Page 62 of A Lady's Past
He raised his glass to her. “You are a good sport, miss.”
Jacques’s admiring gaze landed on Diana and sent a warm wave through her. In her experience before they were taken to France, men did not care for women who were smarter than them. With the two men who had courted her, Mother had been very specific about not talking science. She had tried, but as soon as one of them mentioned her father’s work, she’d expounded on his experiments. Of course, Mother had been right. They ceased courting after that.
When he finally pulled his gaze away, Jacques looked at Alex. “Before we came in for supper, I noticed it has started snowing again. This will delay finding Caron, I assume.”
Alex pushed his plate back before propping his elbows on the table. “It is damned inconvenient. The only good thing is that if we can’t get around to find him, he can’t be moving much either. You are safe for the time being, Miss MacLeod.”
“That is something.” Diana didn’t feel safe. The only time she had any sense of security was in Jacques’s arms. She quickly pushed those thoughts down before her blush gave her away.
Honoria slapped the table. “If there is no danger imminent, I suggest we see if this old castle has a good bottle of whiskey in it.”
Sebastian laughed at his dining partner. “Are you a great admirer of a fine whiskey, my lady?”
“Well, I have taken the trouble to marry three times, and I like whiskey more than men.” Honoria winked at him.
The table erupted in laughter.
Alex called the butler. “Mr. Bates, will you bring a Scotch and an Irish to the parlor?”
Mr. Bates bowed and left through the servants’ door.
Jacques held Diana’s chair as they all exited. He leaned in and whispered in her ear. “What about you, Diana? Do you enjoy a good whiskey?”
His breath on her skin sent a thrill of delight through her that settled low in her belly, and she longed for privacy. Wondering whether he would come to her after the others had gone to bed was a delicious morsel that she would savor. “I have never tasted whiskey.”
“Well then, you shall either love it or hate it, my sweet. Very few people are ambiguous about a fine whiskey.”
Turning put her only inches from his chest. She could lift on her toes and press a quick kiss on his lips. The dining room was empty save for them. The wicked thought simmered so violently, she followed through. His mouth was both soft and strong as he recovered from his shock and kissed her back.
His hand settled on her hip.
Having been a captive, she should have hated the possessive touch. Yet his touch was as welcome as coming home. She relaxed back on steady feet, but it took a moment for the world to stop spinning. “Do you love or hate whiskey, Jacques?”
Chest rising and falling quickly, he gave a fast glance around the empty room. “At the moment, I could completely forget what whiskey is and just remain drunk on you for a lifetime.”
She may have gone and fallen in love. It was foolish and she should regret it, but she couldn’t, not even for a second. “And normally?”
“Normally, I am a great admirer of a good whiskey.” His gaze drifted to her lips.
If she could will him to kiss her, she would.
Honoria called out from the parlor across the hall. “Diana, my dear. Where are you?”
Jacques smiled and dotted a quick kiss on her nose. “Shall we join the others?”
Her breath shuddered more than she would have liked. “I suppose we have little choice.”
He stared at her a long moment, his eyes holding a question he did not voice. Offering his arm, he said, “We had better go before I do something extremely foolish.”
The parlor, like the study, was very large and filled with books, though these were less diverse and leaned toward legal matters. Diana tried the Irish whiskey; it was sharp on her tongue and burned its way down her chest. She could see why some people didn’t care for the strong spirit, but she liked it. However, by the time she finished the small glass, the world seemed to tip in a silly way. “I think I shall retire for the evening. I will see you all in the morning.”
Honoria followed her out, and they climbed the stairs. “We must strengthen your constitution, Diana.”
“You may stay and enjoy the whiskey with the men.”
“My purpose is to keep you safe.” Honoria’s serious tone was out of character, but comforting.
“Thank you, my lady. You are too good to me.” Diana kissed Honoria’s cheek and stepped inside her room, where she collapsed on the bed.
