Chapter 4: Page 2

"She appeared very attentive to you at dinner."

"Only to keep me from talking to the Talbot chit."

"Still, isn't that encouraging?"

Irvine shook his head, then remembered Squall couldn't see

him. "You don't understand."

He only meant to offer a few words of explanation, but

everything came spewing out. Irvine could no more have

stopped it than he could have paused in the middle of

being violently ill. His cousin had been right about one

thing, though. Once it was no longer all inside, eating

away at him, he felt a good deal better.

After a moment's thoughtful silence, Squall asked, "Have

you told any of this to Miss Tilmitt?"

"Have you not heeded a word I've said?" Kinneas cried. "Of

course I haven't told her. Have you told Miss Heartily

how you feel about her?"

"We aren't talking about me, though I understand what

you mean. I don't pretend it will be easy. Sometimes the

more a man cares for a woman, the harder it is for him

to woo her."

"I thought you had no wisdom to impart, Squall."

"Promise me something?"

"What?"

"If an opportunity arises for you to woo Miss

Tilmitt, you'll seize it."

Precious little fear of that! "I will. Thank you,

Squall. I hope you and Miss Heartily will be very happy

together."

Lionheart did not answer. But on the mild night air, Irvine

thought he heard a faint sigh. Was there more to his

cousin's betrothal than met the eye? Irvine wondered. Or

perhaps…less?

Selphie sighed. Then she yawned. She would need a good

nap this afternoon or she'd never be able to stay awake

for the ball. Poor Kinneas looked like he could use a rest,

too. She told him as much at breakfast.

He treated her to a withering look over the brim of his

coffee cup. "If you mean I look a wreck, go ahead and

say it."

Selphie swept a glance around at the few other guests who

had gathered in Helmhurst's smaller dining room. "I

didn't mean any such thing and you know it."

She did not want to quarrel with him, but fatigue and

bewilderment had frayed her temper. Last night she had

glimpsed a side of Irvine Kinneas she'd never

guessed. It had stirred something in her that she was

reluctant to examine too closely. Something that her

pleasant flirtation with Viscount Dintch had not

roused in the least.

"Is everything all right?" She kept her voice low to

avoid drawing too much attention. "I could see you

weren't yourself last night."

"I am always myself, Selphie." His tone stung her.

"Though perhaps not always the man you like to think I

am."