Page 58 of An Offer for a Spinster
Before anything else could be said, a door slammed, loud enough to cut through all the chatter, and echoing footsteps sounded along the hallway.
Timothy felt as if he knew who it was before the door even opened.
“Apologies for my lateness, everybody!” Lord Barwood announced breezily, stepping into the room. “I do hope you’ll all forgive me.”
He made a half-hearted bow to Amelia, barely glancing her way, and immediately made his way across the room to sit beside Katherine. Kitty was obliged to shuffle along the bench, to avoid being sat on.
Lord Barwood shot a quick, intense look of dislike towards Timothy, then beamed falsely around the circle.
“So, what are we all talking about?”
“We are talking about L. Sterling and their novels,” Katherine said, her voice cool.
She doesn’t like him,Timothy realised, with a flutter.
Lord Barwood scoffed, letting out a harsh laugh. “Oh, that sensationalist fool? Good lord, ladies, surely you are not going to let your clear minds be sullied by such nonsense?”
“Do you read L. Sterling’s novels, then?” Kitty asked acidly.
“Lord, no. I don’t bother myself with novels at all. It’s trite stuff, though, ain’t it? That’s what everyone says. Oh, and they are all claiming that the author is a woman. I laughed andlaughed when I heard that. Of course it’s a woman – no man would ever debase himself to scribble such nonsense, ha-ha!”
There was a painfully long pause after this comment. After all, aside from Timothy and Lord Barwood, the circle was made up entirely of women. Katherine sat bolt upright, not looking at anyone in particular, seeming entirely mortified.
“Each to their own,” Timothy said placidly. “Although you’re in poor company here, then. We all enjoy novels, and I think you might find yourself outnumbered in that respect.”
Lord Barwood gave a half-laugh, as if he suspected a joke, but a quick glance around the faces of the others revealed otherwise. His expression soured.
Before the atmosphere could grow more uncomfortable, Amelia rose to her feet, clapping for attention.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I do hope you’ve all enjoyed your musical and literary discussions half as much as I have enjoyed listening to them. Supper is now ready, so if you would all like to make your way through to the dining room, we’ll start eating soon.”
There was a general buzz of conversation and activity, with people rising to their feet and preparing to leave. Ladies had to be escorted through, of course, and gentlemen had to find ladies to escort, so there was a general pairing-up before anyone could turn towards the door.
Timothy was a heartbeat too slow. He turned back from Amelia, who was being escorted by a yellow-haired gentleman, and saw Lord Barwood offering his arm to Katherine, grinning shrewdly.
With something like resignation, Katherine took his arm. Lord Barwood shot a quick glance at Timothy, as if reassuring himself that Timothywaswatching and knew fine well that he was being snubbed. The two of them glided past, the rest ofthe party more or less paired up by now. Timothy followed the crowd out into the hallway, alone.
Chapter Nineteen
Katherine quietly seethed with rage. Who did he think he was, being so dismissive about their favourite author?
There were plenty of lively debates going on in the library, of course there were, but only between people who’d actuallyreadthe works of the author they were talking about. To sit down in a group of literary experts and so casually call all novels ‘trite stuff’ and ‘such nonsense’ – well, it was unbearable. Katherine had seen the expression on her friends’ faces and had almost been ready to sink with embarrassment on Lord Barwood’s behalf.
Not thatheseemed embarrassed, of course. Oh, no, not he. Why would he care, even for an instant, about the opinions of a group of women? Unmarried women, most of them.
And Timothy, of course.
Despite herself, despite the necessity to stay cool and composed with so many eyes on her, Katherine allowed herself a small smile. Timothy had been… well, he had been wonderful. He’d been kind, listened carefully, hadn’t interrupted any of the ladies, and after all that, he really did have something useful to add to the conversation.
In fact, he’d had them all listening agog when he talked about writing techniques. In fact, Katherine was beginning to wonder whether he might have turnedhishand to writing before, he seemed to know the industry so well.
Timothy would write an excellent book,she thought to herself.And I’m sure it would be a novel.
“You seem preoccupied,” Lord Barwood remarked, filing through into the dining room with the rest of the guests. “Penny for your thoughts, my dear.”
Katherine clenched her jaw. “My thoughts are worth more than that, I think.”
“Oh, I doubt it.”
