“Did you enjoy your Christmas gifts?” Mark asked her, causing Regina to choke on her beverage and Daffin’s private smile to widen.
Nicole glanced back and forth between the two of them, her gaze narrowing.
“Yes… er, I did enjoy them. Very much,” Regina managed to choke out.
“What was your favorite gift?” Mark prodded.
“Yes,LadyRegina,” Daffin asked, taking another large bite of eggs. “What was your favorite gift?”
Regina took a sip of tea. Then another. He was obviously enjoying this. “I don’t think I could pick just one,” she finally managed.
“I hope you enjoyed your Christmas Eve,” Nicole added. “Because I spoke with Uncle Edward this morning, and he’s still expecting Lord Dryden’s visit.”
“Lovely,” Regina replied, rolling her eyes.
***
The Earl of Dryden arrived just after noon and was shown into the green salon, where he was promptly joined by the duke, Lady Harriet, and Mark.
Regina stood at the bottom of the stairs with Nicole, doing what she could to delay having to spend time with the man. She hadn’t been able to speak with Daffin all morning. Directly after breakfast, he’d left for the stables, saying something about how he intended to scour the grounds again to look for any sign of the intruder. Not that Regina had known what she would say to Daffin if shehadhad a chance to speak with him. What precisely did one say to someone after a night like that? “Thank you” seemed inadequate. “Let’s do it again” seemed needy. She decided to worry about it later. First, she had to survive the afternoon with Lord Dryden.
“Go ahead,” Nicole prompted, nodding to the door of the green salon. “You might as well get it over with.”
“Easy for you to say,” Regina replied, her lip curled.
“Don’t worry.” Nicole patted her arm. “Mark and I shall help you keep up the conversation. It will all be over soon.”
Regina nodded. “I know. I’m being a complete ninny, but he’s just…” She let the sentence fade away but the wordsnot Daffincame to mind.
“Just be your normal charming self and pretend you’ve no idea why he’s come. That’s worked for you in the past, hasn’t it?”
Regina glanced at Nicole out of the sides of her eyes. “Obviously not well enough or he wouldn’t be back.”
Nicole laughed. “Be charming, but not too charming. You don’t want to encourage him.”
Regina tugged her gloves to her elbows. “I think I could snarl at him and gnash my teeth and it wouldn’t discourage him.”
Nicole rubbed her hands together. “Ooh. That’s not a half-bad idea. You could pick up a bad habit. Laughing like a donkey, perhaps?”
“Or slurping my soup?” Regina added.
“No, dear. I’m not certainIcould take that,” her cousin replied with another laugh. She paced away from her for a moment, then turned back. “I have an idea. I’ll ask him what he dislikes, and then you can begin doing it.”
“Ooh, that is clever,” Regina agreed. “Good plan. Let’s go.”
As soon as they entered the room, Lord Dryden stood. He was tall and passably handsome with light brown hair and hazel eyes. He wore a green vest and a black overcoat and looked perfectly tidy and presentable. Her stomach most certainly did not flip when she saw him, however.
“Ah, Lady Regina. There you are.” He bowed to her. “I’m pleased to see you again. Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas, my lord.” Regina curtsied and did her best to smile. Then she greeted the others in the room.
Where was Daffin? She hadn’t seen him since breakfast. Did he intend to stay away from this madness today? She wouldn’t blame him.
“My lord.” Nicole curtsied to Dryden, as well.
“Regina,” Uncle Edward intoned from his wheeled chair. “Come sit next to Lord Dryden.”
Regina smiled with gritted teeth. “Yes, of course.” She made her way to the settee near the earl. It had been less than five minutes and she already wanted to run far away. She sighed. This was certain to be a long, long afternoon.
