Read Online If You Give a Girl a Viscount by Kieran Kramer - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kieran Kramer
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something.
“Perhaps we could move the thing,” Mona said in desultory fashion. “Daisy, you take care of it. The old man, wherever he is at the moment, is useless. He might as well be dead for all the good he does us.”
“His name is Joe, Stepmother,” Daisy said through gritted teeth. “And he may be old, but please don’t suggest he’s better off dead. I care very much about him.”
When Daisy stood, she could feel Cassandra’s eyes boring into her, but she refused to look that way, which meant she also made no eye contact with the viscount.
“ I’ll do the honors,” he said, and stood. “Please be seated, Miss Montgomery.”
She did as he asked, her chest constricting when she saw the look Mona directed at her. It wasn’t pleasant.
Nevertheless, she sat with her brow smoothed out and her hands clenched, unseen, in her lap. Lord Lumley lifted the bulky object, carefully avoiding the flaming candle tapers on either side, and put the epergne on the sideboard, where it had always sat when her father had been alive.
When the viscount returned to his seat, he turned to her, a half-smile tilting one corner of his mouth. “That’s better, isn’t it?”
In the candlelight, his brown eyes had warm golden tints. Her heart gave a little flutter. He was handsome.
He was the Golden Prince!
Hester, and now Perdita, had noticed the same uncanny resemblance.
Daisy allowed herself only a close-lipped smile. “It’s much better, thank you.”
Mona and Cassandra stared daggers at her, but that was nothing new, so Daisy’s appetite wasn’t affected in the least. She ate heartily of her trout and potatoes, which Hester dished out liberally to her, knowing Mona wouldn’t object while the viscount was present. Mona and Cassandra dominated the conversation with their inane prattle. Perdita had a tendency to moan her appreciation of her dinner while she chewed, so for the most part, she said little. The viscount appeared to listen attentively to the one-sided conversation, but Daisy could swear she saw his jaw tighten as the minutes passed.
“So the village is quite dull,” Mona was saying. She punctuated the statement with an enormous sigh, which caused her massive bosom to jiggle. She was wearing her most low-cut gown, a vulgar puce sheath, and her hair was topped with a matching turban sporting three dyed feathers.
Cassandra, arresting in a golden gown of Grecian design, lifted a lovely shoulder. “Mother’s right.” She made a delicate moue that Daisy had seen her practice in front of a looking glass a thousand times. “There’s nothing to do up here in Scotland.”
The viscount put down his glass. “Nothing?”
Perdita let out a particularly ill-timed moan—not that Daisy could blame her. Hester’s trout and potatoes were excellent.
“There are many things,” Daisy interjected hastily.
Everyone turned to her. Mona and Cassandra were stone-faced.
Oh, dear, Daisy thought. Perhaps she shouldn’t have spoken. But it was too late now.
Gathering her courage, she cleared her throat. “There’s trout and salmon fishing. And deer stalking. And every year, after a massive hunt, there used to be a competition in which men raced each other up Ben Fennon. And you should have seen them toss cabers, which are like large tree trunks. They even lifted enormous rocks in feats of strength. To conclude the festivities, there was a ceilidh … a dance.”
“I knew all that, of course,” Lord Lumley told her, merriment dancing in his eyes.
And then he smiled.
Perdita gasped out loud. Daisy nearly slid down her chair. When he smiled, he was—
Magnificent .
Handsome wasn’t a big enough word.
She inhaled a discreet breath to compose herself. “Then why did you allow me to boast of our vast array of amusements, sir?” She grinned back, just a little. “Not that I’ll allow myself to feel foolish. My boasting was completely justified.”
“It was,” he agreed, and looked round at the other women
“Perhaps we could move the thing,” Mona said in desultory fashion. “Daisy, you take care of it. The old man, wherever he is at the moment, is useless. He might as well be dead for all the good he does us.”
“His name is Joe, Stepmother,” Daisy said through gritted teeth. “And he may be old, but please don’t suggest he’s better off dead. I care very much about him.”
When Daisy stood, she could feel Cassandra’s eyes boring into her, but she refused to look that way, which meant she also made no eye contact with the viscount.
“ I’ll do the honors,” he said, and stood. “Please be seated, Miss Montgomery.”
She did as he asked, her chest constricting when she saw the look Mona directed at her. It wasn’t pleasant.
Nevertheless, she sat with her brow smoothed out and her hands clenched, unseen, in her lap. Lord Lumley lifted the bulky object, carefully avoiding the flaming candle tapers on either side, and put the epergne on the sideboard, where it had always sat when her father had been alive.
When the viscount returned to his seat, he turned to her, a half-smile tilting one corner of his mouth. “That’s better, isn’t it?”
In the candlelight, his brown eyes had warm golden tints. Her heart gave a little flutter. He was handsome.
He was the Golden Prince!
Hester, and now Perdita, had noticed the same uncanny resemblance.
Daisy allowed herself only a close-lipped smile. “It’s much better, thank you.”
Mona and Cassandra stared daggers at her, but that was nothing new, so Daisy’s appetite wasn’t affected in the least. She ate heartily of her trout and potatoes, which Hester dished out liberally to her, knowing Mona wouldn’t object while the viscount was present. Mona and Cassandra dominated the conversation with their inane prattle. Perdita had a tendency to moan her appreciation of her dinner while she chewed, so for the most part, she said little. The viscount appeared to listen attentively to the one-sided conversation, but Daisy could swear she saw his jaw tighten as the minutes passed.
“So the village is quite dull,” Mona was saying. She punctuated the statement with an enormous sigh, which caused her massive bosom to jiggle. She was wearing her most low-cut gown, a vulgar puce sheath, and her hair was topped with a matching turban sporting three dyed feathers.
Cassandra, arresting in a golden gown of Grecian design, lifted a lovely shoulder. “Mother’s right.” She made a delicate moue that Daisy had seen her practice in front of a looking glass a thousand times. “There’s nothing to do up here in Scotland.”
The viscount put down his glass. “Nothing?”
Perdita let out a particularly ill-timed moan—not that Daisy could blame her. Hester’s trout and potatoes were excellent.
“There are many things,” Daisy interjected hastily.
Everyone turned to her. Mona and Cassandra were stone-faced.
Oh, dear, Daisy thought. Perhaps she shouldn’t have spoken. But it was too late now.
Gathering her courage, she cleared her throat. “There’s trout and salmon fishing. And deer stalking. And every year, after a massive hunt, there used to be a competition in which men raced each other up Ben Fennon. And you should have seen them toss cabers, which are like large tree trunks. They even lifted enormous rocks in feats of strength. To conclude the festivities, there was a ceilidh … a dance.”
“I knew all that, of course,” Lord Lumley told her, merriment dancing in his eyes.
And then he smiled.
Perdita gasped out loud. Daisy nearly slid down her chair. When he smiled, he was—
Magnificent .
Handsome wasn’t a big enough word.
She inhaled a discreet breath to compose herself. “Then why did you allow me to boast of our vast array of amusements, sir?” She grinned back, just a little. “Not that I’ll allow myself to feel foolish. My boasting was completely justified.”
“It was,” he agreed, and looked round at the other women
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