Blood for Ink (The Scarlet Plumiere Series #1) by Muir L.L

Author:Muir, L.L. [Muir, L.L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lesli Muir Lytle
Published: 2013-09-17T18:30:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Stanley stood at the head of the table. Irene sat to his left. Harcourt sat beside her with an empty chair next. Ashmoore stood behind the chair at the far end of the table. Anna on his left, then Northwick, then another chair.

“I would rather look at your face than your ear, Ramsay.” Her Grace walked around the table to take the seat between Harcourt and Ashmoore, but Livvy got the distinct impression the duchess was more concerned that Livvy set next to her son.

She had no choice but to take the seat between Stanley and Northwick. The latter did not seem too dangerous at the moment, only giving her a brief smile as he held her chair. She wondered if he remembered their last conversation as well as she. Could he still smell the dust in the curtains? The strong smell of India dye in the new fabrics. Perhaps it was her new gown that kept that memory alive, down to the smallest detail. She was sure she could look at her arm and recall which hairs had stood on end when his breath had caressed her neck.

“You’re blushing,” he murmured, quietly enough that no one else could have heard him. "I am happy to see you remembered.”

The hair on her arms rose once more, as if Northwick had trained them to do so.

She braced herself to stand. If this was her reaction to being so near him for only a moment, she would not last the meal. But who could exchange seats with her? Not the duchess. She had already voiced her preference. Irene would ask for an explanation. Trading seats with Anna would only put her on Northwick’s opposite side! Trading with one of the men would ruin the seating arrangement, and she doubted Irene would allow it.

“Running away?” His voice was still low, thank heavens. "I never took you for a coward.”

“Lord Stanley,” she said, turning her head and shoulder away from Northwick’s whispers. "I have to thank you for holding this little party. I cannot tell you what it means to have met your mother. My own mother spoke of her, of course, but I never dreamed we would find ourselves in the same circles, if only for one night.”

“My pleasure, Olivia.” He frowned down the length of the table. “But what’s all this about one night, Ashmoore? You are not going to allow this woman to hide in her attic again, are you?”

“Of course not.” Ashmoore winked at her.

“Something in your eye, Ashmoore?” Northwick laughed.

“No. Something in yours, my friend.” Ashmoore rubbed the back of his knuckles against his chin, then held them up. “This.”

“So, it is like that, is it?” Winnie looked from one man to the other, then smiled at Livvy. "At least they are not blind, or witless. I have done a fine job, if I do say so myself.”

“I do not understand,” she confessed.

“She takes credit for raising the four of us.” North grinned when the duchess frowned in his direction.

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