Page 68 of Sinful Persuasion of a Lady in the Making
Chapter Twenty-Four
“Quick, Miss Jones,” Fanny said as she ran through the door to Jenny’s chamber. Jenny leaped up from her place on the settee in a sudden panic.
“What is it, Fanny? What’s happened?”
“He’s here,” Fanny said, running over to Jenny and fussing with her hair, straightening the pins.
“Who’s here?” she asked, and then as it dawned on her she felt a heavy mix of elation and terror. “Heavens, he was not due to visit, he isn’t supposed to be here now. What does he want?”
She dashed over to the looking glass, Fanny running behind her, hands still on her hair.
“I don’t know,” Fanny said. “I mean, I do. He wants to see you. He’s—”
“He’s waiting downstairs, and he’s looking as handsome as ever,” Alison said, finding her way into the room and laughing. “Goodness, the two of you are like a pair of flustered blue tits.”
“He’s here,” Jenny said, her eyes wide with alarm.
“So he is,” Alison said. “And there is no need to hurry. Just slow down a little. It won’t do Lord Hartwood any harm to be kept waiting a while.”
Jenny laughed. It was not a loud sound, but an amused one. She looked again into the looking glass, brushing away the loose strands of hair. She pinched her cheeks lightly to pinken them, and then she turned to Fanny and Alison.
“He’s here!” She grinned in delight, and then she ran to the door and to the top of the stairs.
She stopped before turning the corner, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. Then she heard it, the odd sound coming from the bottom of the stairs. It was short and sharp, high-pitched. A yap. She tilted her head curiously, but it didn’t come again.
How strange!
As she turned and started down the stairs, she spoke before she really saw Sebastian.
“What a pleasant surprise, Lord Hartwood,” she said. And then the yap came again and she stopped stock still on stairs and stared.
Her mouth fell open and she laughed, then she flew down the rest of the stairs at quite a speed, holding the skirt of her gown around her ankles to stop herself from tripping.
“Oh goodness,” she cried. “He’s adorable!”
In his arms, Sebastian held the sweetest black and white puppy, with a wet nose and glistening eyes. The fur around his neck was as soft and fluffy as down, and when he saw Jenny running down the stairs, he raised his head and yapped again. A happy sound, if ever she had heard one.
Sebastian laughed and stroked the pup’s head. Jenny reached the floor of the entrance hall, and she went immediately to pet the dog. She was close enough to Sebastian to smell him, to feel his breath on her flesh, but it was the puppy that held her attention. He licked at her nose and she giggled.
“Good afternoon, Miss Jones,” Sebastian said softly, watching her with the pup, his eyes full of love and affection.
Jenny looked up and met his gaze, her hand still on the warm ball of fur in his arms.
“Good afternoon, My Lord,” she said, looking up into his twinkling blue eyes.
They were so close that all she needed to do was lean forward and their lips would meet, brushing against each other and sending that tingle through her again. How she craved to feel that again, to be that close to him again.
She moved imperceptibly closer, her body acting quite on its own behalf, but the puppy, acting as chaperone, yapped again, reaching up and butting heads with the both of them.
“What’s going on?”
Jenny spun round at the sound of Luke’s voice. He was leaning out of the study door, a quill in hand, his hair mussed from too much fussing.
“What’s that noise?” Luke asked. Jenny stepped away to reveal the puppy. “What is that?”
“I’m sorry for calling in without announcement. I wanted to surprise Miss Jones.”
“It’s certainly a surprise,” Jenny said, grinning at him. Her heart fluttered in her chest looking up at him, an urge to giggle like a young girl running through her.
