Page 28 of The Mistletoe Duke

“I love throwing parties,” she said on a sigh. “Such excitement. Fascinating people.” She glanced at him from beneath her lashes. “Do you not enjoy…fascinating people?”

He was sure she was flirting with him, he just wasn’t sure if he cared. “Doesn’t everyone enjoy fascinating people?”

“I met Byron once at a party.”

“Really?” He’d met Byron at White’s, but he didn’t feel the need to mention it.

“You have the look of him.”

He nearly jumped out of his skin as she touched his arm. Stroked it. “Do I?”

“Mmm. Such beautiful brown eyes. And that curl on your forehead. I imagine the ladies swoon if you so much as smile at them.”

He smiled at her then. It wasn’t intended, it just happened. “I don’t believe I’ve ever had someone faint on me.”

She batted her lashes. “More’s the pity.”

“It seems to me it would be awkward,” he had to add. It would be, wouldn’t it?

“Perhaps. Depending on the company.” She laughed, a melodic tinkle. “I hear you have a lovely conservatory here in Sutton. Would you show it to me sometime?”

He nodded. “I would love to.”

“Excellent.” She glanced around the room and leaned in, whispering, “How about now?”

Egads.

He tried not to lurch back, but she was being way too forward for comfort. “Perhaps tomorrow? I do have other guests.” He bowed to her and then turned away, but not before he saw her serene expression curl into something of a snarl.

Glorianna Pickering? Louisa Mountbatten? Cecily Peck? Had Mother deliberately invited the flightiest, most irritating debutantes on the market? Clearly, she had.

He headed for his mother, thinking they needed to have a chat, but he caught a glimpse of Meg’s blue dress out of the corner of his eye. She was on Hisdick’s arm. They were leaving the room.

Alarms blared in his head, and he changed course to follow them.

Unfortunately, the party was a crush, so it took him a while to make it through the crowd and by then, the hallway was empty. With his pulse pounding, he rushed down the hall, madly opening doors.

Ah. He should have known they’d be in the library.

What he hadn’t expected, what he’d never imagined, was that he would find Meg in Hisdick’s arms.

“What on earth is going on here?” he bellowed, much louder than he’d intended.

They both whirled around, and to his ire, Meg laughed. “I wanted to show Richard Jane Austen’s first book and look.” She pointed up to where mistletoe dangled over their heads.

First of all—Richard? They’d just met. How were they already on a first-name basis?

Second of all, blast Mother and her mistletoe.

It was a struggle to batten down his rage. “Hisdick, I need to speak with Meg, if you don’t mind?”

For all his social flaws, Hisdick could take a hint. He nodded and exited the room, even closing the door in his wake.

Once he was gone, Jonathan needed a moment. A moment to control the raging beast within, perhaps.

“What is it, Jonathan?” Meg asked, coming closer and peering up at him like an innocent.

“What is it? What is it?” he sputtered.