As fast as Winsome’s spirits had risen, they fell. What on earth was St. John doing, coming here and bringing flowers?
“Winsome,” Serenity said, “you know how sensitive I am to other people’s feelings. I can see you do not particularly like him.”
“No, not really.”
“Oh let us see him, though,” Felicity said. “I would like to hear what he has to say.”
Winsome sighed. She was not particularly interested in what he had to say, she’d heard quite enough from him at Lady Jellerbey’s candlelight picnic last evening. And then, he was very pushy. She had much rather have danced with Lord Manderbey than Lord St. John but he’d just whisked her away. There had been nothing she could say about it. And then afterward, he seemed to always be hanging around, even when Lord Manderbey clearly wished he would go away. He’d even attempted to see her to her carriage but her father had sent him back inside.
“It might hurt his feelings to be turned away,” Serenity said.
“Very well, show him in,” Winsome said reluctantly. Though, she was not as worried about his feelings as Serenity was.
Thomas nodded and slipped back out the door.
It was not a moment, before Lord St. John strode in. “Lady Winsome. Ah, Lady Felicity and Lady Thorpe.” He looked enquiringly at Valor.
“That is my younger sister, Lord St. John. Lady Valor,” Winsome said.
Lord St. John executed a formal and rather deep bow. He was rewarded for the effort by an unblinking stare. “What are those for,” Valor asked, motioning toward the pink primroses in his hand.
“Ah, I did suppose Lady Winsome might care for flowers.”
“She doesn’t.”
“Valor. That is enough, I think,” Winsome said. “Perhaps you might find Thomas and request a tea tray? Take the flowers with you so he might find a vase for them.”
Valor rolled her eyes, which was becoming an unfortunate habit. She slid off the sofa. Patting Sir Galahad, she said, “Do not go anywhere, I will be right back.” She all but ripped the flowers from LordSt. John’s hand. As she left the room, she said, loudly, “Nobody go anywhere or decide anything.”
Winsome motioned to an empty chair and Lord St. John sat down with alacrity. “I see you have a precocious young sister. I do admire precociousness.”
Felicity snorted. “We’ll see how much you admire it when she gets back.”
Not surprisingly, Lord St. John appeared startled to hear it.
“What brings you here, Lord St. John?” Serenity asked. “It is not the household’s at-home day.”
Winsome noticed the slighted flush across Lord St. John’s cheeks. He reached into a coat pocket and brought out a small book. “Actually, I thought Lady Winsome might be interested in this. It’s a book about Rio de Janeiro.”
“Oh dear,” Felicity said, “if it’s not a gothic novel set in that far off place, I cannot think she would be.”
“Well,” Lord St. John said, looking flustered, “it is just that we spoke of Rio de Janeiro last evening.”
Winsome refrained from pointing out thathespoke about it. She had no thoughts on it whatsoever other than she had no plans to relocate there.
Lord St. John laid it on the table. “I’ll leave it, in any case.”
The doors flew open and Valor marched through them. “There’s another one in the hall. Thomas wants to know if he can come in too.”
“Who is it, Valor?” Felicity asked, looking very amused to hear it.
She shrugged as if it did not matter who it was. “The tall one that was at dinner.”
