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“Yes.” She rose, mumbling to herself. “Yes. We’ll work tomorrow. We can make everything better.” She twisted his handkerchief before turning back to him. “I suppose we should get rest then. We’ll have much to do.”
Jay sank further in the chair. He’d never met anyone quite like her. Was this what the new British queen was like? Ursula could certainly run a kingdom. Fascinating. So fascinating he hadn’t itched since he’d arrived downstairs.
She turned her lips up and nodded again to him.
“Thank you, Jay.”
He laughed. “For what? I haven’t done anything yet. There certainly hasn’t been any success. Wait until you see the results.”
“For even daring to try.”
Before he could respond, she disappeared into the hall.
Wonders never did cease.
Chapter Seven
The black and gold lacquered clock on the mirrored mantel ticked and tocked, a counter beat to the rain pelting the shuttered windows of the stifling hot upstairs library. The most isolated room in the near empty house was like an oven. Not that her faux fiancé noticed. He hadn’t even rolled up his sleeves.
Wrist laid against the carved phoenix head at the edge of the table, Ursula wrinkled her nose as Jay cut the deck and divided cards between them, five each. This is what he wanted to do? After the prior night’s conversation, this was how he was going to teach her what to say to people—to not be a complete incompetent at parties? She should’ve known better. She closed her eyes.
Just when she’d thought there was more to him, the glimmers she’d seen... After the perilous near disasters of the party and Priscilla Reed lurking around at all the events they’d most likely attend, they needed to regroup, recalculate, reevaluate so they could fix the situation—fix her.
She touched her lips and blinked. Hugo. He’d kissed her. Sort of. Truth be told, she’d kissed him, but he hadn’t resisted and he wanted to see her afterwards despite the kiss being, well, she wasn’t sure what it was or wasn’t. If only she had a mother to ask or an aunt or cousins who weren’t the ones she had. Why couldn’t her mother have had relatives? She sighed.
Still, kissing had to be proof they were on the right path—a path Jay was veering off of.
What was wrong with him? What sort of imbecile thought sitting around in her uncle’s upstairs parlor playing cards was a way to improve her circumstances?
She folded her arms. “I don’t gamble.”
“No, but you want to.” He cocked his head to the side, hands folded on the rosewood writing table between them.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Was he insulting her? Why could she never tell?
He winked. “That means that you’re interested in business. Business is all about gambling.”
Oh, business. Better—much better.
“Not smart business.”
“You should ask your father about that.” Jay ran his hand over the cards. “Anyway, you should learn. You’re terrible at reading people and you’re too open. Being able to correct those issues in society will go a long way. It won’t solve everything, but it’ll help. Besides, we’re going to receive a whole deal more attention at the next party. My sources told me that we’re sure to make the gossip columns.”
Ursula stared into his ever-changing eyes, now a green like oak leaves late in the season. His tone, for once, wasn’t mocking. It was almost serious, or more sincere.
“I doubt a game of cards will change anything, but I suppose there isn’t much else to do with the rain and no one around.” She toyed with her ring. Fiddlesticks, the emerald was loose. She forced herself to stop, laying one hand over the other. “You’re the teacher so if this is what you want to do, I’m at your mercy.”
His eyes widened, and his smile became a full grin. “‘At my mercy,’ now those are wonderful words coming from your mouth.”
He was such a man, and an immature one at that.
“I didn’t mean them in any way you might imply. Just explain to me what I’m supposed to do,” she said.
Jay paused, his deep dimple heightening his youthful and oh-so-prepossessing face.
“There are so many delightful things I could say to that, Ursula.”
“The game—the cards, Jay. Let’s focus on the cards.”
