Page 21 of The Grand Mistletoe Assembly
She had always found Nicholas exceedingly handsome. And, once upon a time, she had some flirtatious fantasies. A natural occurrence since the man resembled a chiseled Adonis.
But this wasNicholas.
The man thought of her as his ward. Perhaps even as a second sister. So, the fact that her memory of him last night beamed as vivid as a blooming rose, triggered a sense of danger in her heart. The kiss. The dance. The stealthy glares.
All Nicholas.
Would acting as though nothing had transpired between them be enough? For him? For her? She certainly did not want to ruin their relationship because of her actions. That would most certainly affect her friendship with Nancy. Pippa would never forgive herself if her behavior last night estranged her from her best friend.
But then again, thiswasNicholas.
Cold, yes, and serious to the extreme, but also a complete gentleman. Pippa had also gotten what she wanted—her first kiss. In all likelihood, the earl had already pushed the matter from his mind.
Her chest tightened at the thought.
A brief knock and Nancy entered the chamber with a skip in her step. “Awake? Why haven’t you come down for breakfast? I am dying of curiosity! Did you kiss Dare?”
Pippa groaned and pressed her face into the pillow.
She’d run off to her room the moment they returned home, afraid that Nancy would just somehowknowthat she’d kissed her brother. Pippa didn’t even want to think about what Nancy would have to say about that. The last thing she wanted was for Nancy to worry about their friendship or, heaven forbid, orchestrate a forced marriage. She could just imagine the earl’s sour face!
Nancy yanked the pillow from beneath her. “Well? I’ve waited long enough for all the juicy details. Do tell.”
“There’s nothing to tell.”
“Then it’s as I thought.” Nancy sighed. “Because of Nicholas, right? I don’t understand how he so thoroughly abandoned his reason last night.”
He wasn’t the only one.
“He must have remembered our shenanigans of the previous year,” Nancy said.
“Perhaps.”
“Not to worry, we shall find another opportunity for you to kiss Dare. I’ve decided I shall steal my first kiss as well.”
“You did? With whom?”
“I haven’t quite decided yet. I’m still scouting the prospects.”
“What about Jeremy? You’ve fancied him for years.”
Nancy snorted. “The man is either as dense as a piece of wood or not attracted to me. Even if he is the former, he should have shown a hint of interest by now. A look of longing. A flirtatious remark. Anything. He’s flirted with enough women for me to know he is capable, so I’ve decided to move on.”
Pippa thought of Nicholas. He had never cast a longing look her way or made any flirtatious remark, either. And having borne witness to her friend’s unrequited love for years, she understood no good would come from reminiscing on last night. Best to let it go.
Pippa sat up. “Well then, I shall help you scout. Or you can just kiss Dare, too.” As for her, she might as well steal another one for good measure. At the very least, it ought to purge a certain earl from her memory.
Nancy yanked the covers from the bed. “It’s already noon. Have you forgotten? We are to meet Jeremy at Hyde Park in an hour. I invited Dare, too. Let’s see if he shows.”
This caught Pippa’s attention. “You invited Dare? When?”
“Yesterday at the ball when Nicholas plundered your dance. Surprised? Grateful?”
Pippa bit her lip.
She suddenly recalled one particular sentence in her mother’s diary that had always amused her:If you cannot get over a gentleman’s kiss, kiss a rogue.
Pippa had planned to kiss a rogue from the beginning. Rakes had no sense of commitment. An easy choice. Plus, according to her mother’s diary, they were excellent kissers. Pippa decided to see for herself.
