Page 46 of The Viscount in her Bedroom
“So how are the lessons going, Miss Wade?” Mr. Reyburn asked.
Louisa stared at the girl in surprise.
Georgie blushed. “I told him about them. He was sympathetic.” She turned and beamed at Mr. Reyburn. “We’ve ordered a new wardrobe. And I’m working on my dancing—I even danced with Simon.”
Mr. Reyburn glanced at Simon in surprise.
Simon shrugged. “Little sisters are such an annoyance.”
“Simon!” Georgie said.
“You know,” Louisa began slowly, “we were going to work on Miss Wade’s conversation skills. Mr. Reyburn, would you like to assist us?”
She saw Simon give her a small frown, but she ignored him. She didn’t want to demonstrate her skills with Simon. It would be too revealing of her feelings.
They treated it like a play, with Louisa and Georgie taking turns. Even Lady Wade got involved, contributing suggestions as to where Georgie should stand when she was first “introduced” to Mr. Reyburn. Simon didn’t say much, and Louisa found herself occasionally glancing at him. He had an amused expression on his face, but she knew how well he hid his feelings when he wanted to.
Louisa made the introductions, and Mr. Reyburn said all the polite things about the weather and the evening. When Georgie wasn’t trying to stop laughing, she answered well enough, but Louisa knew the true test would be with a stranger, when Georgie wasn’t relaxing at home with her family. They would have to begin accepting invitations when the first gowns of Georgie’s new wardrobe arrived. It was the only way she was going to put to use what they’d been practicing.
After Mr. Reyburn left, Georgie and Lady Wade stood up to retire. When Louisa was going to join them, Simon said, “Could you wait, Miss Shelby? I have something I want to discuss.”
Louisa’s uneasiness rose to the surface, along with a thread of anticipation that she couldn’t deny.
Lady Wade gave them a curious glance, but all she said was, “We’ll leave the door open.”
“I promise not to compromise her, Grandmama,” Simon said dryly.
“Simon!” his grandmother said sternly.
But finally Louisa was alone with Simon. She was seated on the sofa, and he was in a chair to her right.
Far too close.
“What do you wish to discuss, Simon?”
“Your conversational skills have always been formidable,” he said slowly.
She blinked at him. “Well, thank you. I always think it’s best to have many interests, to read books. A man appreciates that a woman can converse about something other than the weather. I’m working on that with your sister.”
“So now you’re a governess, too?”
“Of course not.”
“Forgive me, my own conversational abilities are lacking tonight. I can’t help wondering if these interested men you’re talking about were interested in what you were actually saying.”
She bristled. “Speak plainly, Simon.”
“A man doesn’t always say plainly what he’s implying.”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“Surely you know that there are some men who delight in teasing a woman.”
“And a woman should know how to deflect such a thing, even walk away.”
“But what if she doesn’t realize what is going on? What if he’s doing this for the amusement of his nearby friends?”
“Simon, what are you trying to say? I can’t prepare Georgie unless you speak plainly.”
