Page 65 of The Viscount in her Bedroom
She threw a pillow at him.
Mr. Wade ducked. “Tight sleeves, a little lace here and there, square neckline.”
“Suitably modest, I hope,” Simon said.
“Of course. But she’s blushing now,” Mr. Wade added.
Simon smiled at his sister. “It sounds lovely. But then I’m not surprised.”
Mr. Wade turned his critical gaze upon Louisa, and she found herself straightening uncomfortably.
“Ah, the teacher does not want to be criticized,” Mr. Wade said.
“Louisa?” Simon asked, turning toward her.
She had often imagined what Simon would think if he could see her—would he approve of her hairstyle, her choice in gowns? Of course he seemed to want to remove those.
“She’s quite red in the face now,” Mr. Wade said. “Goes well with the rose-colored gown. Modest neckline, too.”
Lady Wade gasped. “Boys! Miss Shelby is a guest in our home.”
Louisa looked fondly at the older woman. She knew that she was an employee, but was never treated as such. She often felt part of the family—which was too seductive a thought.
“Lady Wade, I am quite used to being scrutinized,” Louisa said. “After all, that is what a ball is held for.”
“To be on display,” Georgie added ruefully. “A marriage mart.”
“You don’t think we gentlemen are on display?” Simon asked.
“Of course you are,” Louisa said. “But you don’t have to wait worriedly to be asked to dance. You control a poor lady’s evening.”
Mr. Wade smiled at her. He seemed almost…nervous, as if she would tell his family how he’d pursued her.
“I don’t think you ever waited long to dance, Miss Shelby,” Mr. Wade said.
Louisa wondered why he would say such a thing in front of shy Georgie, when he knew the girl had lacked suitors.
“Sir,” Louisa said, tilting her head, “sometimes it is not the honorable men who ask a woman to dance.”
Now it was his turn to blush, but she believed he hid it by sipping his drink.
Simon cocked his head, looking interested. “And what do you do when that happens, Miss Shelby?”
“We attempt to avoid it by signaling our friends or sisters.”
He grinned. “Signaling?”
The way he was focused on her was distracting as usual. It was hard to even think, when she remembered how he’d focused on other parts of her so intimately. He had an amazing ability to make a woman think she was the one thing he cared about—at that particular moment.
She looked down at her lap and took a deep breath. “My sisters and I had worked out a system to help each other.”
“Really?” Georgie said with admiration.
“Oh, it was more for fun, really, but once or twice it did come in handy. Let’s see,” she said thoughtfully, looking up at the ceiling to concentrate. “I was never standing alone when a man approached; usually at least one of my sisters was with me. So if we didn’t like the gentleman, we linked elbows.”
Simon nodded. “And this meant…”
“‘Please invent a reason that I can’t dance right now, even though my dance card is not full.’”
