“Perhaps we should sit and discuss this.” The man’s words were smooth and calm.
The exact opposite of how she felt. With a curtsey, she shook her head.
“I should be going. My apologies for interrupting your day, my lords.”
“Fyre, do not move.”
She flicked a quick look to where Phillip stood. Lucien remained in front of him, and she couldn’t risk staying. The man made her do things and feel things she shouldn’t.
Inching back, she gulped when his gray eyes slashed to her. Then the lake-blue ones found her. Nope, didn’t help her to breathe any easier. While she didn’t have a huge knowledge base on how things were over in England, she did get the concept of these men and their titles.
They could make her life hell.
“I would love to get to know you better, Ms. Fyre. Perhaps you could return for the evening meal and we could talk? You remind me a lot of my wife.”
“Thank you for the offer, my lord, but I…”
Lucien grinned and her heart stuttered at that. The man was extremely handsome.
“Perfect. We will see you here at seven. I will escort you home, check out the town, and be back to bring you here. I am sure Phillip has some more paperwork to finish up.”
No missing the pointed looks between the two men.
Phillip held her gaze. “Until this evening.”
Another curtsey. “My lord.”
She walked out of the room and heard the footsteps of the man who was escorting her home. Fyre didn’t say anything as the man issued orders like he lived there. Within moments, they were going up the road in an open carriage.
They stopped before her cottage and Lucien jumped out without asking for help, then turned to assist her down.
“I will return in a few hours to escort you to dinner.”
“As you wish, my lord.”
He bowed over her hand. “Phillip has been my friend since we were boys. He only has your best interests at heart, even if he is going about it this asinine way to show you.” Lucien dipped his head and hopped back up. They were off in a flurry of wheels.
“Who was that?”
Elonne appeared at her side, Cara with him, her eyes narrowed in suspicion or jealousy, Fyre wasn’t sure.
“The Marquess of Heartstone.” Fyre shook her head. “A friend of the earl.”
“And what were you doing with him?” The accusation stung, even if it came from Cara.
“He insisted on escorting me home. I am not about to tell a man of his position in society no, Cara. And I am having dinner with him and the earl tonight.” She headed for the door, completely unsure of what one should wear to dinner with those two men.
Her brother and sister-in-law followed her, making comments that should have hurt her, but she was far more stressed about tonight.
* * * *
Elonne and Cara had both left and since returned by the time she was to be picked up for the invitation. They were inside her small home, sitting, while Fyre paced. It didn’t surprise her that they would try to weasel their way into coming with her.
The rumble of wheels had her swallowing back more unease.
Her brother bolted from the chair when the knock came. Fyre watched from her position as he opened it and found Lucien St. Martin on the other side.
Their meeting and the subsequent dinner could go well, or not even close.
Chapter Seven
“I like her.”
Phillip paused in his trek around the study to glance over at where his friend reclined against a chair, appearing as if he hadn’t a care in the world. From his fingers hung a glass of scotch. They were enjoying after dinner drinks. A dinner which hadn’t gone too badly, considering how much he’d wanted to kill his friend. And Fyre’s brother. And her sister in law.
“You like her?”
Lucien chuckled and sat up, claiming a sip before he nodded. “I do. She is feisty, stubborn, has a great sense of humor and I know she will, and is, keeping you on your toes.”
“Great sense of humor.”
“You, my friend, are sounding like a parrot. Yes. She had me laughing more than once at dinner.”
“You were flirting with her.”
Lucien shrugged and took another drink. “Was I?”
“Sod off.”
“Tell me you do not know more about her now than you did prior to this.”
That was true, but it didn’t resolve his friend from being such a flirt.
“Not that it matters,” Phillip groused. “But you also had to bring her brother?”
“That was a strategic move. This meal was because of me. I have no problem inviting a man who is supposed to protect her. Just because you were not allowed to kiss her is not my problem.”
Phillip started pacing again. “I have never kissed her.” Damn it. Just thinking about that pissed him off.
“There is the start of your problem then.” Lucien finished his drink and held out his glass.