―Should get some more. Best thing on the plate."
Sebastian wasn‘t sure about that, but—
―WHERE‘S THE BEEF?"
And there went his ear.
Lady Millicent was craning her neck, looking this way and that. She opened her mouth to shout again, but Sebastian held up what he hoped was a silencing hand and signaled to a footman.
―More beef for the lady," he requested.
With a pained expression, the footman explained that there was none left.
―Can you get her something that looks like beef?"
―We have duck in a similar sauce."
―God, no." Sebastian had no idea how hivey Lady Millicent might get, or how long it would take for her to get there, but he fervently did not want to find out.
With an exaggerated gesture toward the far end of the table, he said something to her about a dog, and while she was looking the other way quickly slid the rest of his beef onto her plate.
Upon not locating a dog (or frog, hog, or log) near the bottom of the table, Lady Millicent turned back with an expression of some irritation, but Sebastian quickly held her off with: ―They found one last portion."
She gave a grunt of pleasure and set back to eating. Seb hazarded a glance back at Annabel, who appeared to have been watching the entire exchange.
She was grinning from ear to ear.
Seb thought of all the ladies he‘d met in London, the ones who would have looked on in horror, or disgust, or if they had any humor, would have been biting back their smiles, or trying to hide them behind a hand.
But not Annabel. She smiled like she laughed, magnificent and grand. Her eyes, greenish-gray turned pewter in the evening light, sparkled with shared mischief.
And he realized, right there across Lady Challis‘s heavily laden dining-room table, that he could never live without her. She was so beautiful, so gloriously womanly, his breath quite literally whooshed from his body. Her face, heart-shaped, and with that mouth that always looked as if it wanted to smile; her skin, not quite as pale as fashion wanted, but utterly perfect for her. She looked healthy, wind-kissed.
She was the type of woman a man wanted to come home to. No, she was the woman he wanted to come home to. He‘d asked her to marry him…but why? He could barely remember. He‘d liked her, he‘d lusted for her, and God knew, he‘d always loved saving females who needed saving. But he‘d never asked one to marry him before.
Could his heart have known something his head hadn‘t quite grasped?
He loved her.
He adored her.
He wanted to crawl into bed with her every night, make love as if there would be no tomorrow, and then wake up in her arms the next morning, rested and sated, and ready to devote himself to the singular task of making her smile.
He lifted his glass to his lips, smiling into his wine. The flickering light of the candles was dancing across the table, and Sebastian Grey was happy.
At the end of the meal the ladies excused themselves so that the gentlemen might enjoy their port. Annabel found Louisa (who had, sadly, been stuck up near Lord Newbury at the head of the table) and the two walked arm in arm to the drawing room.
―Lady Challis says we shall read and write and embroider until the gentlemen rejoin us," Louisa said.
―Did you bring embroidery?"
Louisa grimaced. ―I think she said something about providing it."
―The true purpose of the house party becomes clear," Annabel said dryly. ―By the time we return to London, Lady Challis shall have an entirely new set of pillowcases."
Louisa giggled at that, then said, ―I‘m going to ask someone to fetch my book. Shall I get yours as well?"
Annabel nodded, waiting while Louisa spoke to a housemaid. When she was through, they entered the drawing room, taking seats as close to the perimeter as they could. A few minutes later a maid arrived, carrying two books. She held out Miss Sainsbury and the Mysterious Colonel , and both ladies reached for it.
―Oh, how funny, we‘re reading the same book!" Louisa exclaimed, seeing that both volumes were the same title.
Annabel looked over at her cousin in surprise. ―Haven‘t you read it already?"
Louisa shrugged. ―I so enjoyed Miss Truesdale and the Silent Gentleman that I thought I would reread the other three." She looked down at Annabel‘s copy. ―What part are you up to?"
―Ehrm…" Annabel opened the book and found her place. ―I believe Miss Sainsbury has just thrown herself over a hedge. Or perhaps into the hedge."
―Oh, the goat," Louisa said breathlessly. ―I loved that part." She held up her copy. ―I‘m still at the beginning."
They settled in with their books, but before either of them could turn a page, Lady Challis happened by. ―What are you reading?" she asked.
―Miss Sainsbury and the Mysterious Colonel," Louisa answered politely.
―And you, Miss Winslow?"
―Oh, the same, actually."
―You‘re reading the same book? How darling!" Lady Challis motioned toward a friend across the room. ―Rebecca, come look at this. They‘re reading the same book."
Annabel was not sure why this was deemed so remarkable, but she sat quietly and waited for Lady Westfield to come over.
―Cousins," Lady Challis declared. ―Reading the same book."
―I‘ve actually read it before," Louisa mentioned.
―What book is it?" Lady Westfield asked.
―Miss Sainsbury and the Mysterious Colonel," Annabel said again.
―Oh, yes. By Mrs. Gorely. I quite enjoyed that one. Especially when the pirate turned out to be—"
―Don‘t say anything!" Louisa exclaimed. ―Annabel hasn‘t finished it."