Francis finished the last of James’s cheroot and crushed the remains out with his boot. He straightened his jacket and turned to Caroline, who gave him a quick look-over before nodding her approval. She straightened his already immaculate cravat, then teased his hair so that it sat just right. James simply raked his fingers through his hair and left it at that.
Francis offered his sister his arm and turned to James. “Come on, dear cousin. Time, we went inside and faced the hordes. You cannot stay out here all afternoon skulking about.”
With a resigned sigh, James followed his cousins into the garden party. He licked his lips. Hangover or no, he would kill for a glass of whisky right now.
Chapter Three
The moment he stepped into the party James was quickly reminded why he avoided them. As expected, the place was a sea of besotted couples. Passing through the crowd, he soon lost count of the number of ‘darlings’, ‘sweethearts,’ and ‘dearests’ that he heard young men offer up to their female companions. When one nearby gentleman told his lady friend that her smile was brighter than the sun, he was tempted to turn on his heel and head for the garden gate.
“James! Over here.”
He turned and saw Guy waving to him.
His friend was standing in a section of the lawn which had been set up for a game of bowls. Beside him, but at an odd distance, stood a young woman dressed all in pink. From the proprietary way that Guy kept looking back to her, James deduced she must be Leah Shepherd.
“Here goes,” he muttered.
At first glance, Leah Shepherd cast an attractive silhouette. Not that he would have expected Guy to have chosen a frumpy young woman for his future bride. With her pale golden hair tied up in a loose chignon, and partially hidden by a pink bonnet, she appeared to be much like any other young woman of London society. Her matching pink gown, which was offset with white gloves, made for an attractive enough outfit.
James knew how the inner workings of thetonoperated. Miss Shepherd’s outfit would have been put together with military precision. The right amount of innocence in the pink color of her gown, along with the fashionable cut of the bonnet, sent an exact message to all young men. She was in the market for a husband, but he had to be one who had enough blunt to be able to support a fashion-conscious young wife. Men without deep pockets need not apply.
Guy leaned in and spoke to her; the bonnet bobbed a touch. James made his way over, then waited for Guy to make formal introductions.
“Miss Leah Shepherd, may I introduce my closest friend, Mister James Radley. James is the son of the Bishop of London,” said Guy.
Leah lifted her head just enough for James to catch a glimpse of her face before she looked down again. “Thank you, Mister Dannon. As I have mentioned before, I know Mister Radley’s sister Claire. So, he and I have already met.”
James flinched at the curt remark, but Guy did not react. The brief peek of Leah’s face gave him no further clue as to whether he’d met her before or not.
“Miss Shepherd.” James bowed. He noted she did not offer him her hand, which was just a little rude. In fact, she barely nodded her acknowledgement of him; it left James wondering how his normally rational sister had managed to make this unpleasant girl her friend.
Oddly, Guy didn’t seem to either notice or care how Leah spoke to him or his friend. He appeared oblivious to his surroundings, almost as if he was an actor in a play just waiting for his cue to speak. He was going through the motions of courting Leah and nothing more.
“I was telling Miss Shepherd how wonderfully well you played lawn bowls,” said Guy.
James froze. He couldn’t recall the last time he had even picked up a lawn bowl let alone played the game. He frowned at Guy.
“Was that Miss Caroline Saunders I saw arriving with you just now? Perhaps we could make up a party of four and play a game,” offered Guy.
Caroline and Francis had cleverly, and somewhat opportunely, disappeared the moment Guy had waved his hand in James’s direction. James couldn’t blame them for having abandoned him. Both his cousins appeared to be as averse to spending time with other guests as he was.
“Maybe a little later,” he replied. Caroline would not thank him for asking her to come and play at lawn games. She would make him pay for it; of that he was certain.
“Well perhaps in the meantime I should get us some drinks. Miss Shepherd, would you like an orgeat?” said Guy.
James stifled a snort; just hearing Guy say the wordorgeathurt his ears. He would bet a pound that Guy had practiced the word on the journey over to Richmond.
“I would prefer a cup of tea, thank you, Mister Dannon,” replied Leah.
Guy trotted off in the direction of the refreshment table, leaving James and Leah alone. James puffed out his cheeks. He knew that as a gentleman, it was up to him to make an effort at small talk. “I cannot recall exactly when you and I have met before, but we must have,” he said.
She lifted her head, and he was graced with his first full look at her face. His gaze was immediately drawn to her blue eyes. Pale as the summer sky, they seemed to change to a darker hue as she moved her head in the sunlight. Gosh. A man could get lost in them.
Beneath those eyes was a soft, full mouth. Not perfect, mind you. It had a slight drop on one side. But that imperfection somehow seemed to make her even more attractive. How on earth could he have met her at another time and forgotten that lovely face or those enticing lips?
While those same lips were currently set in a straight, unimpressed line, he sensed that when the mood so took Leah, they would make for a heart-stopping smile.
What will it take to make you smile, Miss Shepherd?
