“What a compliment! A marvelous lady?” Lady Rebecca laughed and glanced at Timothy. “I am rather enjoying your uncle’s company.”
Timothy had to clamp down on the tightening of his chest. Jealousy would hardly help him now.
“Ladies usually do,” Timothy said with a sigh. “He has a habit for uttering compliments as fast as others breathe.”
“Was it a compliment so undeserved?” George asked.
“No indeed,” Timothy shook his head, unable to look away from Lady Rebecca as he spoke. He was equally impressed. From their evenings with each other, he had seen often enough that Lady Rebecca had a good eye for cards, but never had he been so trounced by her before in a game. It was a wonder to watch! What was even more wondrous to Timothy was the way it lit up her features.
Gone was the sadness he had seen in her earlier that day, gone too was the reticence she had showed. Now, she was not trying to escape him and hide in a library, but staring back at him with a wide mischievous smile.
“It is your turn to deal, Your Grace,” she said with that same smile as she passed him the cards. “Do not play tricks with me though. If you try to switch your hand, I will see.”
“Do me a favor and look at my uncle for a short while, then you will not see the trick I am about to pull.” In mockery of himself, Timothy separated one of the cards from the deck, the Ace of Diamonds, and placed it in his top pocket.
“Unashamed!” Lady Rebecca called out and leaned forward, across the table toward him. Timothy found himself leaning toward her too, eager to see what she would do with that outstretched hand. Perfectly, she slipped her fingers in his top pocket to retrieve the card he had pilfered. The brush of those fingers against his clothed chest did something to him. He tried to keep his lips clamped together so no sound would escape him.
“It is like sitting at a card table with a courting couple. Ha!” George’s comment made them both snap their heads toward him, as Lady Rebecca sat back again, parting her fingers from Timothy.
“Thank you, Uncle, for that interference,” Timothy said with annoyance, wishing Lady Rebecca’s hand was upon him again.
“If you would excuse me.” Lady Rebecca stood to her feet. The sudden movement made Timothy stand too, reluctant to see her go. “I will be back shortly, Your Grace. I am going to check on my mother.”
“Ah, very well.” Timothy let her part, sitting down again, though as he shuffled the cards, his eyes were busy following her around the room. She moved past Lady Esther and her family, heading straight for where Lady Birkston was sat, deep in conversation with Lady Eliza and Alexander.
“Watch what you’re doing, lad, the cards are going everywhere.” George’s words urged Timothy to look back to the table, seeing he had dropped half of the deck in his distraction.
George laughed and leaned across the table, lowering his voice so only Timothy could hear him.
“Yes, I can see well enough, Timothy, just why you talk of her so much.”
“I do not talk of herthatmuch…do I?” The thought made Timothy pause as he collected the cards again. George merely raised his eyebrows, showing exactly what his answer was to such a question. “She is easy to talk of.”
“I can see why,” George murmured with a nod and sat back in his chair, turning his eyes across the room to where Lady Rebecca had gone. “A fine woman, a rare one at that, one with wit and such intelligence that you and I are losing this game by a country mile.”
“That we are,” Timothy agreed, checking the score sheet of their whist game. Lady Rebecca was far out in front.
“I must say I admire her dearly.”
“Uncle…” Timothy looked up from the deck another time, feeling that envy curling inside him. He rather imagined it writhed like an adder, turning back and forth over itself, reluctant to settle and be still. “I hope you are not setting your cap at my friend.”
“I would not think of it.” George assured with a solemn expression. “As tempting as the lady is, I have too much respect for her to do that.”
“Good. The lady should marry well, she would not be involved in dalliances with any man that pursues her.”
“Marry? Ha! Is that what you think?” George’s odd statement made Timothy begin to deal the cards, reluctant to listen to him anymore. “That lady will never marry.”
“What? Why not?” Timothy asked, dropping the cards.
“Can you not see it?” George gestured to Lady Rebecca across the room. “The reason is plain enough for me to see.” Timothy turned to watch Lady Rebecca, but all he could see was the blue eyes that lit up with a laugh as she talked to her mother, and the curve of the fair hair that hung down with a few loose curls by her chin.
“What is it I cannot see, Uncle?” Timothy asked, but George clearly had no intention of answering him.
What is it I am not seeing in Lady Rebecca?
Chapter Sixteen
“What did you mean last night?” Timothy asked George impatiently as another gun was swung up in the air, in the direction of the pheasants that were taking flight.
