Read Online A Lot Like a Lady by Kim Bowman, Kay Springsteen - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Kim Bowman, Kay Springsteen
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in mind for him, then?”
The brush along her knee repeated, more insistently this time, and she jerked, bumping her hand into her empty dessert bowl with a clatter. When the touch came again, it was accompanied by snuffling sounds.
Percy.
Juliet had quite forgotten that Lord Lucien had a habit of bringing the dog to the table. And now the pesky creature was poking his nose at her leg. She eased her hand below the table and shooed the dog away. He backed off for but a moment before he began snuffling at her lap again. She swatted harder this time, and her hand met soft wool encasing a firm, round knee.
“It’s not that he’s not fit as a mount but he has perfect—” The duke jerked his head in Juliet’s direction just as she snatched her hand away. He raked his eyes from her face to her arm where it rested in her lap and then back up, that maddening one eyebrow quirked upward. He cleared his throat and turned back to the Earl of Seabrook. “The perfect form for the carriage and with his dark color, he’ll look splendid in front of a new sort of gig I’ve just commissioned.”
Juliet felt the heat in her cheeks and knew her face had colored up. Percy placed a paw on her leg and stuck his nose in her lap. “Go on, get,” she whispered fiercely, wiggling in her seat to get away from him.
Lady Harmony leaned toward Juliet. “My dear, whatever is the matter?” she asked from behind her hand.
“It’s the ruddy dog,” muttered Juliet, frustrated with the entire circumstance. She shoved at Percy with her foot but instead managed to plant the pointed toe of her shoe squarely in the Duke of Wyndham’s shin.
Grey yelped in surprised pain just as Percy forced his way over Juliet’s knee. With a shriek, she pushed back from the table, hauling Percy with her. As she stood up, the dog dropped to the floor, but not before he managed to grab the napkin she’d laid across her lap. With the bit of cloth clutched in his teeth like a hapless rabbit, Percy shook his head as though trying to break the neck of his prey. The napkin opened and his next shake sent white gobs sailing through the air to pelt Grey in the face with creamed turnips.
Grey shoved his own chair backward and leapt to his feet. “What the devil?” He lifted a hand to his cheek just as the biggest lump of turnip slid off his jaw to land on his shoulder with a soft plop.
Juliet stood rooted in place, eyes wide, jaw slack.
Lady Charity was the first to speak. “Now that’s not something you see every day.”
“I say, is she foxed?” asked Lord Green Coat at the far end of the table.
“If you ask me, she’s half-sprung,” announced Lady Spider. “Did you see the way she took to the syllabub? It’s all that sherry in the recipe.” She clamped her mouth shut and shook her head.
The hum of conversation filled the room again. They were talking about her . Juliet stared at them all in horror. Her chest heaved as she struggled to pull in enough air. What had made her think she could trick Annabella’s brother? The room began a slow spin, and colors blurred together. Juliet glanced over her shoulder at the archway to the foyer, desperate for a means of escape.
Strong hands settled on her shoulders, steadying her. Then the duke whispered in her ear, his voice so soft Juliet was uncertain he actually spoke. “Swoon.”
Juliet blinked in shock. What on earth was he suggesting?
“You want to make your exit, faint in my arms,” he murmured, speaking quickly. “Are you unwell , Annabella?” he asked more loudly.
He planned to rescue her from certain death by embarrassment. She didn’t have a care why he might do such a thing. Placing the back of her left hand limply across her forehead, Juliet simply allowed her legs to go flaccid and collapsed into Grey’s waiting arms with a dramatic sigh.
A collected murmur rose in the room but Juliet forced her eyes to remain closed, even when Grey swung her easily into his arms.
“Please forgive our
The brush along her knee repeated, more insistently this time, and she jerked, bumping her hand into her empty dessert bowl with a clatter. When the touch came again, it was accompanied by snuffling sounds.
Percy.
Juliet had quite forgotten that Lord Lucien had a habit of bringing the dog to the table. And now the pesky creature was poking his nose at her leg. She eased her hand below the table and shooed the dog away. He backed off for but a moment before he began snuffling at her lap again. She swatted harder this time, and her hand met soft wool encasing a firm, round knee.
“It’s not that he’s not fit as a mount but he has perfect—” The duke jerked his head in Juliet’s direction just as she snatched her hand away. He raked his eyes from her face to her arm where it rested in her lap and then back up, that maddening one eyebrow quirked upward. He cleared his throat and turned back to the Earl of Seabrook. “The perfect form for the carriage and with his dark color, he’ll look splendid in front of a new sort of gig I’ve just commissioned.”
Juliet felt the heat in her cheeks and knew her face had colored up. Percy placed a paw on her leg and stuck his nose in her lap. “Go on, get,” she whispered fiercely, wiggling in her seat to get away from him.
Lady Harmony leaned toward Juliet. “My dear, whatever is the matter?” she asked from behind her hand.
“It’s the ruddy dog,” muttered Juliet, frustrated with the entire circumstance. She shoved at Percy with her foot but instead managed to plant the pointed toe of her shoe squarely in the Duke of Wyndham’s shin.
Grey yelped in surprised pain just as Percy forced his way over Juliet’s knee. With a shriek, she pushed back from the table, hauling Percy with her. As she stood up, the dog dropped to the floor, but not before he managed to grab the napkin she’d laid across her lap. With the bit of cloth clutched in his teeth like a hapless rabbit, Percy shook his head as though trying to break the neck of his prey. The napkin opened and his next shake sent white gobs sailing through the air to pelt Grey in the face with creamed turnips.
Grey shoved his own chair backward and leapt to his feet. “What the devil?” He lifted a hand to his cheek just as the biggest lump of turnip slid off his jaw to land on his shoulder with a soft plop.
Juliet stood rooted in place, eyes wide, jaw slack.
Lady Charity was the first to speak. “Now that’s not something you see every day.”
“I say, is she foxed?” asked Lord Green Coat at the far end of the table.
“If you ask me, she’s half-sprung,” announced Lady Spider. “Did you see the way she took to the syllabub? It’s all that sherry in the recipe.” She clamped her mouth shut and shook her head.
The hum of conversation filled the room again. They were talking about her . Juliet stared at them all in horror. Her chest heaved as she struggled to pull in enough air. What had made her think she could trick Annabella’s brother? The room began a slow spin, and colors blurred together. Juliet glanced over her shoulder at the archway to the foyer, desperate for a means of escape.
Strong hands settled on her shoulders, steadying her. Then the duke whispered in her ear, his voice so soft Juliet was uncertain he actually spoke. “Swoon.”
Juliet blinked in shock. What on earth was he suggesting?
“You want to make your exit, faint in my arms,” he murmured, speaking quickly. “Are you unwell , Annabella?” he asked more loudly.
He planned to rescue her from certain death by embarrassment. She didn’t have a care why he might do such a thing. Placing the back of her left hand limply across her forehead, Juliet simply allowed her legs to go flaccid and collapsed into Grey’s waiting arms with a dramatic sigh.
A collected murmur rose in the room but Juliet forced her eyes to remain closed, even when Grey swung her easily into his arms.
“Please forgive our
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