Lady Moira rose from the settee andnodded a greeting. “Lord Ainsely. This is a lovelysurprise.”
If anyone were surprised, it should behe. What had she done to her once lovely hair?
“Calico.”
“Pardon?” He shook hishead to clear his thoughts.
“Calico.”
He looked around and then down towardhis ankles for a cat.
“My hair,” Lady Moiraclarified. “I am sure it will soon be all the rage.”
Gideon’s face burned withembarrassment, which had neverhappened to him before. He should have nevershown a reaction to her appearance, but how could he not when facedwith such a shocking display? Gone were the sunrise tresses,replaced by patches of blond, red, and brown. And Lady Moira wascorrect. Her hair did resemble the calico kitten he once owned as achild.
He cleared his throat. “I do not doubtit for a moment.” What was he to say? Was she serious? Why had shedone such a horrible thing to her hair?
Lady Moira giggled. “You are far toopolite, Lord Ainsely.”
He resisted the urge to loosen hiscravat.
“Thankfully the coloringis temporary,” she continued. “I’ve vowed to wash my hair no lessthan five times a day until my natural color isrestored.
Thankgoodness.
A maid entered, followed by a footmanwho set the set a tea service on the table. While the footmanretreated, the other servant settled into a chair at the back ofthe room and picked up her sewing.
“Please, do sit.” LadyMoira’s smile was radiant as she resumed her seat and reached forthe teapot. Gideon took the seat across from her.
“Milk, sugar?”
“Neither,please.”
She poured and handed him a cup beforepreparing her own, to which she added two spoons of sugar. After aquick glance at the maid, she added a third.
Her position across from him gaveGideon an ample view of her breasts, or what he could see of them.Since they were no longer as abundant as they were a few days ago,her dress gapped when she leaned forward, yet he couldn’t see whatwas real and what may have been enhanced at one time. Why did LadyMoira feel the need to change her appearance? So drastically and sooften?
He glanced back up at her face beforeshe caught him looking where he should not. Though a few remnantsof her rash remained, her face didn’t appear to be in the painfulstate it had been last night. “You are looking, um,better.”
She graced him with another smile.“That is one remedy I will not try again.”
“Remedy?” He took a sip ofhis tea.
“To rid myself of thefreckles.”
He choked on the tea and sputtered.“My pardon.”
Lady Moira handed him a napkin. “Areyou quite all right, Lord Ainsely?”
He dabbed at his mouth and set the cupand saucer back on the table. “Why would you wish to make yourfreckles disappear?”
“The same reason my redhair needs to go, and why my bre...mother has assured me thatgentlemen don't wish their wives to have such endow...blemishes andcoloring.”
Gideon straightened. He had neverheard such rubbish before in his life. Where was Hearne, and whywasn’t he taking the situation in hand? “Please, Lady Moira, do notchange a thing. You are quite a bonny lass.”
Moira paused with theteacup halfway to her lips. Did he just refer to her as abonny lass? Her eyesnarrowed and she placed the cup back in the saucer. “Lord Ainsely,where is your estate?”
“I, um, well—“
“Do you not know where youlive?” she interrupted. Her heartbeat increased. Was it possible hewas from Scotland?
“Yorkshire,” he blurtedout. “There is an estate in Yorkshire.”
Moira’s heart sank. “Englishmen do notusually refer to ladies as bonny lasses; only Scots. At least I’venever heard an Englishman say such a thing.”
“Well, you, um see… I musthave picked up a few of the phrases from my time in thecountry.”
“I suppose,” shesighed.
Ainsely glanced over his shoulder toBeatrice, who by all appearances was engrossed in her stitching.Moira knew better. Her maid had a knack for listening to andobserving everything around her when others were convinced shewasn’t paying attention.
He turned back to Moira and leanedforward. She shifted toward the table and waited.
“I have some ratherdisturbing news.”
Oh dear, whatnow?
“There has been anotherbet,” he whispered.
Moira straightened and grimaced.“About me?”
“Yes. LordStruthers.”
“Go on,” Moiraencouraged.
“His estate is inShropshire.”
Her shoulders fell with the exhalingof her breath. “We are a week past Easter, and my name has alreadybeen in that blasted book three times.”
Ainsely raised his eyebrows at herlanguage.
“Apologies. I don’t alwaysmind my tongue.”
The left side of his mouth quirked inhalf a smile. At least he didn’t appear overly scandalized by herlanguage.
“It is quite allright.”
“I wonder if there is arecord for how many times a lady’s name appears in the book in oneSeason.”
He grimaced. “I am not sure that is agoal you should aim for. Most ladies are not listed for flatteringreasons.”
“I know.” Moira settledher hands on the settee on either side of her legs and pushed tostand. She could have been more graceful, she supposed, but she wasalmost as comfortable around Ainsely as she was Pippa, Georgie, andPatience. He was turning into a grand friend. He didn’t need tocome to her this morning and tell her of the bet. He could havegone to Nyle instead, and her brother would have delivered thenews. “I am still no closer to my goal, however.”
Ainsely stood as well, as any politegentleman would. “Please, you can be seated. I tend to pace whenanxious, and it can be quite uncomfortable for any gentleman in theroom.”
He sank back down and watched as shewore a path in the carpet between the settee and thetable.
“Perhaps you can help me?”It had been on her mind to ask, and she was going to suggest itwhen they next met. Now was as good a time as any, and he had cometo her first.
“How may I be ofservice?”
“Help me find myhusband.”
He choked. “Excuse me?”
Moira turned suddenly to assureherself of his health. In her momentum, her knee banged the tableand sent her falling forward. Ainsely reached out and grabbed herbare forearms to keep her from toppling onto him. Her skin sizzledat the touch of his ungloved hands. The contact warmed her from thetip of his fingertips to the ends of her toes. Their skin had nevertouched before and it was quite, well, not exactly disturbing, buther heart raced
