Teasing Your Wicked Heart

CHAPTER 30

Lady Thistlewicke was a good friend of Lady Huntington, but now they seem to have formed more of an alliance than a friendship.

"When you have the time, my lord, I should like to show you my daughter's watercolors. She has become quite the accomplished artist. Her hyacinths and waterfalls had been remarked upon by a famous French artisté!" Lady Thistlewicke ended with a flourish as she took a glass of wine to her mouth after swallowing a forkful of quail. Her shrill voice propelled the conversations to resume once again.

Lord Killsworth nodded, keeping his eyes at Sarah Jane as she pushed her food to the edges of the plate, barely eating anything.

He had enough of this night. If he didn't respect his mother so much, he would have kicked all the guests out of his house. All Anthony wanted was to be granted a short audience with Sarah Jane so that he may explain to her that their situations have changed, and he would very much like to marry her if she was quite inclined to accept him.

He sighed, noting how the friends of Lady Huntington seem to be beleaguering him with activities of their unmarried daughters more than usual tonight. Wasn't he deemed unsuitable for marriage? A titled peer without wealth to boast of, a long heritage to speak of, and a blackened reputation to boot. Only widows and married women with a scratch to itch were interested in him since his return, and all these attentions were highly unwelcome.

What had caused the change? Were there no more unmarried gentlemen this early in the season?

Grimacing, he glanced the room for Lady Thistlewicke's daughter out of politeness. She wasn't a beauty by ton's standards, but she looked quite uncomfortable in her yellow dress—its color did nothing for her features. The way her mother was selling her to all unmarried gentlemen had forced his mind to conjure an unpalatable image of an ugly girl with browned missing teeth. Her countenance was then a pleasant surprise.

A parent should never be this desperate for male attention for their daughter, it was decidedly more unattractive than anything.

Anthony returned his gaze to Sarah Jane, who had, in fact, returned to a new habit of pushing more food to the edges of her plate. Her mouth pursed slightly and moved as if she was about to say something to the chattering gentleman beside her. The man didn't seem to notice that she wasn't listening, and continued merrily with some uninteresting tale as she continued to whisper...

Was she counting the peas?

"Pardon me, my lady." He cleared his throat as Lady Thistlewicke looked up at him in attention. He looked from matronly Lady to another matronly Lady, unaware that they were all waiting for his attention.

He cleared his throat again, this time looking pointedly at his intended. "Lady Sarah Jane, is something amiss?"

Startled, she stole her attention away from Sir Samuel Burberry's ramblings and faced four curious faces from the end of the table.

What is he doing?

"Ah... nothing is amiss, my lord."

"I have noticed that you haven't been eating your dinner. Does the food not please you?"

"It pleases me, my lord."

"Are you unwell then?"

This time, conversations hushed, giving the pair the space to talk freely while they curiously waited for something to unfold. Their heads fully turned to the person speaking without any hint of concealing their curiosity and interest at the exchange.

Sarah Jane gritted her teeth as she plastered a pleasant grin on her face.

"No, my lord." She drawled, hoping that her irritated intonation was missed by most of the guests.