Sworn enemy.
Searing kisser.
Tonight would prove interesting.
“HOW LOVELY, YOU DIDN’T need to dress up to please me.” Lucas bit the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling too widely as Meredith’s eyes snapped with fire at his remark. Nevertheless, he reached for her hand to kiss it, and she allowed him.
Small victories.
“You assume much… I understood you to be supremely arrogant in nature, but apparently I can add unobservant to your long list of faults as well.” She shrugged.
“Unobservant?” he asked as he wound her hand around his arm and led her to the table.
“Indeed. You speak as if you are the only male at the party. Who is to say that I dressed to please you? Why not another? Am I not allowed my own secrets?” She gave him a saucy grin and slid her gaze away. He followed her line of sight and found himself regarding Lord Ackman.
Jealousy flared within, then calmed as Lady Smyth wound her arm around Lord Ackman’s, an inviting expression on her lips.
Leaning down, he whispered beside her ear, the scent of rose water teasing his senses. “Ah, pride comes before a fall.”
“You would know.”
He chuckled as he pulled out a seat for her.
His mother had been all too pleased to adjust the seating arrangements for him upon his request to sit beside Meredith. Of course, that was after his mother asked him to repeat said request more than once.
As he took the seat beside Meredith, he watched her face flood with color as she glanced from him to the name placard and back, disbelief coloring her expression.
“What are you doing?” she asked in a harsh whisper.
“Sitting?” he answered in an innocent tone.
“Why? Why here? I checked earlier and you were—”
“You checked?” He turned to face her fully, altogether amused.
“Of course I checked! I didn’t want to be beside you!”
“Oh… so sorry to disappoint… but I rather requested the honor of sitting beside so beautiful a lady. My apologies.” He faced forward, and turned to engage in conversation with Lord Hamstaff.
As a few minutes wore on, he felt a hand at his arm. Turning, he raised an eyebrow as he regarded Meredith.
“I thank you for the compliment, but you needn’t waste them on me. I will…” She took a deep breath as if the next words were exceedingly difficult. “Make an effort to be more civil. But that is all — all I can offer you.” Her words were laced with deeper meaning, but he disregarded it.
“How kind of you.” He lifted his recently filled wine glass and started to take a sip, then paused. “You didn’t… add anything to my wine… did you?” He narrowed his eyes at Meredith.
“What? No. Though I can see how it would truly be an easy addition… being that of the similar colors of both the wine and ink.” She nodded toward the glass.
“Very good. I didn’t want a repeat of what happened with Jack.” He took a sip.
“Yes…”
“And I’m sure you had nothing to do with that.”
“No.”
“Brilliant. Am I to consider us in a state of truce then?” He took another sip of wine.
“You may consider whatever you wish, that doesn’t make it a reality.” She lifted her own wine glass, taking a small sip.
“Ah, so are the casualties of war.”
Dinner began without incident as the footmen served the first course of consume beef with delicate minced parsley. The peace even continued through the several courses where roasted venison, perfectly cooked pheasant, and a plethora of sweet breads, vegetables, and wine graced the delicately decorated table.
But peaceful was rather… boring.
“Are you enjoying your evening thus far?” he asked as he set aside his napkin.
“The food has been exceedingly delightful, though I find my dining partner lacking.” She gave a pointed look before turning her attention to her wine glass.
“I am of the same opinion. I rather thought that sitting beside you would be diversity, entertaining in the least. I find I’m… bored. It’s disappointing.” He shrugged, biting back a grin as she paused in setting her wine glass back down upon the linen tablecloth.
“Boring? I rather thought you were enjoying the ‘truce’ as you put it.”
“Truce is not equal to monotonous.”
“Ah, I see you’re attempting intelligent conversation. You should stop now.”
“Afraid of a challenge?”
“I do believe the question is, do you present such a challenge?” She raised a delicate brow. “And the answer is, no.”
“I do believe that is another task you have forced me to accept.”
“Task?”
He leaned toward her, keeping his voice low. “Challenge… similar to the one you presented so… enticingly… last night.”
Her face bloomed with color as she wordlessly reached for her wine glass once more and took a long sip.
“You should consider slowing on the wine, Meredith. You’ll simply be making my quest easier.”