Page 22 of Saving a Scoundrel
Lord Danvers shot him a tight smile. “I wasn’t insinuating anything, Grisham. I was simply referring to the opera or the ballet.”
“Or the theater?” Ellie shot Lucius a frown. “Going to the theater is definitely on my list of things to do in town this spring.”
What was his issue with Danvers? He should pay attention to his dinner partner. Miss Macdougal’s wide gaze tripped back and forth between the two men. She lifted her spoon and took a loud slurp of soup.
“Certainly. I believe they are playingThe Bohemian Girlat the Theatre Royal, starring Miss Lily Jamieson.”
“What else is on this list?” Lucius lifted one eyebrow. “This is the second time you’ve mentioned it.”
Ellie shrugged one shoulder. She turned to Lord Danvers. “Do you like to sail?”
“Indeed! I have a fine yacht. Perhaps you will allow me to take you out for a sail?” Lord Danvers’s smile was genuine, but his eyes roamed down from her face to skim over her breasts.
She was no fool, she opened her mouth to decline, but Lucius again inserted himself into the conversation.
“A sailing party? What a capital idea. I would love to go sailing.” He turned to Miss Macdougal. “Lord Danvers is inviting people to go sailing. What say you? Does that sound like fun?”
Lord Danvers opened his mouth. “I didn’t in—”
“That sounds wonderful!” Miss Macdougal nodded her head enthusiastically. “I would love to go sailing, Lord Danvers,” she said rather loudly.
“A sailing party?” Lord Haverty said from the other side of Danvers. “Excellent. What day?”
“Can I invite my sister?” the lady next to Lucius asked. “She does so like to go sailing.”
Lord Danvers let out an enormous sigh. Ellie covered her mouth with her napkin to stifle a chuckle. Then Danvers turned to her and said, “Are you free Saturday afternoon?”
Chapter Thirteen
As dinner ended,the women began to filter out of the dining room to repair to the drawing room for after-dinner conversation. Someone grabbed her elbow as she exited the room.
“Ellie, could you watch out for Miss Macdougal for me?” Lucius pulled her aside. “Don’t let her have any more wine. If I bring her home drunk, her father will kill me, or worse, sack me.”
“Of course. You work for her father?” Ellie feigned ignorance.
Lucius grimaced. “Yes, I do all his accounting. But he also has allowed me to learn how to brew the beer. It’s fascinating, and I rather not lose the chance to keep learning the business.” He ran a hand through his shaggy hair. The wavy dark blond locks falling immediately back onto his forehead, so long they covered his eyes.
Ellie reached out and swept an errant hair behind his ear. “You need a haircut,” she murmured. She allowed her fingers to graze his clean-shaven cheek. He always smelled of lemon soap.
His gaze snared hers. The green depths seemed to flash, and he grasped her hand to bring her fingers to his lips. “Always looking out for me.” He smiled and took a step back.
“And you as well. That was quite the smooth maneuver about the sailing party.”
He shrugged. “He should know better than to ask a lady to go sailing without a chaperone.”
“I’m not foolish. I was just about to decline his offer.” She tried for a disapproving frown, but her lips twitched and began to turn upward. “Sailing is on my list, so I guess I will say thank you.”
“Ah yes, the infamous list. You are going to have to share this list with me, you know.”
“Absolutely not. It’s private. Now go on and have your brandy and smokes. I promise to watch out for your friend.”
Ellie hurried to catch up to the other women. In the drawing room, many of the women had settled into the seating area with a glass of sherry. Miss Macdougal sat alone on a settee by the far window. She almost felt sorry for the younger woman. Susanna walked over to stand next to Ellie.
“Well, dinner was a bore. Or rather Lord Compton was. At least you got to sit next to someone handsome as a dinner companion.”
“Yes, Lord Danvers was quite entertaining. He’s invited us to go sailing this Saturday.”
“Us?”
