Page 92 of Rescued from Betrayal
His jacket smelled of rain and cinnamon. She nestled into his chest, relishing his warmth.
“Perhaps we should leave the lovebirds alone.”
Javenia met Al’s quip with one of her own. “Yes, best to save your eyes from such open displays of affection. I would not want to damage your tender sensibilities.”
Melior giggled. Nathaniel’s chest rumbled with a laugh as well.
“All right, we will save our greetings for when we are not around such impressionable youths such as yourselves.” Nathaniel pulled away from her.
She wanted to protest, but knew it was for the best. No need to display her heart too openly.
Nathaniel invited them all to the study on the second floor with a promise of warmer accommodations. The house was not terribly cold, especially compared to Kendall House or even Havencrest, especially since the reduced amount of rooms combined with their small size meant heat stayed more confined than in their larger counterparts. But the men had been out in the dismal London weather, and were likely chilled to their core.
Melior settled into a large leather chair next to the fire, glancing about at the books on the shelves. One thing was for certain, there was no lack of reading material in either of Nathaniel’s properties.
He caught her staring and moved to the shelf by the window. Three rows down and one over he plucked a leather-bound book off the shelf. Crossing in front of her, he dropped it in her lap. She lifted the book, but knew she’d not be able to see what it said. Not that it bothered her. It was thoughtful of him to suggest a book at all, even if done silently.
“It is calledBelinda. I took the liberty of having the three volumes bound together, although I do not particularly care for the last one. Some changes were made to the story that weakened it, in my opinion.”
She smiled, knowing she would need to retrieve her spectacles before she dove into its pages.
Nathaniel took up the seat at his desk and Algenon sat on the window seat, leaving the other leather chair for Javenia.
“How were services?” Melior asked, hazarding a guess from Javenia’s earlier revelation. She supposed she could have askedthe staff where he’d gone, but she’d been too concerned with rummaging through her gowns to worry about his absence.
“It was a fine sermon.” Nathaniel picked up the stub of a pencil and tapped it on the desk. “But I believe what happened after services will be of most interest to you.”
“And what was that?”
“We received an invitation to a musicale for tomorrow.”
“We? Who encompasses that we?”
“You, me, Al, Javenia. And I have it on good authority that invitations were sent to your uncle and his betrothed.”
Javenia tapped her chin with her forefinger. “Odd that it should be given so close to the date.”
“Not really. Al worked his usual charm on the lady’s family and the invitation was extended.”
Melior did not miss the way Javenia’s eyes narrowed at Algenon, but her friend remained silent, which for her was an unusual reaction. No teasing or barbed remarks, she simply crossed her hands on her lap and placed all her attention on Nathaniel.
“Are you going to tell us where this musicale is?”
“At Lord Brock’s.”
Melior had heard of the man but was unfamiliar with his family.
Javenia leaned forward a smirk on her lips. Algenon squirmed under her gaze. “You plied your talents on a fifteen-year-old girl? What a conquest.”
He glared at her flat praise. “Does it matter the age? I went with a purpose and I accomplished it.”
“The way Nate crowed I thought it a deserved win.” She laughed. “But an impressionable young girl who should not even be out in Society is easy to sway. Especially that girl. Not an ounce of sense in her head, and an eye set on anything male that moves.”
“I doubt you could do any better,” Algenon grumbled.
She laughed even harder. “That is because… as you can see… I am not male.”
The way Algenon’s eyes took the liberty of appraising Javenia made Melior uncomfortable. Not that he was indecent, only that there was a certain amount of longing that she’d never seen before.
