Page 15 of Seduced by an Irresistible Lady

“He’s very handsome.”

“Yes, you mentioned that. What else?”

Lady Lavinia eyed her friend. She knew she was teasing.

“He’s very cultured and has this accent that is funny to listen to. He is funny though, a man of fine humour. And I don’t want to seem too forward, but I daresay he has taken a liking to me,” Lady Lavinia said.

Her eyes stared straight at Helena’s.

She’s looking for a reaction. What reaction do you want Lavinia?

“Lavinia, are you sure? It is possible you have taken a liking to him,” said Helena.

Lady Lavinia shook her head. The satin hat on her head threatened to fall from its unstable perch.

“Helena, I’m serious, stop teasing. He has. Abigail told me so herself.”

“Okay, so what do you think about him?”

Lady Lavinia beamed, a smile that had her mouth open and showed almost all her teeth.

“I fancy him a bit. He’s of a more sensible breed than many eligible men we have here. And he’s calm,” Lady Lavinia said.

“Ice to your fire,” Helena said.

“I don’t have fire,” Lady Lavinia countered.

Helena was about to respond when her sister appeared on the pathway to the tree. Lady Lavinia spotted her too and kept quiet.

“Miss Jacqueline, how are you feeling now?” Lady Lavinia asked.

Miss Jacqueline stood in front of them.

“I am feeling much better, thank you,” she answered.

She looked much better. Helena wasn’t sure if it was the greater light outside, but her skin didn’t look so pale and dry anymore. And her neckline wasn’t sunken. She was doing better.

“I will finish the medicine Dr Frederick gave me tonight. So I should be perfectly fine from then on,” Miss Jacqueline said.

Helena looked at her friend the instant the doctor’s name was mentioned. She was surprised to see the Lady Lavinia’s eyes on her too. Her chest warmed from inside and threatened to show itself as a blush, but Helena suppressed it.

“So what were you talking about?” Miss Jacqueline asked. “Because it seems like I broke an interesting conversation.”

“Lavinia’s cousins are around from Ireland, and they came with a handsome prince,” Helena said in a tone that goaded her friend.

The stare from Miss Jacqueline was exactly what Helena was trying to trigger. Lady Lavinia opened her mouth to offer protestations to what Helena was implying and couldn’t pull it off. She turned back to Helena with feigned anger.

“That is not exactly correct,” Lady Lavinia managed to say.

“I am interested in hearing about the handsome prince,” Miss Jacqueline said.

“Your sister is greatly exaggerating facts,” Lady Lavinia said.

“So you didn’t tell me he’s handsome?” Helena asked.

“I did, but not in the way you are putting it,” Lady Lavinia said.

“So put it in your own way and let’s see the difference,” Helena said.