His expression darkened, and his head tilted forward in her direction. She couldn’t make sense of that expression, so she went on.
“Maybe it is no easy thing to find a man to admire, but I admire plenty.”
“Name one,” he pleaded, “unless you wish me to think you proud.”
“You already do think that, so I do not know why I bother to try and dissuade you from it. Yet if it will make you be quiet on this subject, very well, I will give you a name of a man whom I admire.” She sat straight, her eyes on his figure.
When did I start to admire him?
It wasn’t just the handsomeness anymore. It was the kindness to his brother, the charm, all of it! She wracked her brains, thinking of another man she did admire.
“Lord Mistwood.”
CHAPTERTEN
“Lord Mistwood?” Christopher hated the thought of the man in that moment. He’d barely taken notice of the gentleman before. He was quite plain, had never made much impact on theton, and was nice enough in conversation, but he was infernally… bland. “Ha! You expect me to believe you have an affection for Lord Mistwood?”
“You misunderstand me.” She shook her head sharply. “You asked for the name of a gentleman who I could respect. I am not declaring a wish to marry the gentleman; I am merely pointing out that he’s one of the few gentlemen I know in society who has good manners that I can admire.” She smiled at him with a little victory.
I see I am not one of those men.
“I am certain I have never even seen you speaking to him.”
“You have been noticing who I speak to then?” She laughed at the idea.
Christopher paced, walking up and down in front of the mantelpiece. He had come here to discuss with Lady Helena how they were going to break their families’ hatred of one another at last. Somehow, he’d ended up in this conversation.
“The man is bland,” he insisted.
“Bland?” She laughed once again. “Just because he is not mentioned in scandal sheets every day as some in this room may be.” He flicked his head round, holding her gaze for a second. “That does not make him uninteresting. On the contrary, it makes him a man of honor and of dignity.”
“You just believe what you hear of men, don’t you?” Christopher asked, pausing in his pacing before he continued once again. His eyes could scarcely leave Lady Helena for a few seconds at a time now. She sat there staring at him with such a haughty manner that he wanted nothing more than to wipe that look from her.
Maybe I could break her resolve.
It was an outlandish idea, a wish to see her smile at him for a change instead of sneer.
“I believe what I see before me,” Lady Helena insisted. “You have never made any effort to impress in my eyes, after all, and why would you bother as I am a Carter?”
“That I do not dispute.”
“Lord Mistwood has chosen to recommend himself to me in every conversation.”
“What?” Christopher tripped on the edge of the hearth rug, darting round to face her once again. “He seeks to impress you?”
Why does the idea rile me so much?
“That is not what I said.” She shook her head. “Merely that he is a true gentleman who tries to impress all that he meets. You wished to know someone whose manners I admire, and I offer up Lord Mistwood as an example to you. How many gentlemen in thetoncan boast of his fine manners? Or his good head for sound business? I warrant there are few.”
“Really? You think that?” Christopher faced her fully and leaned on the mantelpiece, holding her gaze. “What of myself?”
“What of you?” She flinched.
“I am a man of good business.”
“We have spoken before of your reputation in business,” she muttered, raising her eyebrows. “Deceit and trickery into forcing your partners into giving you their money is not good business practice.”
“I see you believe rumors rather than truth.”
