Teasing Your Wicked Heart

CHAPTER 6

"Err... Just how many houses are we talking about," Anthony asked as a round protrusion moved up and down his neck in anxiety.

The girl moved past him, not hearing his question as she surveyed the Banquet room, which to his belief had been filled with a great number of choices for breakfast. His staff had outdone themselves. They had never served this many dishes in his year-long stay.

He had thought of sending them for a repast so that he may steal away to his study and look for the letter from Mr. Collins, but the lady was quite insistent on having breakfast right away. The minute they walked inside the Banquet Room, the companion slid away quietly to the kitchen leaving them quite alone with each other.

Lady Sarah Jane had since stopped beleaguering him of the details of the inheritance when she saw the amount of food that was laid before them.

His mind was reeling from surprise of the news, and most importantly, he hadn't even known of the Rosenbergs or how they were related to the Killsworths but apparently, their relation was of significant matter.

Anthony wanted something more out of the inheritance than a pesky ward who couldn't keep her mouth shut when she got nervous. If he was to inherit properties, these better be lands earning their keep. He had many responsibilities over his shoulder, and a ward who haven't a clue on how to behave in society was the last on his list of priorities.

Ultimately, he knew how society works.

His lips narrowed into a thin grim line as he recalled exactly what society was capable of. This chit wouldn't survive a day in society. He doubted that she had attended a Season, and what of that, she couldn't be more than a day over sixteen. If his guardian duties must prevail him to enter this young girl into a Season, he paid it no matter. He's not going back to London this soon. The chit will have to wait for a few more years.

She would have to wait until she's twenty, or, he thought with a smirk, one-and-twenty.

"I'm a country miss, and yet I haven't seen as much ham as this," the lady said as she helped herself to a plateful of ham and bacon.

Anthony couldn't help but follow her and took two servings of ham and bacon unto his plate too. Damn, he was hungry.

"Tell me about yourself, Lady Sarah." He instantly regretted saying it when her hand, shooting halfway across the platter of eggs dropped the fork. She looked at him pointedly with a mixture of amusement and annoyance.

"You mustn't call me that. Lady Sarah, was the 7th Countess of Rosenberg—my mother when she was unmarried," she explained and picked up the dropped silver.

"So much so, you mustn't call me Lady Rosenberg either as that pertains to my mother as well when she married my father." She smiled and began picking on her food.

"And how are you called?" The viscount was not really sure what to make of it. Really, there were rules to be followed, and she respected none.

"I'm Lady Sarah Jane Riverton, the daughter of Lady Sarah." Her hand animatedly waved the fork in a circular motion towards her before shooting out again to scoop eggs on her plate. "Please call me Sarah Jane, everyone does."

"Sarah Jane,"he said with a light smile. He was being allowed to use her given name, how casual.

If he didn't know that her clothes couldn't be anything less than expensive, he would've called her on her lie. No lady would behave like that, not a single one.

"I am called Killsworth."

"Oh, yes I know. That is your title." She smiled and poked a large piece of bacon and popped it into her mouth.