The Spinster and I by Rebecca Connolly

Author:Rebecca Connolly
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: 0
Published: 2018-10-31T18:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

A little defiance can be good for a body, so long as it is within reason.

-The Spinster Chronicles, 9 August 1817

“They all object to me?”

“No, just most of them. Edith doesn’t object.”

“But does Edith approve?”

“She says it’s not up to her to approve, she’s not going to tell me what to do.”

“Well, hurrah for the wisdom of Lady Edith Leveson, witty widow and all-around noncommittal bystander.”

Prue rolled her eyes and laid a card down. “Just be grateful that Izzy wasn’t prejudiced enough to withhold your invitation to this card party. She’s not fond of you either, but she doesn’t think poorly of many people, and is so desperate to please that when I asked, she agreed.”

Camden grunted and looked through his cards. “So, your wishes overrule her good sense, is that it?”

“Miss Lambert has the unfortunate tendency to do whatever anyone asks of her, whether in her own interests or not,” Lady Hetty informed him from his other side, her focus on her own cards. “Prudence was wise to influence her.”

Camden looked at the aged woman, who had insisted on partnering with Prue for whist. “Wise? For persuading her to invite someone like me?”

Lady Hetty didn’t even spare him a look as she discarded. “No one here said anything against your nature, Mr. Vale, which means you should not discuss it, either.”

“Personally, I think it’s overdone,” Miss Perry said across from him. “I’ve met you a number of times, Mr. Vale, and you’ve always been a perfect gentleman with me.”

He allowed himself to smile at the girl. “That’s because you are always finding me at a rather good moment, Miss Perry. My true nature is not so gentlemanly.”

She shrugged and laid down a card, her dimple flashing with her smile. “Far be it from me to contradict one who knows you so well as yourself, but a wicked nature would not care so much about the approval of a group of spinsters.”

Lady Hetty cackled at that, and Camden gave her a withering look.

“That is quite enough out of you, madam,” Camden told her, liking the old lady despite her impudence with him. Or perhaps because of it.

She smirked in response to that and looked across the table to Prue. “Your set, Prudence.”

Prue nodded and swept the cards up. “They’re only concerned for me, Mr. Vale,” she told him in a much softer voice. “Don’t take offense where none is intended.”

“I’m not used to offense not being intended,” he whispered back. “Most people offend me on purpose, and with quite a lot of flair. And you forget, I heard their protests the other day. They would absolutely offend me if given the chance.”

He glanced across the room at the Sterling couple, blatantly staring at him. They apparently saw him as the greatest evil on the earth. Captain Sterling was tall, dark, and intimidating, while his wife was fair, fine, and composed, and what he’d heard of them had convinced him that he’d rather enjoy knowing them.

Provided they did not kill him, as they seemed somewhat inclined to do at this moment.

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