Testing Miss Toogood by Stella Cameron

Author:Stella Cameron
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2013-05-26T16:00:00+00:00

19

A week had passed since Fleur saw Dominic and Nathan climb inside the window seat and disappear. Their invitation to go with them to their mother’s today had surprised and pleased her.

Who could help feeling happy in the Dowager’s brilliant sitting room early on a sunny afternoon, Fleur wondered. Then she looked at the Elliot brothers and had her answer.

“Would you two mind settling somewhere?” the Dowager said. “What is the matter with you?”

Dominic and Nathan sat on a pillow-strewn divan—as far from one another as possible.

“You look well, Fleur,” the Dowager said. She reminded Fleur of an exotic butterfly, a blue-and-green butterfly all flowing and glimmering. And her turban showed off her fine features. “The air and all the walking you do must agree with you.” Lady Granville spoke to Fleur but cast repeated, irritated glances at her remote-faced sons.

“Walking is my favorite thing,” Fleur told her. “And look at this day. This room was made for sun through its windows.”

The Dowager smiled her pleasure. “It really is too bad that so many parties have been canceled this past week. But you did go to the Crewe-Burnses’ do, and what I understand was an intimate little gathering at Franklin Best’s. Then the Butterworths’ rout. They’re one of the few families I know of who serve excellent refreshments at such affairs.”

“The place wasn’t even crowded,” Nathan said. “Wretched. Only a handful of interesting women there. And no cards.”

“Fleur was there,” Dominic said, popping to his feet again. “She’s interesting.”

He confounded her with his abrupt compliments, particularly since they invariably sounded grudging.

Nathan showed more of his teeth than usual. “Of course Fleur is interesting. Was she supposed to entertain a houseful of men?”

“Oh,” Fleur said, anxious about the direction of the conversation. “I found the evening really pleasant. Such a lot of nice people.”

“You mean you enjoyed having crowds of eligible males vie for your attention, and more than a few who weren’t eligible?” Dominic didn’t even look at her when he spoke.

“No—”

“That was despicable, Dominic,” Nathan said. “Fleur has been to only a handful of parties and she’s coped very well. Just how many men does she have to meet to find the one meant for her—if there is one?”

“What do you mean?” Dominic said. “If there is one? Of course there’s one meant for her, but we both know that, don’t we? I think Fleur’s quite taken with Best. It’s obvious that a last-minute gathering like that, sumptuously done as it was, had to be because he asked his parents to do it—and his only motive was to have Fleur there.”

“You were the one who introduced Franklin to Fleur,” Nathan said.

Dominic ignored him. “You will have noticed Noel wasn’t invited.”

“He wasn’t there. That doesn’t mean he wasn’t—”

“Yes, it does. He wasn’t invited,” Dominic said. “Nor any man she may have spoken more than a word or two with. I’d stake my life on it.”

“Mr. Best’s parents thought it would be wonderful to have a small gathering to help fill in the gaps left by the canceled events,” Fleur said.

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