Page 46 of The Beauty and the Boxer
“Why not?”
“Have you seen me? I’m a scarred-upgutter-scraping vagabond.”
“Once upon a time, maybe, but you’re one ofthe wealthiest men in England now. You’re the reason I can chargemy clients so much.”
Jack ignored her savvy smile.
“Money doesn’t matter to her.”
“How fortunate for her,” Lottie saidsarcastically. “If money doesn’t matter, then what does? Yourscars?”
“No, actually. She said there wasn’tanything unpleasant about my face,” Jack said, feeling the tips ofhis ears heat. God, he was mortified admitting that.
“Did she?” Lottie asked, soundinginterested. “But your position in society must aggrieve her. Yourupbringing, your fighting history?”
“No. She doesn’t much care for firstsociety. She’s very supportive of my brother and his wife.”
“Oh. I see,” she said, moving around theroom. She poured herself another glass of wine. “Then if shedoesn’t care about your money, your looks or your position, then,what is stopping her from being with you?”
He paused.
“I never asked.”
Lottie’s hand paused midair, her wine glasshalf full.
“Men,” she muttered beneath her breath asshe shook her head. She took a sip and came around to face him.“Jack, go ask this lady first if she will have you, beforesuffering the misery of unrequited love.”
“I never said I loved her.”
“Not yet,” Lottie said, rather smugly. “Nowgo. I’ve grown weary of your troubles.”
Jack hated the knowing tone of her voice,but then he couldn’t properly argue with her. She was right. He hadnever told Meredith how he felt. Even now he hadn’t been quite sureof his feelings up until this moment.
“Thanks, Lottie,” he said as he kissed hercheek.
She only smiled and shooed him from theroom. With a short thanks and a nod, Jack left, hurrying out thedoor, down the stairs and past the parlor rooms where Bull and theother women were. Jack didn’t have time to say goodbye, though. Heneeded to get to Dragmoor immediately.
Chapter Nine
Meredith was slow to wake the followingmorning, and was somewhat bewildered to see that the curtains ofher bed had been drawn closed. She moved to get out of bed, only torealize that the sun was high in the sky outside of her window. Shehad slept in.
Meredithneverslept in.
Rubbing the sleep away from her eyes,Meredith scooched out of bed and rang for a maid. Wrapping herselfin her dressing robe, she wondered why she hadn’t risen earlier, asshe usually did. Try as she might, she couldn’t remember any of herdreams from the night before, but only felt a substantialexhaustion settle in her bones. Why was she so weary? Unable tothink on that for long, soon the bedroom door opened and the youngmaid from the day before, came in.
“Begging your pardon, my lady. I’m Brynn andI’m to be taking care of you during your stay at Dragmoor. I camein earlier to rouse you, but when I found you were still soundasleep,” she said in a thick, Lancashire accent, “I drew thecurtains so the sun wouldn’t bother you. I beg your pardon if Itook liberties, my lady. I should have asked you last night if youpreferred to wake with the rest of the house.”
“It’s all right,” Meredith said. “I musthave needed it.”
Brynn smiled and curtsied before busyingherself with helping Meredith get dressed for the day. She donned asimple walking dress that was snow colored with a small red flowerpattern on it that made it appear almost pink if one stood farenough away.
Once Brynn had set her hair in a rather newstyle, with a part down the middle and loose curls coming over herears, Meredith headed for the dining room in hopes of findingsomething to eat. When she arrived, she was startled to find ahandful of men, all dust covered and sweaty in their huntingclothes. They collectively bowed to her.
“Pardon me,” she said quickly, trying toleave when the duke called out to her.
“Good morning, Miss Taylor,” Mountebanksaid, coming forward. “I’m afraid you missed the hunt this morning.We’ve just returned.”
Meredith smiled as a few gentlemenchuckled.
