Page 16 of The Baron Takes a Bet
He had left in a huff, and by the following morning, he was back on his way to Eton. Holly’s temper had eventually subsided, and she was sorry that their last exchange had been so heated, but her brother did aggravate her to no end. His entitlement and indifference to consequences made her worry about his future. At least with him back at school, she no longer had to argue and defend her every move. Now, she needed to direct all her attention on the repairs that would go into Felton Manor and how she would fund Katrina’s upcoming season.
Before everything had happened with John, Holly had planned to have several of her own gowns redone to match the latest fashions, but when he passed, she had dyed all of her dresses black for her mourning period. Of course, not being well versed in coloring clothes, the dye didn’t take very well. This had resulted in ruining two gowns and mudding the rest. Now, she only had one decent dress that she had managed to turn deep blue. Gavin had offered to send Holly and Katrina to a modiste in London, but—
No. Not Gavin. Lord Bairnsdale. Holly had started thinking of him as Gavin, and she needed to correct herself.
He seemed to be everywhere she went. It made sense, of course, since he lived at Kingston House as well, but every room she entered, he was there, and if he wasn’t, he would eventually show up. It didn’t help that her sister was always wandering about the grounds on solitary ambles, having taken it upon herself to learn every inch of their new home, leaving Holly inside by herself. She had tried to avoid him at first, not particularly pleased with being alone with him. The memory of his hand reaching for her in Felton Manor had caused her greatworry. Would he try to do so again? Even though they were technically married, he had to know that any physical touch between them was out of the question. If an annulment was going to happen, they needed to keep their distance.
Not that Holly couldn’t control herself. She was more than capable of keeping her hands off him. But there was something curious about Gavin Winscombe that made her think about things she had never dared to before.
He was an attractive man, that much she couldn’t deny, but there was something more to him than just his pleasing face. There was an underlying solidity to him, as if nothing in the world could shake him or push him off balance. If he ever became upset or angry, moments later it would melt away and he would become completely disarming and earnest. She had first noticed it the second week since arriving at Kingston House, when he had found her in the library, pouring over the latest fashion plates from London that had come with the latest letter from her dear friend Clara, the new Duchess of Combe. She would often send Holly and Katrina pamphlets with the latest dress styles as both sisters had a fondness for fashion.
He walked into the room, carrying himself like a man aware of the world. Holly’s eyes lifted from the pages on the table before her to take in the sight. It wasn’t a leisurely walk, nor guarded, but rather a self-assured gait that projected confidence.
Catching her gaze, Gavin smirked, holding his large hands up as if he was surrendering to the authorities.
“Don’t mind me, I promise I’m not here to bother you. I’m just looking for a book.”
Holly didn’t believe him for a second. Whenever she smelled mint and lemons, Holly knew he would appear and try to talk to her. She had resisted at first, being wary of him, but his quiet confidence had slowly drawn her out. And as indifferent to mint as she had always been, she found it rather annoying now. Herheart would jump slightly at the scent, and it was aggravating to know why.
“You don’t bother me, I assure you,” she lied.
“Really?” he said, paused, and then shook his head as if he had more to say but was choosing to refrain.
Holly’s brow arched as he turned his back to her.
“What?”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“No, but you were thinking something.”
He peered over his shoulder, and the way the corner of his eyes crinkled when he smiled made her core shake. She remained still, unwilling to show any outward reaction.
“Perceptive,” he said, reaching for a book. He moved his fingers over the spine and pulled it down before facing her. “I was just surprised that you chose to keep your seat. You usually go scurrying from the room whenever I enter.”
She scowled.
“I don’t scurry.”
The side of his mouth quirked, and he made a clicking noise with his teeth.
“I’ve seen you scurry.”
“Mice scurry, my lord. Ladies simply leave.”
“Still with ‘my lord,’ then?” He said, flipping through the pages of his book. “My, what a formal marriage we live in.”
Holly’s mouth flattened, and she exhaled out of her nostrils.
“We won’t be married for long.”
“Well, one hopes,” he said, snapping the book shut. “But I’ve been doing some reading on the topic.”
“The topic of marriage?”
“Annulments, actually. I’m afraid our Mr. Armstrong is in for a rather brutal workload. It seems that Catholics don’t like to undo things.”
“He will manage to get us out of it, I’m sure,” she said, standing up. She would have no peace to finish inspecting these dress designs in the library, not with this man smirking at her as if he knew some secret. “Is there something else I might help you with?”
