Page 9 of When the Viscount Seduces
Now Gwen couldn’t help but roll her eyes. “I can’t decide if you are a terrible tease or a rogue.”
“I can be both, I’m afraid, but I am serious about how I see you. You are beautiful and witty, and my sole experience dancing with you indicated youarepassable. That you cannot see those things in yourself is perhaps why you continue to falter.” He grimaced faintly. “I mean no offense.”
“I don’t take any.” She considered his argument and had to confess it had merit. Her self-doubt and continued mishaps hadmade her feel inadequate. Perhaps she was too focused on that. “You will bolster my confidence, then?”
He put his hand back on the settee, which was a relief, for his touch had been a terrible—or wonderful—distraction. “I will make you the most confident young lady in London and the most sought-after.”
“If I can find half your confidence, I’ll have more than enough.” She considered him a moment—his dashing looks and his air of authority. “Or is it arrogance?”
“You will have to decide that for yourself,” he said with a laugh.
“How do you do it?” she asked sincerely. “Your reading deficiency troubles you, and yet you swan about as if you haven’t a care in the world.”
He lifted a shoulder. “I’ve hid that problem my entire life. Only my father was aware.” He abruptly stopped, and his gaze traveled to the window once more.
Gwen watched his throat work and suspected he was trying to hide the emotion he was feeling. “You and your father were close?”
Nodding, he swallowed. When he looked back at her, his expression was pleasant, and whatever he’d been feeling was gone. “When shall we begin? We could promenade this afternoon, if you’d like.”
“So soon?” Gwen blinked, her mind working.
“Shouldn’t we move quickly since your mother is planning to take you to Bath?” He made an excellent point.
“How are we going to conduct your lessons?” she asked. “I don’t think I can do it here without my mother finding out.”
He stroked his hand along his jaw while drumming the fingers of his other hand on the back of the settee. Snapping his gaze back to hers, she saw the light of an idea in his green eyes.“What about the Droxfords? You are close to my cousin Tamsin, aren’t you?”
“I am.” Gwen had become quite friendly with her during their time together in Weston the past two Augusts. Indeed, Gwen had attended her wedding in Cornwall in September.
“This will work well, I think,” he said with enthusiasm. “You will call on Tamsin, and I’ll visit Droxford at a prearranged time. We’ll just need to organize things with them—a private place for us to work.”
“That gives us both reason to be there,” she said. “But what will be our purpose? You don’t want them to know about your problem.”
“We’ll tell them you’re helping me with my speech. This will please Droxford greatly. He’s been harassing me to do more in the Lords and will gladly support anything to do with that.”
“Tamsin will want to help even without knowing the reason. She has the most generous heart of anyone I know.”
Somerton’s mouth spread in a wide, heart-stopping grin. Good heavens, he was so handsome Gwen wondered how she would stop herself from staring at him when they met. “I think we have a plan.”
“It seems we do. But let us start tomorrow. I need to spend time today thinking about how to approach your reading problem. I will tell my mother you’ve invited me to promenade tomorrow. That ought to stall our departure from London.”
“Excellent.”
“You’re way over there,” Gwen’s mother said as she walked into the drawing room. “It was so quiet, I had to see what you were doing.” There was no accusation or insinuation in her tone or expression, just a genuine curiosity.
Gwen stood. “Lord Somerton was about to take his leave, Mama.”
The viscount rose. “I’ll see you tomorrow in the park, then.” Another stunning smile curved his lips. He gave her a courtly bow, then offered one to her mother. “A pleasure, Mrs. Price.”
“Good afternoon, Lord Somerton.”
Mama watched as he left, and the moment he was out of sight, she hurried to Gwen, her eyes glowing with delight. “You must tell me everything.”
“There isn’t much to tell. He invited me to promenade tomorrow.”
“You must have a new hat.” Mama pressed her lips together, and Gwen could tell she was already planning Gwen’s costume.
“I don’t think that’s necessary.”
