to have Seraphina partner with me to run the academy while my sister’s gone.”
“So you’re not considering tendering your resignation anymore?”
“For the moment, although Drusilla and I are going to sit down and have a heart-to-heart talk once she returns. I think it’s obvious to both of us, though, that daily involvement with the academy might not be for me.”
“And what would be for you?” Seth asked.
Annaliese worried her lip. “I’m not certain, but I have been missing the time I used to devote to my insects, as well as the time I spent protesting plume hunters and fur traders.”
“Perhaps you could stay on and teach decorum lessons a day or two a week and then concentrate on your other interests the rest of the time.” Seth held out his arm to her. “But speaking of your insects, that’s why I’m here. And since I’m sure Mr. Grimsby has already had your footmen deliver what I made for you to the dungeons, shall we go see what I’ve brought for you?”
Annaliese took hold of his arm. “Whatdidyou bring me?”
A grin was Seth’s first response to that, one that left her pulse galloping madly about again. “You’ll simply have to wait and see.”
Returning the grin, Annaliese walked with Seth out of the sitting room, down the hallway, down another hallway, through the kitchen, and then to the door that led to the dungeon.
Gas sconces on the wall had already been lit, their flames leaving flickering shadows on the rough-hewn walls as they climbed down curving steps, reaching the dungeon a moment later.
Walking into the large room she’d taken over for her insects and spiders, Annaliese couldn’t help but smile when she caught sight of Pippin, Wiggles, and Fidget, scurrying around the feet of the footmen who were...
Her breath caught in her throat as her gaze settled on a large glass container that had rich, dark soil covering the bottom of it and was filled with bark and moss. She turned to Seth. “Is that a vivarium?”
“It is, and I made you three of them, along with three terrariumsfor your bugs that live in humid environments, and an aquarium that has a filter I designed that should keep the water relatively clean, in case you needed an aquatic environment for any bugs that live in water.”
“I’ve never been able to keep water bugs for long as I didn’t want them to die due to stagnant water.”
Seth smiled. “Now you won’t need to worry about that.”
For the briefest of moments, Annaliese’s vision turned blurry because she’d never, not once, had a gentleman even inquire about her bugs, let alone take the time to build her so many marvelous habitats for her to use.
