Page 27 of A Daring Pursuit

She had the audacity to laugh. A high, tinkling sound that ran over his skin like a babbling brook. “No. He doesn’t.”

There was something so unique about the color of her eyes—he couldn’t pull his gaze from her. The fire’s light indeed reflected the night sky dotted with stars within their navy hue. That afternoon, they’d taken on a mix of the crashing sea and the muted sun, lending a tint toward sapphire. He was no artist, but sapphire seemed exactly right. A deep, rich blue jewel with a starburst in their center.

Christ, he was a poet now? “What makes you believe you can escape the duke’s wrath?” He truly was interested.

“I went to school with his daughter.” She grinned and the effect momentarily stunned him. Her hair was dressed in a similar style to Docia’s. The deep bronze of her gown matched the streaks of mahogany in her hair. Wispy tendrils caressed her nape and the tips of his fingers tingled. “I know all sorts of interesting things about the mighty duke.” She patted his arm. “Don’t worry over me.” Her brows wrinkled. “Are we going to eat?”

“Why haven’t you worn your hair like that before?” He lifted his hand, intending to touch. See if those curls were as soft as they appeared.

She put her fingers up as if she couldn’t believe it herself, her cheeks taking on an engaging blush. “It’s amazing what a skilled lady’s maid can accomplish with hair as unruly as mine.”

“I think it looks beautiful,” Isabelle said.

His whole body jolted as if struck by a bolt of lightning. He glanced at the door and found Julius appearing to restrain a grin.

“Come on, Belle. I’m famished,” Julius said.

A strangled sound caught in Noah’s throat and he squeezed his hand into a fist, dropping it back to his side.

Miss Wimbley turned her impish smile on Isabelle. “Thank you. Heavens. Do you know how many pins are in there? I’llbe lucky if my skull is not pricked for my brains to leak out overnight.”

His lips twitched.

“Perhaps you could donate your remnants to Noah,” Isabelle said. “He studies bones, you know. I should think the brain loads more interesting.”

“Er, after the fact, if you don’t mind,” Noah said. “Though I suspect, it’s Belle here who studies live beings.”

Miss Wimbley shrugged. “Certainly,” she said to Isabelle. “I give him full leave. I shall be dead, after all.” She tapped Isabelle’s hand. “But only if you supervise.”

She grinned back. “I shall indeed.”

Miss Wimbley’s gaze surveyed the library. “I’m hungry.”

As was he in that moment—but not for food, quite suddenly. “Right.” The familiar rush of embarrassment plundered him. “Shall we?”

Isabelle laughed. “You’re silly, Noah.” She looked up at Miss Wimbley.

“You’ll accompany us?”

“I’d be honored,” she returned in a voice that Noah would swear choked with emotion.

Noah held out his arm, anticipation rippling through him. “Shall we?”

Nodding, Miss Wimbley set her hand lightly atop his sleeve. He and Miss Wimbley followed Julius escorting his cousin to the main dining hall, where all eyes turned upon them.

Chapter Ten

Dread throbbed againstGeneva’s head that didn’t just have to do with the pins stabbing her in multiple places. It was also the clopping hooves of Mr. Oshea’s retreating carriage. The wind might also have been a contributing factor. And seeing as how it blew dark clouds over a full moon—with the briny sea air and impending rain—she was quite ready to pull her hair out along with the pins.

“Well, what are you waiting for?” Miss Hale’s tone was almost strident. If anything, it put the pain of the prickling pins from her mind. Miss Hale stood in the open doorframe with a hand on her hip. “Lady Abra will be furious if you ruin that gown. I happen to have been in the shop when she ordered it. The madame was quite rude to her for obvious reasons.” Miss Hale slipped off her cloak and hung it on a peg.

Geneva whipped up her skirts and followed her inside. She was spoiling for a fight. “And what might those reasons have been?” she said, her voice low and even.

Her host’s brows pinched in, as if confused. “Madame did not believe that Lady Abra was one of the peerage. I enlightened her. I may not have cared much for your friend, but her father is a marquess and he would have run the woman from town. No one wanted that—she is extremely skilled—so I let her know what she was up against if she mistreated Lady Abra in any way. Take that abhorrent cloak off and come along.”

With compressed lips, Geneva flexed her fingers and surveyed the spacious entry hall, giving herself time to rein in the temptation of letting her tongue rule freely. No one greeted them and Miss Hale was already halfway up the stairs.

“We don’t have much time,” she said with an impatience that did not seem out of character. “Noah will return in the morning at eight and it’s already ten-thirty.”

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