Page 127 of The Lyon Returns
Everything faded in that moment, save for Gideon. He made her feel so seen. So singled out, as if she mattered to him above all else—her thoughts, her pleasure,her.
When they talked, he listened to her. Really listened. And at night, when they came together—as they had every night since he’d invited her to spend the entire night in his bed—he took her body to dizzying heights of ecstasy.
And yet he had never so much as hinted at his true feelings for her. In fairness, neither had she, and he had quite stolen her heart. He must care for her, as well, mustn’t he?
“Good afternoon, madam.” Gideon’s slow, seductive smile sent a spray of gooseflesh over her limbs. “I trust your book fair is going well?”
She glanced around at the diminished piles of booklets and senthim a triumphant smile. “Beyond my wildest aspirations.”
“My congratulations. I would ask you to take a short break but somehow I think I would be wasting my breath.”
She chuckled. “Help yourself to some cake and have a gander around. I will see to this recent influx of patrons and then peel off for a few minutes, if you do not mind waiting.”
He nodded once and moved away.
Amelia sidled up between Margaret and Gwen. “Dearest, Harriet wishes you to join her for a cup of tea in the back. I told her I would take over for a while,” she told Margaret.
The two of them worked tirelessly for the next quarter of an hour, and then came a small break in the crowd.
A grinning Amelia wrapped her arm around Gwen’s shoulder and leaned close. “Don’t look now, but you have an admirer.” She inclined her chin toward the staircase to their left.
Gwen glanced over to see Gideon, leaning against the newel post, ankles crossed, apparently immersed in the book he held.
“I declare, Mrs. Devereux,” Amelia continued, whispering in Gwen’s ear, “your husband appears besotted in the extreme. He is devilishly handsome, is he not? Do not tell my husband I said so.”
In the next moment, Amelia straightened, her face sobering to greet the next customer.
Meanwhile, Gwen could not take her eyes off Gideon. Was he besotted with her, as Amelia claimed?
As she watched, he flipped a page, then lifted his unblinking gaze to meet hers. One corner of his mouth curved upward.
Dear Heaven. One of them was besotted for a certainty, and that person was her. With effort, she dragged her attention back to the line of customers before her, and was delighted to behold a familiar face.
“Lady Mary, how lovely that you’ve come.”
“I wouldn’t dream of missing it.”
Noting the presence of Mary’s husband, slightly behind her, Gwengreeted him, as well. “Mr. Tyrell, nice to see you here.”
He inclined his head. “You’re looking well. Quite a crush you have here, by the by, Gwen. Congratulations.”
She wasn’t sure how she felt about him using her Christian name, as if the two of them were old friends. “Thank you,” she said, hoping her smile hadn’t slipped.
“If the two of you don’t mind, I see a friend. Never fear, Mary, I’ll come find you in a moment.” With that, he was off.
“Now then, Lady Tyrell,” Gwen said. “Can I interest you in a hand-signed booklet?”
“Oh, yes, please.” She aimed a warm smile at Gwen and leaned in. “I do so love Mr. Arlington’s novels. The way he writes with such deep insight into women, one would almost imagine the author to be a woman. I have heard Mrs. Sheridan’s bookshop has a wide array of interesting books. Gothic novels, horrid novels, even”—she glanced around and lowered her voice—“some books dealing with social issues at large.”
She had known the woman was not the addle-brained female most took her for, likely thanks to her manner of speech. Speech could be taught. Brains, one was born with. And an open mind? That was a gift. “You know, we should plan an outing together very soon. We can discuss books of all kinds.”
Lady Mary flushed with obvious delight. “I would like that above all things,” she said. A few moments later, she collected her purchase and made way for the next customer in line.
Amelia inched closer and touched Gwen’s arm.
Gwen looked at her inquiringly, and caught the silent warning in the woman’s expression.
Without uttering a word, Amelia shifted her gaze toward the shop’s entrance where a tall, arresting, and all-too-familiar looking woman stood, surveying the crowd.
