A Heart Revealed by Josi S. Kilpack Read Free Book Online Page B

received no judgment for it, which was both interesting and irritating. Certainly the males of the species would not be so attentive to her if she dressed with a bit more modesty. Yet even as he attempted to place the blame on her, he knew he was the one in keeping of his own thoughts and ought not to blame her manner of dress for his own weakness.
    He moved his attention to the headdress Fenton had found so worthy of teasing. It was an arrangement of ribbons, beads, and flowers, which almost looked like a hat, though it was not. While overdone compared to the relatively conservative nature of her dress, it didn’t seem particularly disagreeable. Her hair still shone like dark embers beneath the recently installed gas lights, and her eyes glittered most beautifully when she turned her head enough for Thomas to see her face in profile.
    Thomas forced himself to look away and was glad he had when he saw Miss Ranbury glance toward him and give him a small smile. He smiled back and hoped she hadn’t noted his inspection of Miss Sterlington. Comparing the beauty of the two women was unfair by half, and he had no desire to make Miss Ranbury feel small. Miss Ranbury returned to her game, and Thomas watched her a bit longer, but his eyes were drawn back to Miss Sterlington the next time she spoke. Luckily, he was in better control of his reaction and thoughts. In fact, rather than ponder on his own mind, he found himself wondering at hers.
    She was seated next to Lord Norwin; the very man she had refused Thomas for at Almack’s. The two of them sat very close together, and Thomas realized that Lord Norwin was attempting to teach Miss Sterlington the finer points of loo. Odd, since loo was thought of as a woman’s game, making it appropriate for mixed company and penny bets.
    A quick glance across the room revealed the other Miss Sterlington—Miss Darra—seated at a different table and seeming to handle her game quite sufficiently. She glanced at him but looked away before he had the chance to acknowledge her notice. He wondered if she remembered him from Almack’s and hoped that she did not.
    “So, I want to play the highest spade, my lord?” Miss Sterlington asked her teacher in consternation, her voice an octave higher than usual, more girlish. From Thomas’s position he could not see her face, but he could see her cards over her shoulder. She held the jack of spades, a very good card for a simple pool round when spades were the leading suit.
    “Right you are,” Lord Norwin said. “If you haven’t a spade, you must discard something else.”
    “Oh pooh,” she said with a pout and removed the queen of hearts from her hand—a card she ought to hold on to in case hearts were played in another round. “I’m sure I’ll never learn to play this game,” she said, casually keeping her cards away from Lord Norwin’s gaze even as he leaned toward her in such a way as to invite her to let him see.
    Thomas watched the game progress as again and again Miss Sterlington intentionally set herself at a disadvantage. He could have accused her of cheating except that she was losing. Each time she lost a hand or withdrew—most times without need—she pouted and then revived amid the compliments of the other players on the table—all of whom, Thomas noted, were men quite enraptured by her grievances.
    When one of the men won the round, she laid the compliments on rather thick, remarking on their fine skill and astute play. Considering the moves she’d chosen, it was not difficult to ascertain that Miss Sterlington understood the game; she had to know the rules well in order to play so poorly.
    What a fascinating act she is playing out for them , Thomas thought as he noted how the men’s opinions of themselves seemed to rise with her compliments. With the realization of her manipulation came a sense of relief to know that she was making a different kind of fool of these men than she had with him. What would they say if they