“Of course, George will be needed elsewhere.”Tilly knew as well as Scarlett did that as the male host of the house party, George would have to hand the highest-ranking lady into dinner.
Tilly nodded.“George will attend Lady Fortenshire.But I am sure he has asked Mr.Westmore to attend me as a special favor to himself.”Tilly paused, looking for a moment confused.“But I am not talking about either Mr.Westmore or Mr.Tarlington.I am speaking of Mr.Malcolm Brown, George’seldestbrother.”
“I was not aware he had an older brother.”
“He has never been to London,” Tilly said.“He is very mysterious—and reclusive.And according to Miss Wallington, he is rumored to be extremely handsome.Oh—that must be him.”
Scarlett turned towards the door and her mouth went dry.
George had just appeared.And he was accompanied by three other men.George wore his usual friendly smile, and despite the impairment to his foot, he managed, as he always seemed to, to cross the room with assurance, even if he couldn’t totally do away with awkwardness.
For his part, Mr.Severn Westmore bore the sly, rakish grin that made him look like the sinful alternative to George’s wholesomeness.Then, next to him, was the brother that Scarlett had met only once or twice before, the youngest of the group, Mr.Philip Tarlington, a young man Tilly’s age, who had apparently just taken his degree at Cambridge.He wasn’t as handsome as George or Severn, but he was apparently very clever.
Then, behind them, was the reason Scarlett found it difficult to breathe.
Because here was, perhaps, the most handsome man that she had ever seen in the flesh.
His eyes were an astonishing, clear green, and he wore his fair hair, a true blond, far too long for fashion.His face was tanned, as if he were often out of doors, a feature that she did not often see on London gentlemen.
He was not as young as his brothers.That was clear.Whereas they all still had a bit of boyishness, he had not an ounce of it on him.No, he was a man—and had evidently been so for some time.He had to be at least ten years older than Mr.Tarlington.
But these discrepancies didn’t matter.Tall and powerfully built—he must be quite the sportsman, she thought—and with a face that instantly drew the eye and did not surrender it, he was exceptional.
“Oh my,” Tilly said, next to her.“You are lucky, Scarlett.”
“He is attendingme?”she said, in a voice that did not escape the hush of a vulgar whisper.
“Yes,” Tilly said.“And if it weren’t for my devotion to George, I have to say that I would be jealous.”
Scarlett swallowed, hard.
She wasn’t used to seeing men who attracted her this much.Yes, there were handsome men in London.But it was not often she experienced such a raw, visceral reaction to a man.
For a moment, she felt pure, smug delight that he would be hers for the evening.
And that he was coming over to them, led by George himself.
But then she remembered.
She, Scarlett Perkins, plain and plump, was not what any man wanted to see as his work for the evening.
Especially not a man this handsome.
She tried to swallow the dread that had replaced the longing in her throat.
But it wouldn’t budge.
Chapter Four
Malcolm was soill at ease he could hardly see straight.
It was humiliating to be this nervous.
In the end, it was Philip who had lent him the clothes.Of his brothers, he was the only one large enough for him to share clothing with, and even then, only just.Philip spent most of his days at study whereas Malcolm was in the fields.So even though they both had inherited their father’s height, his brother was two stone lighter than him.His clothes dug into Malcolm’s waist and shoulders and legs and made him feel even more like a beast caged and displayed for show.
Philip had brought over a second set of evening clothes from Beatrice’s—where he had been forced to decamp due to the influx of guests.Malcolm would have preferred to dress in his own room, but he wasn’t confident enough to ensure that he would look acceptable without the help of his brothers.And Severn, George, and Philip had insisted anyway.
They had all dressed, then, in George’s chambers.
