Chapter 6
“You sent flowers to a lady?” Luke asked, feeling his shock so evident that the brandy glass in his grasp nearly slipped from his fingers.
“Say it a little quieter, Luke. I do not wish everyone at this assembly to hear us,” Adam said, gesturing to the busy Almack’s assembly rooms around them. Luke glanced around, checking that no one had heard him, before he placed the brandy glass down on a table beside him and fixed his gaze on his friend.
“You sent a lady flowers?” Luke repeated his earlier statement. “Adam, I’ve known you do many things in your time to charm a lady. Care to tell me why you are becoming so traditional?”
“I must have startled you,” Adam said with humour and gestured to Luke’s face. Your eyebrows have risen high indeed.”
“I’m surprised they are still on my face, I wish to raise them that high,” Luke muttered in amazement.
“It is what it is. It was just flowers.” Adam shrugged off the matter as if it meant nothing.
“Yes, but you sent them to a lady. That means a lot!”
“Does it?” Adam asked, appearing a little wrongfooted. “No, it was a simple thing, that is all. A mark of respect.”
Luke longed to ask more. This was confusing him. Adam had always shown just as little inclination to favour one woman as Luke himself had done, yet here Adam was breaking one of his own rules by sending flowers to a lady.
“I wonder if she intends to come tonight,” Luke said, finding his mischief growing.
“Who?” Adam asked.
“Who do you think? The lady you sent your flowers to. Come, let us see if she is here yet.” Luke turned and walked away, forcing Adam to hurry after him.
“Don’t you dare!” Adam raced after him, trying to grab his arm to stop him, but the sudden movement had others in the assembly rooms turning to look their way. They both smiled at the onlookers before hurrying on again. “Why are you being mischievous?”
“Because I cannot resist.” Luke declared, hastening toward the door. “I once saw you leave a gambling hall with two courtesans on your arms.”
“That was a rather fun night.” The twinkle in Adam’s eye had Luke laughing heartily.
“Yes, so that man suddenly sending flowers to a lady, well, the idea intrigues me greatly.”
“They are just flowers. They wither and die.”
“Yes, but they are a beautiful thing to give someone, regardless.” Luke stopped by the edge of a crowd, now that the door to the assembly rooms had come into view. “Now, let us see if the young lady in question is to arrive.”
Fortunately, he did not have to wait long. It was only a few minutes before Miss Grove walked in, but she was not alone. Any mischievous words Luke was ready to impart failed on his tongue, for his eyes went to Miss Storey, who had accompanied her friend, along with her mother.
Miss Storey was dressed finely tonight. Rather than wearing the pastel colours that so many seemed to wear tonight, she wore a gown of Pomona green. It was striking and rather hard to look away from. The colour suited her eyes perfectly.
“Very well, let the jibes begin,” Adam said tiredly. “What wit do you wish to rile me with this evening?”
“Pardon?” Luke said, distracted and rather startled when he felt Adam tap his arm.
“Ah, or could it be that you are the one whose focus is rather captured by a young lady. Does this mean it is my turn to tease you?”
“No,” Luke spoke quickly, but it was too late.
“We should go and greet the ladies, don’t you think?” Adam said, gesturing toward Miss Gove and Miss Storey.
Lady Maybury turned away to greet some acquaintances and fell quickly into conversation, leaving Miss Gove and Miss Storey standing in the assembly rooms, deep in conversation, before they both lifted their gazes and looked around the room.
“That gossip from the other night about the two of you, it has died down a little,” Adam whispered so only Like could hear him.
“Has it?” Luke barely took notice of what his friend said. He was too busy waiting for Miss Storey to find him with her eyes. At last, she did. When their eyes locked, she stared straight at him. Her face didn’t move. There was no twitch of muscle, no hint of a smile, and no blush tonight.
I see she is trying to be immune to me.