Page 9 of If the Slipper Fits
"Quite certain."
He dropped his chin in his hand, eyes narrowing. “Yet you seem so familiar.”
“I have never set eyes on you before today. Never.” She sucked her lower lip between her teeth and nibbled, hoping he believed her and would let the matter drop.
His taken aback expression told her she’d spoken with too much vehemence.
She forced a lighter tone. “One of those faces, I’m afraid.”
“As to that, I couldn’t disagree more.” He crossed his arms over his chest and tapped a finger to his chin. “By your accent, I deduce you don’t hail from Northumberland. Somewhere closer to London-town, perhaps, where I may have caught a glimpse of you at the park or an event?”
She blinked. Had he always been this tenacious? “Are you feeling better after your respite, Mr. Thurgood?”
He scowled, looking so much like the boy she once knew she would laugh were she not so alarmed.
“Why do you ask?” he drawled suspiciously.
She sent him what she hoped passed for a regretful smile. “I do have my employer to think of.”
“In what regard?”
It was on the tip of her tongue to call out the presumptuous cur. Then she reminded herself they were not two old friends bantering. She was a servant.A step removed.Women in her station did not correct esteemed guests.
She lowered her eyes in what she hoped passed for a demure fashion. “She may require my arm, sir. She is rather advanced in years.”
Caden laughed aloud. “In need of an arm? My dear Mrs. Jones, what would your employer say if she heard your summation of her, I wonder?”
“I said nothing derogatory.” She’d never realized how very difficult it was to smile through gritted teeth.
“Merely that she’s decrepit and incapable of moving around on her own volition.” His eyes gleamed with devilry.
She meant to defend herself. Instead, her lips trembled with the effort it took not to smile.
“You have the most extraordinary eyes, Mrs. Anna Jones.”
A thrall of heat suffused her entire body at the unexpected compliment. She ought to be offended by his unabashed forwardness, not knocked breathless. Certainly she had no idea how to respond.
A female’s voice raised in triumph sounded from behind, and altogether too near, Anna’s chair.
“Mr. Randall, I’ve found your missing friend loitering on the outskirts of the party.”
Anna lowered the brim of her bonnet and tucked her chin as Caden slid his long legs over the side of the chair and stood. “Miss Egerton, Miss Applegate, Randall.”
A ready made foursome, it seemed. With any luck, they would take Caden and leave without paying her any notice.
Caden’s next words destroyed any hope of that. “I discovered the identity of my rescuer. Mrs. Jones?” He offered her his hand to help her up.
He meant to introduce her. Her, a lady's companion. Anna stifled a groan of frustration and placed her hand in his solid, warm grasp.
“Mrs. Jones, meet Mr. Harrison Randall. You may or may not know Mr. Randall is a distant relation of your employer’s. The lovely ladies accompanying him are the Misses Applegate and Egerton.”
Addressing the three newcomers, he said, “Mrs. Jones is Lady Wentworth’s companion.”
One of the young ladies flanking Mr. Randall sniffed, her message clear: She did not fraternize with the help.
Displaying none of his lady friend’s reticence, Mr. Randall took her hand. “Very pleased to make your acquaintance, Mrs. Jones. I half feared you were a figment of Thurgood’s imagination, conjured after I—after our slight mishap this morning. He asked after you immediately upon coming-to in Lady Fenton’s parlor. He was quitevexed when I admitted I hadn’t a clue as to your identity. Indeed, Lady Wentworth solved the mystery for us.”
“And stole Mr. Thurgood clean away,” one of the misses whined.
