no intention of being waylaid by the two of them.
Fortunately, he was an expert at escaping bedrooms. Half the husbands of the ton knew that.
Under the bed? No, too obvious.
In the wardrobe? Could be risky.
Behind the curtains? Lacked finesse.
The balcony . Unlatching the doors, he dashed outside on the ledge, reclosing them just as the door to his room swung open. Sir Percy never knocked, considering it his God-given right to enter at will.
"John!" Footsteps traversed the room.
Lord Sexton flattened himself against the outside wall. "I say, I could have sworn I saw him come in here earlier."
More footsteps.
"Well, doesn't matter… look here, Deiter ; this is what I mean."
John heard the sound of his wardrobe being opened. He grinned, showing a flash of white teeth. Just as I surmised — too risky .
Percy began rummaging through the contents. "Perfect! Try this on."
On guard, John carefully peered around the corner through the glass doors. The sight that confronted him made him grind his teeth. That's my favorite waistcoat, damn it !
Deiter reluctantly tried on the gold satin garment. The shoulders swam on him and the waist wouldn't button.
"Here; allow me." Percy went to stand in front of the German. Taking both sides of the waistcoat in his hands, he gave a sharp tug, quickly buttoning the bottom button before Deiter could exhale.
Even out on the balcony, John heard the sharp ripping sound.
It appeared the back stitches had liberated themselves from the tyranny of the seams.
John's palm slammed silently against the brick masonry.
"Now see what we have here…" Percy, overlooking the rents in the back of the garment, turned Deiter toward the carved mirror on the wall.
Deiter stared at himself in the mirror, giving a circumspect grunt.
"Do you not see the difference?" Percy circled his hand in the air with a flourish. "Notice how the color brings out the highlights in your hair."
Highlights ? John shook his head to clear it. What flummery ! The man's hair was pitch black.
Deiter lifted a bushy brow as he inspected his image.
"And see how the tone gives you a forceful presence? Gold is, as everyone knows, the monetary standard that upholds nations!"
John's eyes crossed. Give me strength .
Stranger still, as Deiter continued to examine his reflection, the somber man began to actually preen.
Percy patted his shoulders. " Ars gratia artis ," he intoned solemnly. "Art for art's sake."
John had to stifle his laughter.
The two of them left shortly after the lofty proclamation. With his waistcoat.
The odd part of it was that John could have sworn that he saw a hint of a secret smile on Percy's face right before he closed the door.
He also could have sworn the man looked straight toward the balcony when he did it.
John stood in front of the armoire in Chloe's room.
Muffled words were wafting through the wood.
"… cherchez Chloe! What do they think—I have nothing to do on my wedding day but see to their comforts? Is it my fault they are bored? So they come here! Faute de mieux ! For want of something better! Are we an hors d'oeuvre for their insatiable curiosity? Non !"
The corner of John's sensual mouth curved into a deep groove. Just as he had suspected, Chloe was in a fine lather.
He opened the cabinet door and rested against the jamb. Arms folded over his chest, he waited.
A few seconds later Chloe's head poked through the clothes, red hair mussed.
"How did you know I was in here?" she asked seriously.
He quirked his brow. "Lucky guess," he intoned dryly.
Chloe was still cross from the unexpected arrival of so many demanding guests, several of whom she had never seen before. She did not have time for this! She needed to concentrate on what she was going to do about tonight.
Her wedding night.
How was she going to get around her virgin state? There was no hope that John wouldn't notice. The man had a tendency to pay attention to minute details, especially when those details had to do
Fortunately, he was an expert at escaping bedrooms. Half the husbands of the ton knew that.
Under the bed? No, too obvious.
In the wardrobe? Could be risky.
Behind the curtains? Lacked finesse.
The balcony . Unlatching the doors, he dashed outside on the ledge, reclosing them just as the door to his room swung open. Sir Percy never knocked, considering it his God-given right to enter at will.
"John!" Footsteps traversed the room.
Lord Sexton flattened himself against the outside wall. "I say, I could have sworn I saw him come in here earlier."
More footsteps.
"Well, doesn't matter… look here, Deiter ; this is what I mean."
John heard the sound of his wardrobe being opened. He grinned, showing a flash of white teeth. Just as I surmised — too risky .
Percy began rummaging through the contents. "Perfect! Try this on."
On guard, John carefully peered around the corner through the glass doors. The sight that confronted him made him grind his teeth. That's my favorite waistcoat, damn it !
Deiter reluctantly tried on the gold satin garment. The shoulders swam on him and the waist wouldn't button.
"Here; allow me." Percy went to stand in front of the German. Taking both sides of the waistcoat in his hands, he gave a sharp tug, quickly buttoning the bottom button before Deiter could exhale.
Even out on the balcony, John heard the sharp ripping sound.
It appeared the back stitches had liberated themselves from the tyranny of the seams.
John's palm slammed silently against the brick masonry.
"Now see what we have here…" Percy, overlooking the rents in the back of the garment, turned Deiter toward the carved mirror on the wall.
Deiter stared at himself in the mirror, giving a circumspect grunt.
"Do you not see the difference?" Percy circled his hand in the air with a flourish. "Notice how the color brings out the highlights in your hair."
Highlights ? John shook his head to clear it. What flummery ! The man's hair was pitch black.
Deiter lifted a bushy brow as he inspected his image.
"And see how the tone gives you a forceful presence? Gold is, as everyone knows, the monetary standard that upholds nations!"
John's eyes crossed. Give me strength .
Stranger still, as Deiter continued to examine his reflection, the somber man began to actually preen.
Percy patted his shoulders. " Ars gratia artis ," he intoned solemnly. "Art for art's sake."
John had to stifle his laughter.
The two of them left shortly after the lofty proclamation. With his waistcoat.
The odd part of it was that John could have sworn that he saw a hint of a secret smile on Percy's face right before he closed the door.
He also could have sworn the man looked straight toward the balcony when he did it.
John stood in front of the armoire in Chloe's room.
Muffled words were wafting through the wood.
"… cherchez Chloe! What do they think—I have nothing to do on my wedding day but see to their comforts? Is it my fault they are bored? So they come here! Faute de mieux ! For want of something better! Are we an hors d'oeuvre for their insatiable curiosity? Non !"
The corner of John's sensual mouth curved into a deep groove. Just as he had suspected, Chloe was in a fine lather.
He opened the cabinet door and rested against the jamb. Arms folded over his chest, he waited.
A few seconds later Chloe's head poked through the clothes, red hair mussed.
"How did you know I was in here?" she asked seriously.
He quirked his brow. "Lucky guess," he intoned dryly.
Chloe was still cross from the unexpected arrival of so many demanding guests, several of whom she had never seen before. She did not have time for this! She needed to concentrate on what she was going to do about tonight.
Her wedding night.
How was she going to get around her virgin state? There was no hope that John wouldn't notice. The man had a tendency to pay attention to minute details, especially when those details had to do
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