Page 55 of Mending the Baron's Sins
Then the intimate moment was gone, and she retreated across the room, following Esther and the other maids out of the room.
Horace felt a firm kick beneath the table and looked around. Lavinia smiled sweetly but had plainly been the one to kick him, to earn his attention.
“Is it not fascinating what Miss Bonneville has been saying, brother?”
“Yes, fascinating,” he added drily.
Adam this time choked on his wine glass as he snorted with laughter.
“Are you getting a cough, cousin?” Lavinia looked around, evidently not recognizing the laughter for what it was.
“I’m quite well, thank you.” He dabbed his lips with his napkin.
What a dinner this is turning out to be.
Horace inwardly groaned and concentrated on his food, scarcely taking part in the conversation.
“Miss Bonneville, your travels sound so fascinating,” Lavinia said after some minutes of them all being regaled with tales. “I think you have quite rendered my brother speechless in wonder.”
“What?” Horace murmured distractedly. He had still been thinking about Orla and the way she had winked at him.
Walter sat forward in his seat.
“We discussed traveling ourselves, did we not, Miss Bonneville?” he appealed to her, another keen attempt to capture her attention.
“We’ll see.” She waved a hand toward him, not even bothering to glance in his direction this time. She was gazing at Horace, that simpering smile still in place.
“Perhaps we could take Miss Bonneville with us when we travel down south, brother?” Lavinia suggested.
“I have no intentions of traveling, sister. Thank you. I am only just regaining some strength,” he said coolly, even offering some iciness in his tone in an attempt to stop his sister. It seemed Lavinia had taken to Miss Bonneville at once.
If I am not careful, Lavinia will have organized a courtship between us before the evening is out.
“Is that why you have truly come then, sister?” Horace said, attempting some tact. “Not just to check on my health, but to take me elsewhere?”
“Nonsense. I am here because I wished to see you.” She laid a hand warmly on his arm, but it retracted fast. “Miss Bonneville, have you been to Bath? The healing waters there are supposed to be wonderful.”
“I have heard of it. It is on my list of places to go, but of course, I would need someone to escort me.”
“I have offered,” Walter said tightly.
The jealousy was so palpable in the room that Horace cleared his throat, desperate to change the subject.
“Walter, I wanted to talk to you about matters of business tonight, as you’re here.”
“Business? Oh no, brother.” Lavinia sighed loudly, reaching for her wine glass hurriedly and snapping it up. “Surely we do not need to talk of business tonight.”
“There are things I’d like to discuss,” Horace murmured coolly. “There are changes I’d like to make.”
“Changes? What changes?” Walter said tightly, clearly having lost interest in his food as he sat bolt upright in his seat, his cutlery hovering in the air.
“Adam and I visited one of the factories this last week.”
This news made Walter drop his knife in surprise. Miss Bonneville jumped in alarm in her seat, but tried to recover fast, smiling sweetly up at Horace.
“I do not believe it is a safe environment for our workers to be in,” Horace began slowly. “Have you been there recently, Walter?”
“I have.” He nodded. “It’s safe enough. We run our tests on the machines.”
