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."
"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."
