Taming the Wild Captain by Gemma Blackwood

Author:Gemma Blackwood [Blackwood, Gemma]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Amazon: B074TPQJ9P
Published: 2017-08-13T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWELVE

"Pooh! What a dreadful stench!"

The following morning brought a most unwelcome delivery to Amberley House. When Alice descended into the drawing room for breakfast, she was surprised on two counts: the first being that Kirby was already up and dining, and the second being the vast quantity of lilies which were standing in four vases about the room.

"The butler said they arrived this morning," said Kirby. He seemed in excellent spirits, for some reason. "It seems that last night was not quite the disaster you thought, Miss Sharp."

Alice ignored his remark. Her senses were too heavily assailed by the cloying perfume of the lilies to make much sense of it. "It is ghastly! There is nothing I hate more than the scent of lilies. Ugh! Their pollen is staining the table cloth."

"Allow me to assist you," said Kirby, rising up and taking a vase of the offending flowers under each arm. Alice waited in the doorway until the lilies had all been removed.

"Who on earth would send me such a gift?" she wondered, taking a seat at the table. "It has quite taken away my appetite."

"There was a card," said Kirby. Alice's eyes widened.

"Well, let me see!"

"Shall I read it to you?"

"Certainly not! Pass it over at once!"

Kirby obliged her, eyes dancing. Alice read over the note with a frown of disappointment.

"It is only Mr Grantham."

"You are not pleased?"

"I am only unsurprised. I already knew he was attempting to court me, though if I had imagined he was about to go this far I would certainly have given him direction as to my taste in flowers."

"I would have sent you roses," said Kirby mildly, buttering his toast. "White roses." Alice narrowed her eyes.

"A fine guess – or it would have been, if you had not seen me wearing white roses in my hair at Almack's only a few days ago."

"All the same." Kirby paused his breakfast to give her a meaningful look. "I noticed."

"Quite so." Alice felt that he expected a different response, but knew not how to give it. "Will you have some coffee, Captain?"

"I thank you, my cup is full. And I thought we had come past this business of using titles with one another...Alice?"

"Yes, I noticed your impertinence yesterday."

"My impertinence!"

"I excused it as the result of your heightened emotions after the party. I can find no excuse for you now."

"Alice," he smiled, "you are too harsh with me."

"It is all that you deserve. Captain."

"Very well." Kirby helped himself to another plateful of toast. Alice had never seen anyone eat such vast helpings at breakfast. "I hope you are recovered from yesterday's adventures, Miss Sharp."

"I find myself very well this morning, Captain. I thank you."

"The weather appears very clear. It will be a fine day, I think."

She frowned. "Are you teasing me, Captain?"

"I am merely making polite conversation, Miss Sharp. I would hate to be thought impertinent a second time."

"It doesn't suit you."

"Alas," he grinned, through a large bite of toast, "manners rarely do."

Alice would have liked

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