Read Online Not Proper Enough (A Reforming the Scoundrels Romance) by Carolyn Jewel - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Carolyn Jewel
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course.”
“Might I have tea once in a while?” They got on well, she had to admit that. He amused her, dash his soul. When he smiled at that, she added, “Or am I to have only wine and that rare bone on which to gnaw?”
He didn’t look away from the orrery. “Tea as well, if you insist.”
“I do.” She clasped her hands behind her back and rocked back on her heels. “I am a greedy guest.”
“It’s not so much to ask. Tea, wine, and bones to chew on.” After a bit, he reached down and pressed a switch that stopped the motion. His reserve returned, and Eugenia wondered if she’d offended him. Lord, but he reminded her of his father now, the way he’d seemed when she and Hester had been here for dinner. All stern eyes and uncharitable expression. Perhaps he’d had enough of entertaining her. He lifted his gaze and their eyes locked. “I’m not often here, but I’ll tell Camber and the staff.”
“Don’t you live here?” They looked at each other from separate sides of the solar system. Considering how passionately she disliked the man, she was aware, now, just how little she knew about him. How strange that she should be curious to know more. Stranger still that she should feel that frisson of interest. She did, though.
He shrugged, and she found herself unable to read his expression. And here she’d fancied she would always know his feelings about her. “Bouverie is my father’s home.”
“Yours as well.”
He seemed both a stranger to her and a man she knew well, and that, too, was odd and unexpected, and it made her question whether she’d been fair to him. Not about what he’d done in the past, but about what he was now.He continued to watch her, and she felt another shiver in reaction. “I keep quarters elsewhere that are less formal and more to my liking.”
She put a hand on the celestial globe and gave it a turn. Yes, a man like him would need privacy. “Bachelor quarters, you mean.”
“As I am a bachelor, I suppose so.” He joined her on her side of the solar system. “I like to think I’ve moved beyond the sort of apartments you mean. I have a house on Upper Brook Street.”
“Upper Brook Street?” He meant nothing by standing so close. If that was so, why was she so horribly aware of him?
“Mm.”
“You could walk to Hyde Park from there.” The chill that pervaded most of Bouverie seemed to have lodged in Eugenia’s bones, and she shivered.
“I often do. Cold?” He stood so close. Too close. “Or did someone just walk over your grave?”
She brought her shawl over her shoulders. “Mountjoy says I’m always complaining it’s never warm enough.”
“And I never can convince Camber that we Talbot men seem not to feel the cold as others do.” He held out a hand, and she happened to tilt her head at just the right time such that their gazes locked. He wasn’t a boy; not that he’d ever been. He was a grown man, and she could not stop thinking about what that meant. That Fenris should be a man, with a man’s needs and appetites. He held her gaze. “Come, I’ll show you the secret passage.”
“Is there one?”
“I told you there was.”
“Men say all manner of things.”
“Allow me to prove it, then.” He put a hand to her back, and the contact sent a disturbing shiver through her. Not from cold, this time, but because of him. Lord Fenris. Thank goodness, she thought, that he did not notice. He guided her to one of the staircases where the carpet that covered most of the floor ended and exposed a rim of polished oak floor. There were two upholstered chairs here, as well as a desk, behindwhich were yet more shelves of books. Twenty thousand volumes. There were probably more books than that here.
Fenris stepped up to one of the shelves, and Eugenia moved with him, intensely curious. She studied the wall for any sign of a doorway. She pointed to one of the shelves. “Is this it?”
“No. Here.” He rested a hand on a set of shelves that
“Might I have tea once in a while?” They got on well, she had to admit that. He amused her, dash his soul. When he smiled at that, she added, “Or am I to have only wine and that rare bone on which to gnaw?”
He didn’t look away from the orrery. “Tea as well, if you insist.”
“I do.” She clasped her hands behind her back and rocked back on her heels. “I am a greedy guest.”
“It’s not so much to ask. Tea, wine, and bones to chew on.” After a bit, he reached down and pressed a switch that stopped the motion. His reserve returned, and Eugenia wondered if she’d offended him. Lord, but he reminded her of his father now, the way he’d seemed when she and Hester had been here for dinner. All stern eyes and uncharitable expression. Perhaps he’d had enough of entertaining her. He lifted his gaze and their eyes locked. “I’m not often here, but I’ll tell Camber and the staff.”
“Don’t you live here?” They looked at each other from separate sides of the solar system. Considering how passionately she disliked the man, she was aware, now, just how little she knew about him. How strange that she should be curious to know more. Stranger still that she should feel that frisson of interest. She did, though.
He shrugged, and she found herself unable to read his expression. And here she’d fancied she would always know his feelings about her. “Bouverie is my father’s home.”
“Yours as well.”
He seemed both a stranger to her and a man she knew well, and that, too, was odd and unexpected, and it made her question whether she’d been fair to him. Not about what he’d done in the past, but about what he was now.He continued to watch her, and she felt another shiver in reaction. “I keep quarters elsewhere that are less formal and more to my liking.”
She put a hand on the celestial globe and gave it a turn. Yes, a man like him would need privacy. “Bachelor quarters, you mean.”
“As I am a bachelor, I suppose so.” He joined her on her side of the solar system. “I like to think I’ve moved beyond the sort of apartments you mean. I have a house on Upper Brook Street.”
“Upper Brook Street?” He meant nothing by standing so close. If that was so, why was she so horribly aware of him?
“Mm.”
“You could walk to Hyde Park from there.” The chill that pervaded most of Bouverie seemed to have lodged in Eugenia’s bones, and she shivered.
“I often do. Cold?” He stood so close. Too close. “Or did someone just walk over your grave?”
She brought her shawl over her shoulders. “Mountjoy says I’m always complaining it’s never warm enough.”
“And I never can convince Camber that we Talbot men seem not to feel the cold as others do.” He held out a hand, and she happened to tilt her head at just the right time such that their gazes locked. He wasn’t a boy; not that he’d ever been. He was a grown man, and she could not stop thinking about what that meant. That Fenris should be a man, with a man’s needs and appetites. He held her gaze. “Come, I’ll show you the secret passage.”
“Is there one?”
“I told you there was.”
“Men say all manner of things.”
“Allow me to prove it, then.” He put a hand to her back, and the contact sent a disturbing shiver through her. Not from cold, this time, but because of him. Lord Fenris. Thank goodness, she thought, that he did not notice. He guided her to one of the staircases where the carpet that covered most of the floor ended and exposed a rim of polished oak floor. There were two upholstered chairs here, as well as a desk, behindwhich were yet more shelves of books. Twenty thousand volumes. There were probably more books than that here.
Fenris stepped up to one of the shelves, and Eugenia moved with him, intensely curious. She studied the wall for any sign of a doorway. She pointed to one of the shelves. “Is this it?”
“No. Here.” He rested a hand on a set of shelves that
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