Instead of resuming her lighthearted chitchat as Lewis had expected she would, Miss Kinsey stared at him in awed silence before declaring, “Oh my, Mr. Bradford, you have the most beautiful dark-blue eyes! Just like the wings of a kingfisher.”
*
As she’d saidit, Jillian knew she had gone too far. Ellena’s sharp intake of breath confirmed it.
After a brief, shocked pause, Lord Howell cleared his throat and said, “Do you know, Bradford, the lady is quite correct. Ihad never noticed before. They are, indeed, a remarkable shade. Quite enviable, I should say. Well spotted, Miss Kinsey.”
Ellena was right about the viscount, mused Jillian. He was a most thoughtful man, trying to save face on Jilly’s behalf. This infernal urge to blather when she was nervous was bothersome, to say the least. What must Mr. Bradford think of her?
And yet Mr. Bradford did not appear troubled. A slow smile crept across his features. “That is the best compliment I have received by far,” he said. “Possibly because it was sincerely meant,” he added. “Allow me to return the favor, Miss Kinsey, and tell you what a pleasure it is to meet a lady who is utterly without pretention. You are a rare find, indeed.”
“Oh,” said Jillian, truly speechless now. And again, “Oh.” She turned to Ellena for assistance. Ellena, however, was sharing a look with her brand-new husband that Jillian could not decipher. There was definitely an edge to it.
By contrast, the expression on Mr. Bradford’s face was familiar and inviting, his jaw slack, his eyes focused, his tongue wetting the inside of his lower lip.
In Jillian’s experience, honest feelings did not need to be uttered, even though she was inclined to do so in heaps. She was good at reading the unspoken truths in the countenance of others. She knew when a man had seen something—or someone—that pleased him. She recognized in Mr. Bradford’s face what his words did not say.
He liked her.
Jillian considered him more closely. He had well-defined cheekbones, well-tended eyebrows, and perfectly-proportioned ears. All elements of a man’s appearance that Jillian believed were too often overlooked.
She could like a face like that.
Far, far more important was the comfort of his stance. He did not fiddle with his cravat or look down at his fingertipsin an effort to disguise his dismay at her awkward manners. He was looking straight at her, seeing her properly, and not disapproving. In fact, quite the opposite. Mr. Bradford was, bless his heart, quite obviously taken with her.
She could love a man like that.
“What a lovely thing to say,” she answered at last. “If that is truly your opinion, we shall fast become friends.”
“I am delighted to hear it,” he replied. “Shall we promenade about the room and share stories of the bride and groom that they absolutely would not want us to know?”
Jillian laughed loudly, causing several heads to turn in shock. Mr. Bradford, she noted, only smiled more broadly.
She had, in the few hours she had been in Munro, become painfully aware that she did not belong, although the viscount’s friends had been very polite about it. Small wonder, for when had she moved in such circles before today? Ellena’s parents were the nearest she had come to engaging with gentlefolk, and they had stoutly disapproved of her being in their daughter’s life at all. But Mr. Bradford… He simply let all the expectations of his class roll right off his back.
Jillian slid her arm through his and declared, “I shall like getting to know you very much, I think, Mr. Bradford. Shall we?”
The gentleman threw a glance over his shoulder. Jillian could have sworn he winked at his friend. The earlier look between husband and wife was repeated. Jillian discerned an element of concern in their unspoken thoughts. Before they could act on their shared musing, however, Mr. Bradford and Jillian had fallen into step.
And thus it remained the rest of the day. Though they sat at opposite ends of the dining table, their eyes were ever upon each other. If Jillian felt a chill, Mr. Bradford arranged for a footman to collect her wrap. If her hands were empty, hesupplied her with an interesting book from the library or a glass of refreshment.
Their world had shrunk until it was just the two of them.
It was the most complete Jillian’s world had ever felt.
