When he bent down and kissed Grace's cheek, her face lit up for real.
And Smith felt an inappropriate urge to cross the room and help the guy roughly to whatever his final destination was going to be.
For the next ten minutes, the urbane man talked and Grace laughed. By the time they parted, she was actually looking relaxed. While Mr. Charm sauntered across the room, Smith stared at him, imagining all kinds of fun ways to break his leg bones.
It was a surprise when the man paused at Smith's table.
"Do I know you?" The tones were cultured, the voice deep, the smile on the aggressive side of social propriety.
Up close, he was a really handsome guy. Definitely one of her kind.
“I don't think so," Smith answered darkly.
"No?" The guy lifted a shoulder. "So why are you looking as if my imminent demise would be a great source of pleasure for you?"
"Maybe I’m not in the mood to be disturbed."
"You've got a low threshold if you think a little polite conversation is disturbing."
"No, wait, you're reminding me why I'm a misanthrope."
Mr. Charm smiled and leaned down a little. "Well, I hate to disappoint you but my overall health is fine. Enjoy your meal, stranger."
The guy had balls, Smith granted, as Grace's flirt walked away.
He glanced back across the room. She seemed anxious as she stared back at him, but the contact was broken as a stunning older woman was led to her table. He watched as Grace's face immediately assumed a false calm and the two women kissed the air next to each other's cheek.
So this was Mom.
Grace's mother was so thin he had to wonder whether she'd ever had a full meal. The two of them shared the same high cheekbones, the same ruler straight nose, a similar graceful arch to their necks. Like Grace, the mother's pale hair was coiled up high on her head and she was wearing a black dress. As the woman unfolded her napkin and placed it gingerly on her lap, Smith caught sight of a sizable diamond.
A waiter came by Grace's table and Smith watched her mother look up imperiously. She said a few words, the waiter nodded with deference and then he faced Grace. She smiled, something her mother had yet to do, and started to speak. Her mother cut her off.
"Sir," came a voice next to Smith's table. "What may I get for you this evening?"
He didn't take his eyes away from what was happening across the room. "Anything."
"I beg your pardon? "
He frowned. "Just bring me some food. On a plate."
The tuxedoed waiter cleared his throat. "We have an excellent—"
With the look Smith shot him, the man clammed right up and hurried away.
Smith went back to the scene at Grace's table. Their waiter had left and the mother was speaking. As the woman's lips moved, a subtle disapproval floated in the air around her like a bad smell.
"I'm terribly sorry, sir," came another voice in Smith's ear. "But was there nothing on the menu to your liking?"
Great. The waiter had brought reinforcements.
Smith didn't bother hiding his irritation. "I haven't looked at the menu."
The eyes of other diners began to focus on the group at his table.
Christ, could these boys make more of a scene, he thought.
"Well, perhaps you might examine it,” the new one suggested. He leaned in and opened up the leather bound book. "We offer a wide selection of—"
" Is there a problem?” came a third voice.
Smith was getting ready to roar when he saw that the other two had come to attention liked they'd had their butts snapped with a newspaper. It was the maitre d'.
"This gentleman—” the taller one started in.
"Is a guest of the Countess von Sharone," the maitre d' said calmly. The other men looked at Smith in surprise and then offered smiles so warm and sincere they could have been missionaries.
Smith leaned back in the chair and crossed his arms over his chest. "I don't care what you bring me as long as it isn't road kill."
"Of course, Mr. Smith. Right away." The ma?tre d' bowed and the waiters bustled out of his way.
Smith went back to looking at Grace.
* * *
"Who is that man over there?" Grace's mother demanded.
"Which man?" she said, even though she knew precisely who it was.
"That man with Edward and the two waiters. I don't recall ever seeing him in here before. He seems to be causing a problem of some sort."
Grace took a small sip from her water glass. "How was your trip down from Newport?"
Her mother continued to stare at the tuxedoed knot around Smith, as if she could will away the disruption. "The trip was fine. Just fine."
"And how are you settling in?"
To her relief, her mother finally looked away from Smith's table.
"Mercedes Walker is coming down from Boston tomorrow. We're having a bit of a reunion ."
"Jack is here tonight, by the way."
"Really?" This time when her mother scanned the room, her eyes were warmer. She waved in Jack's direction as he nodded.
Grace glanced over at Smith, wondering what had been said between him and Jack and what the problem with the waiters had been. His eyes, as they met hers, were so intense that a rush of awareness went through her. She frowned. If she wasn't careful, she was going to mistake his focus on her for being something more than professional.
Which would only take her further into dangerous territory.
She was paying him to watch her, she reminded herself. It was his job. He wasn't bowled over by her feminine mystique.
Mostly because she had none, Ranulf had gotten that right, unfortunately. Whatever Grace's attributes, she wasn't one of those women who had a lot of sex appeal. Never had been. And her husband's obvious and well-shared disappointment with their love life had only underscored what she'd always believed about herself.
She thought about the kisses she and Smith had shared.
He'd been passionate because he was a passionate man. His reaction had more to do with his own sex drive than with any special quality of hers.
"Grace?"
Her mother's strident voice bought her back to the present.“I'm sorry?"
“I was telling you about my forthcoming trip to Paris. I shall be staying with the Viscomte—"
This time, Grace was careful to pay attention as her mother laid out her plans in minute detail. The only pause came when the waiter brought their entrees. As a salmon fillet was placed in front of Grace, she hid a grimace.
She hated fish.
"You'll like that much better than the beef, darling," her mother said as an identical plate was put down at her place setting. "Now, tell me about the Gala."
"I think it's progressing quite nicely." Grace picked up her fork. She didn't like to lie, but had no intention of speaking the truth.
"Your father always had such a talent for those events. He was responsible for securing Betsy Ross's first flag for auction. Do you remember that?"
Grace let the story she'd heard countless times wash over her. Reminding herself to nod as soon as she heard a pause, she brought her fork to her lips and took the salmon into her mouth. She had to fight to keep from gagging.
Her eyes left her mother's well-preserved face and traveled through the room she knew so well. The place made her think of her father. She'd loved coming to dinner with him all alone. It had started out as a birthday tradition when she'd been younger and, as she'd grown up, they had done it more regularly.
Her father would watch her intently as she spoke, all the while tracing the tip of a silver teaspoon on the heavy linen tablecloth. She could still hear the soft rasping sound of it rising up between them. He would move the spoon in circles while he was listening. When he would speak, he would draw invisible squares, turning the corners as he made his points.