Page 30 of Miss Prim and the Duke of Wylde
As she and Drago moved on, she murmured sotto voce, “Timothy and Jarrad should thank you for keeping them from embarrassing themselves.”
“Yes, they should.” Drago met her eyes, his own alive with laughter. “Trust me, I’ll remember that at an appropriate time.”
She chuckled, and they joined the group of older ladies gathered about his mother and Edith.
The duchess looked up and fixed Drago and Meg with a look. “We’ve just been discussing your plan to place an announcement in Monday morning’sGazette. While that is, indubitably, the correct thing to do, you would, we all feel, be well served by appearing in the park tomorrow.”
“A half-hour drive along the Avenue would do it,” Edith added.
Meg nodded. “My mama and my sister Glengarah said the same.” She glanced at Drago. “We’ve agreed to make an appearance tomorrow afternoon.”
“Excellent!” The duchess smiled upon them both.
Meg glimpsed the face of the pillared ormolu clock on the mantelpiece; she’d been at the house for over two hours. “On that note”—she glanced at Drago—“I really should take my leave.”
He looked past her at the clock and arched a brow in surprise. He met her eyes. “The time has, indeed, flown.”
Meg made her farewells to the duchess and Edith and the others in that group, and as Drago escorted her to the door, she smiled and nodded to those they passed.
As they started down the stairs, Drago murmured, “That went much more smoothly than I thought it would.” She felt his gaze touch her face. “I know that meeting even that much of the family can be off-putting, yet you didn’t seem the least overwhelmed, presumably because you hail from a similar background.”
She laughed. “I assure you that, numbers-wise, the Helmsfords have nothing on the Cynsters. But I must admit that being able to recognize the types of characters that invariably crop up in any such family helped.” She glanced at him and saw his brows rise.
“It’s certainly true that we have our quota of odd characters, Warley being one.” Smiling, too, Drago met her gaze. “He was quite taken with you, you know. That’s something of an achievement.”
She chuckled, and they stepped off the stairs and walked to where Prentiss waited, her coat already in his hands. “I’ve sent for your carriage, Miss Cynster.”
“Thank you.” Meg allowed Drago to help her into her coat.
Through the narrow window flanking the door, Prentiss confirmed that her carriage was just pulling up and, with a flourish, opened the large door and held it wide.
Meg smiled at the butler as, with her hand on Drago’s arm, she walked past.
Drago escorted her down the steps. “I think,” he said as they descended, “that we pulled off our charade without a hitch.”
“I hope so.”
They paused beside the carriage, and as the footman opened the door, Drago caught Meg’s hand and smoothly raised her fingers to his lips. His dark eyes caught hers as he kissed the sensitive skin, and she discovered she couldn’t breathe.
Every sense came to full attention and quivered with expectation, poised…
Still holding her gaze, he smiled and straightened, then helped her up the steps and into the carriage.
She swung around and rather abruptly sat, and he stepped back. “I’ll call at Half Moon Street tomorrow, just before three.”
Feeling slightly giddy, she managed a nod.
Drago saluted her, then nodded to the footman, who closed the door.
Her coachman started the horses walking, and Meg blinked and finally drew in a much-needed breath.
Wylde House fell behind, and as the coach turned onto Park Lane, her mind started to clear, and the ability to think returned.
Sufficient for her to realize what she’d been expecting, what she’d been giddily yearning for…
She’d hoped for another kiss.
CHAPTER5
