Courting a Christmas Wallflower by Dawn Brower

Author:Dawn Brower [Brower, Dawn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Dawn Brower

The evening meal felt as if it were taking an eternity to finish. All of the guests that Lady Andover invited had finally arrived. Every single one of them were seated at the table. Bas was on Miss Evangeline’s right and the Earl of Moray was on her left. The old earl was trying his best to keep her attention solely on him and Miss Evangeline was dodging his attempts better than a gentleman avoiding marriage minded misses.

Bas had to admit he found it all entertaining. He leaned over slightly and said, “Do you need assistance?”

“With?” she answered in a prim tone.

“Extricating yourself from Moray’s attentions of course,” he replied drolly.

Her lips twitched but she managed to hold in the giggle that seemed about to burst out of her. “I assure you I am capable of taking care of myself.”

“That doesn’t mean that you cannot accept the generous help of a gentleman with the best of intentions.” His lips tilted upward. Bas really did like her.

She studied him and asked, “Are they?”

“Are they what?” he lifted a brow. Bas was confused. He had been momentarily lost in his own thoughts.

“Are your intentions the best,” she said in an earnest tone. “Or are you as bad as others with their lecherous glances and lewd quips.”

Bas’s mood darkened at her words. “Who is acting that way toward you?” He would have a private word with any gentleman that treated her in such a manner. No, he couldn’t do that... It would ruin his carefully crafted cover. He could have Huntington or Riverdale do it for him. After his friends spoke to these dishonorable gentlemen, they wouldn’t bother Miss Evangeline Payne ever again. It was the least he could do for her.

She sighed. “You don’t need to do that.”

“What?” She was making him look like the idiot everyone believed him to be. At this rate she would only add to his reputation. He had to stay focused on their conversation.

“I told you I can take care of myself. You don’t need to take care of anyone for me.” She pushed the food on her plate around with her fork. He had been watching her all evening and she’d barely touched her food. Instead of asking her again he decided to change the topic of their conversation. He could find out later who was bothering her.

“Do you not like the meal?” he asked. Bas was concerned about her lack of appetite. He hoped that whatever bothered her wasn’t something that would continue to weigh on her. If he could help, he would.

She shook her head lightly. “I’m not hungry. The food is all right.”

That wasn’t much of an answer but what else could he do but accept it. “I personally am not fond of mutton,” he explained. “But I was taught to be grateful for any meal at an early age.” When his father had been alive, he’d been strict about everything.

“My aunt feels the same. She won’t be happy if I don’t eat,” Miss Evangeline told him.

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