“Whist,” she explained. He smiled when he went to take the cards that she had dealt him and accidentally brushed her fingers. She didn’t retreat back from him as quickly as she could have done, and the lingering blush on her cheeks made him warm.
He glanced in Adam’s direction, fearing he might have noticed, but Adam wasn’t watching him at all. Adam appeared much more interested in talking to Miss Grove. The two organised their hands of cards, talking about something together so quietly that Luke realised he had what he’d wanted all night.
Freedom!
They played a few rounds of cards, uttering small things between them, but each time Luke moved forward, he would brush his arm against Miss Storey’s, so that it caught her attention.
“Are you doing this by accident or on purpose?” she whispered to him as he turned some more cards over on the table. He smiled at her, wanting her to know the truth. She laughed a little. It was just a small laugh, not the full-blown thing, but it was the start of something that he wanted.
“You could do it to me too,” he said playfully, glancing forward at the rest of the room. By now, much liquor had been drunk by the remaining party, with card games and intense conversations taking place. Neither Jemima or Lady Maybury seemed interested in looking in their directions. Luke returned his focus to Miss Storey, leaning forward to play his card and brushing his arm against hers another time.
She made an appearance of propping her chin upon her hand, though he had a feeling she did it to cover her lips with her fingers to hide her smile.
“You never need to hide your smile with me,” he said softly to her.
“Maybe I have good cause to hide it from you. Maybe it would do you good to think a lady does not smile at everything you do.”
“I do not think that, I assure you,” he said, his voice still just as gentle as he leaned toward her, resting his elbows on the card table. “Yet, if you asked do I like the idea of making you smile? Then I could not deny it.”
“No more flirtation,” she said with a giggle and waved a card in his direction. He laughed too and took the card from her, ready to play his next round.
“Very well, then let us talk of something else instead.”
“Of what?”
“My sister tells me you had a fascinating conversation about reading the other day. Would you have such a conversation with me?” Luke tried to keep the hope out of his voice. Miss Storey looked at him with a little suspicion.
“Do you really wish to talk of such things?”
“I do.” Luke nodded, waiting for her to play her hand.
“Very well.” She smiled. “I was recently given a recommendation to readMoll Flanders.It has changed my reading completely.” She leaned toward him in a whisper. “My mother has always somewhat restricted my reading choices, saying certain books were notproperfor a young lady to read.”
“How absurd,” Luke said with a laugh. “Surely no book should be off-limits if you are to educate the mind properly, and if any are off-limits, then they should be at your choice.” She smiled wider as if he had said something wonderful. “I foundMoll Flandersa complex story. She is both admirable and flawed. Tragic, of course, yet I admire her all the same. What she calls her wickedness I would not label as such.”
“What would you call it?”
“Many things.” Luke paused before playing his next card. “At times, it is need, desperation, love, even the want of a better life. Now, who amongst us is not guilty of that desire?” Luke asked before playing the card.
Miss Storey pushed the cards toward him with a small laugh.
“I think you intended to merely talk of a subject that interests me so that you may win this game, my lord.”
“If only I was that clever,” he said with a laugh. “What do you think of Moll?”
“I think her….” Miss Storey paused and tilted her head upwards, leading Luke to admire the curve of her neck and the way her green eyes darted from side to side. “Courageous. Very courageous. She takes the rules of the world and bends them. The rules of the world have been unkind to her. Why should she obey them?”
“I quite agree.” Luke laughed and sat back. “Well, if you enjoyedMoll Flanders,there are many more books I could recommend to you?”
“Please do,” Miss Storey said eagerly.
“TryThe Monk. Trust me, Miss Storey. If you enjoy bending the rules of society after all, then that is the story to excite you.” Luke couldn’t resist the words. When she laughed, properly this time, tilting her head forward as if to hide it, Luke could not stop his smile. He watched her enjoy the laugh before she played her final card, winning the last round of their game. “You won,” he declared as she picked up the card. “Yet I won another game.” He gestured to her. She tried to stop laughing at these words but plainly couldn’t.
Luke glanced Jemima’s way but was relieved to see she did not notice the two of them together. Tonight was a stolen indulgence, one he told himself he would not repeat, but he could not regret it. Spending time with Miss Storey was too enjoyable to possibly resist.