It took me by surprise.”
“Much as you’ll take Bath by surprise, if I have anything to say about it.” The lady smiled kindly.
No matter what Livi had to say about it, she was sure. Lady Sophia obviously had plans for her. As soon as they entered the Pump Room, Livi wished she had remained back at her grandfather’s house. Indeed, the morning hours did seem as though they were the fashionable times to see and be seen.
As soon as she stepped over the threshold, every eye in the room turned in her direction. Livi had never considered herself particularly shy, but she’d never been faced by a room full of people who didn’t know her at all and who already looked at her with harsh judgment in their eyes. With the exception of Father Antonio, of course, judgmental man that he was.
“Breathe,” Lady Sophia whispered.
Livi did take a deep breath and then wished she hadn’t. There was a slight odor of eggs that had gone bad in the air. She coughed into her fist.
“You’ll get used to it,” Lady Sophia said quietly, which almost made Livi laugh. What happened to speak clearly or don’t speak at all? Perhaps the same rules didn’t apply to tutors. Lady Sophia linked her arm with Livi’s. “We’ll stroll about the room, shall we?”
There didn’t seem to be a place to sit in the overcrowded room, so Livi nodded. What was wrong with the English? Could none of them smell the air? Or was her nose overly sensitive since her father’s Lycan blood flowed through her veins.
“Many members of the ton holiday in Bath. They partake of the healing waters. Attend balls at the Assembly Room.” Lady Sophia slowly led Livi toward a grand clock on one side of the room.
“Dancing?” Livi squeaked. And despite the warmth of the air in the Pump Room, she felt a chill wash over her.
“You do dance, don’t you?” her tutor asked.
Livi shook her head. “Papa never saw the point.”
Lady Sophia huffed indignantly as though such an idea was an affront to her personally. “Employing an instructor will be difficult here this time of year.” She frowned. “I suppose I shall have to recruit Lord Radbourne and Mr. Hadley to help us in that regard.”
Livi glanced up at the lady and frowned herself. “Do you not like the Hadley brothers?”
Lady Sophia laughed. “That obvious, is it?”
“Well, you did berate Mr. Hadley last evening for coming upon me in the kitchen, did you not?”
Lady Sophia stopped walking and turned her stare on Livi. “I thought you’d gone to bed.”
Perfect. She clearly shouldn’t have given herself away. But what’s done was done. “At home, sometimes the only way to know what is truly going on is to eavesdrop. I suppose you’ll tell me that isn’t ladylike.”
A smiled tugged at her companion’s lips. “On the contrary, Miss Mayeux, many a lady has need to resort to that very thing. I’ve done so myself more times than I can count. I just don’t enjoy being the one spied upon.”
Nearby, a fellow cleared his throat and Livi looked up to find a tall man with blondish hair. His gaze raked from Lady Sophia’s head all the way down to her toes, stopping at certain parts in between. It made Livi think of the way an alligator appraised its prey.
“My dear.” The man smiled, and if it wasn’t for the predatory gleam in his eye, Livi might have thought him handsome. “I never dreamed I would see you in Bath, of all places.”
Lady Sophia must have seen the lascivious sparkle in the man’s gaze because the muscles in her jaw tightened and she clipped out a greeting: “Lord Robert, always a pleasure.”
It could hardly be a pleasure, however; the lady looked as tense as the bow of a fiddle. Apparently, prevarication was all right under certain circumstances, Livi noted.
“Indeed,” Lord Robert replied smoothly. “Have you come to town with Lady Radbourne?”
“I am her companion.”
The man heaved a sigh. “Taking such a position is beneath you, Sophie.”
“On the
“Much as you’ll take Bath by surprise, if I have anything to say about it.” The lady smiled kindly.
No matter what Livi had to say about it, she was sure. Lady Sophia obviously had plans for her. As soon as they entered the Pump Room, Livi wished she had remained back at her grandfather’s house. Indeed, the morning hours did seem as though they were the fashionable times to see and be seen.
As soon as she stepped over the threshold, every eye in the room turned in her direction. Livi had never considered herself particularly shy, but she’d never been faced by a room full of people who didn’t know her at all and who already looked at her with harsh judgment in their eyes. With the exception of Father Antonio, of course, judgmental man that he was.
“Breathe,” Lady Sophia whispered.
Livi did take a deep breath and then wished she hadn’t. There was a slight odor of eggs that had gone bad in the air. She coughed into her fist.
“You’ll get used to it,” Lady Sophia said quietly, which almost made Livi laugh. What happened to speak clearly or don’t speak at all? Perhaps the same rules didn’t apply to tutors. Lady Sophia linked her arm with Livi’s. “We’ll stroll about the room, shall we?”
There didn’t seem to be a place to sit in the overcrowded room, so Livi nodded. What was wrong with the English? Could none of them smell the air? Or was her nose overly sensitive since her father’s Lycan blood flowed through her veins.
“Many members of the ton holiday in Bath. They partake of the healing waters. Attend balls at the Assembly Room.” Lady Sophia slowly led Livi toward a grand clock on one side of the room.
“Dancing?” Livi squeaked. And despite the warmth of the air in the Pump Room, she felt a chill wash over her.
“You do dance, don’t you?” her tutor asked.
Livi shook her head. “Papa never saw the point.”
Lady Sophia huffed indignantly as though such an idea was an affront to her personally. “Employing an instructor will be difficult here this time of year.” She frowned. “I suppose I shall have to recruit Lord Radbourne and Mr. Hadley to help us in that regard.”
Livi glanced up at the lady and frowned herself. “Do you not like the Hadley brothers?”
Lady Sophia laughed. “That obvious, is it?”
“Well, you did berate Mr. Hadley last evening for coming upon me in the kitchen, did you not?”
Lady Sophia stopped walking and turned her stare on Livi. “I thought you’d gone to bed.”
Perfect. She clearly shouldn’t have given herself away. But what’s done was done. “At home, sometimes the only way to know what is truly going on is to eavesdrop. I suppose you’ll tell me that isn’t ladylike.”
A smiled tugged at her companion’s lips. “On the contrary, Miss Mayeux, many a lady has need to resort to that very thing. I’ve done so myself more times than I can count. I just don’t enjoy being the one spied upon.”
Nearby, a fellow cleared his throat and Livi looked up to find a tall man with blondish hair. His gaze raked from Lady Sophia’s head all the way down to her toes, stopping at certain parts in between. It made Livi think of the way an alligator appraised its prey.
“My dear.” The man smiled, and if it wasn’t for the predatory gleam in his eye, Livi might have thought him handsome. “I never dreamed I would see you in Bath, of all places.”
Lady Sophia must have seen the lascivious sparkle in the man’s gaze because the muscles in her jaw tightened and she clipped out a greeting: “Lord Robert, always a pleasure.”
It could hardly be a pleasure, however; the lady looked as tense as the bow of a fiddle. Apparently, prevarication was all right under certain circumstances, Livi noted.
“Indeed,” Lord Robert replied smoothly. “Have you come to town with Lady Radbourne?”
“I am her companion.”
The man heaved a sigh. “Taking such a position is beneath you, Sophie.”
“On the
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