Page 21 of Leap of Faith
He stepped back leaving her head in a whirl.
“Enjoy your dress fittings. I would think shades of blue and lavender would suit you very well. I will call soon to see how you go on.”
With that impertinence, he made her a bow and left. Faith stood there, slowly regathering her wits and thinking of all the clever things she should have said to him.
* * *
Dominic felta strong need to distance himself from this overwhelming amount of femininity before he was drawn into something he did not wish to be.
A masculine endeavour would be just the thing. His friends were most likely to be found at a club or Jackson’s Saloon this time of day, so he first stopped at the club since it was nearest his house.
He entered and handed his hat and cape to the majordomo, then sauntered through the morning room, greeting those holding court at the bow window, but fending off deeper conversations of politics and the next vote in the House. Looking through the room full of tables and leather chairs, he discovered his friends were not to be seen. He climbed the stairs and found them in the coffee room, seated on a large, red-leathered sofa with a low table in front of them.
“Where have you been?” Montford asked. “We have been waiting for you at least two hours since you did not show your face in the park for our morning ride.”
Dominic sat in a chair across from them and casually crossed his legs before bothering to answer. “I was seeing the remainder of my wards settled at Westwood House.” A waiter placed a cup of coffee before him, and Dominic shook his head as he waited for further requests.
“You have brought all of them to Town?” Rotham asked.
“Why would I not?” Dominic responded, then sipped at the bitter brew and inhaled the deep aroma.
“Why would you want schoolroom chits underfoot?” Rotham retorted.
“Technically, they are at my mother’s house, and only one of them is still in the school room, although the second youngest will not be brought out yet.”
“You mean to bring three out at once?” Montford asked.
Dominic felt a mischievous smile take over his face.
“Are the rest of them pretty?” Freddy asked.
“Most assuredly,” Dominic agreed.
“You are enjoying this a little too much,” Rotham groaned.
“I confess I am. After watching the three of you make fools of yourselves on the ride back to London, providing me with no end of entertainment, I knew it would be just the thing.”
“You have run mad!” Montford scolded.
“Quite likely,” he agreed with unruffled affability. “It will not be long before bets are made, though. We came across Sally Jersey this morning as we walked through Berkeley Square.”
“Remember who your oldest and dearest friends are,” Montford reminded Dominic.
“This following you saying I am mad,” he retorted.
“Kindly forget the first statement.”
Dominic shook his head. It was just as he had prophesied.
“Are you certain you don’t plan to steal a march on all of us?” Montford could not help but ask.
“I am certain you do not wish to be insulting, but I can hardly woo one of my own wards even if I were so inclined, which I am not. I have a perfectly healthy brother as my heir, and any number of excellent male cousins in line thereafter.”
“Wouldn’t be the thing!” Freddy chimed in.
“You have no need to be threatened by Dom,” Rotham added. “He has earned his reputation as a confirmed bachelor.”
“There have never been beauties tempting enough to rival his wards, either!” Montford argued.
