What had happened then would forever be burned into Tobias’s memory.
With a swiftness her dress shouldn’t have allowed for, Annie had moved toward him the second the entrance door had swung open, allowing in the guests. He could still feel her little hand as she had shoved him aside, then darted into the hall and pulled to a halt at the last second.
The moment the guests took note of her, her eyes rolled back in her head and she had collapsed onto the floor in one of the best feigned faints Tobias had seen to this day, giving him the time he had needed to slink upstairs and change.
Never would Tobias forget what she had done for him. How she had stood by him, no questions asked. After all, she was his friend, his best friend, and he could not imagine a life without her by his side. Could he risk addressing his regard for her? How it had changed over the course of the last year?
Would it be worth it?
Chapter Four ~ A Dedicated Cousin
“He’s an insufferable…!” For a short moment, words failed Louisa. Then, however, something wicked sparked in her eyes and she instantly clamped her lips shut to contain the no doubt highly inappropriate comparisons that now lay on the tip of her tongue.
“Who?” Leonora asked as the three of them ventured through the downstairs rooms. Everything glowed in red and gold, and the smell of fresh-cut evergreens lingered in the air, mingling with the delicious aromas of hot tea and warm pastries as well as the smoky tinge of lit firewood, earthy and fresh. Ice crystals clung to the outside of the windowpanes, and the soft glow of the snow made everything look unbelievably peaceful.
“Who?” Louisa gasped, incredulity in her eyes as her hands rose to settle on her hips. “Have you even been listening to a word I’ve said?”
Blinking, Leonora sighed and then looked up from the notebook in her hand, which held a rough sketch of Windmere Park’s ground floor. “Pardon?” she mumbled before her gaze moved over the room once more. Then her fingers twitched, and a moment later, she made a small X on the page, marking the doorway leading into the drawing room, where a handful of guests had assembled, discussing their plans for later that day.
Louisa rolled her eyes. Then her shoulders slumped and she looked at Anne. “I cannot help but wonder how two brothers can be so vastly different. While one is charming and kind and utterly handsome,” Anne could not deny that her heart skipped a beat at the thought of Tobias, “the other is…is the devil incarnate.” Louisa huffed out an exasperated breath before she suddenly stilled and a deeply concerning smile came to her lips. “Do you think it’s possible that that devilish man is not who he claims to be? Perhaps he’s an impostor. Or he was adopted. Or the late Lady Barrington had an affair and that devilish man is not the late lord’s true son.” She shrugged, clearly taken with the idea. “It could be anything.”
Anne chuckled, taking one of Louisa’s hands into her own. “Whether you like it or not, I’m afraid Phineas is who he says he is. After all, I’ve grown up with him. He’s never been different.”
Louisa’s shoulders slumped, and she all but glared at Anne for destroying her hopes. “But there has to be a reason? Tobias is so…so…and that brother of his is…” She grimaced, then shook herself.
Anne laughed, grateful for this small distraction. Perhaps there was a way to dissuade her cousins from shoving her and Tobias under a sprig of mistletoe by ensuring that Louisa’s thoughts were focused on something else.
Or rather someone else.
And Phineas proved to be quite captivating for Lou!
“There,” Leonora exclaimed as she turned to face them, the faraway expression gone from her eyes. “I think I’ve got them all.”
This time, it was Louisa who frowned. “All of what?”
Leonora paused, her eyes darting to the sketch in her notebook and then back up to her sister. “The sprigs of mistletoe. I’ve taken down all the locations…as we discussed.” She stepped closer and turned the book in her hands to show the other two what she’d noted down. “Of course, most are found in highly frequented areas, in doorways as well as near the pianoforte. Which one would you say is the one most conveniently placed?” she asked her sister.
Anne sighed, “I’m telling you here and now, I will not step under one of those dreadful things with a dozen people around to stare at me.” Her brows rose for emphasis as she looked from one cousin to the other.
Louisa chuckled, “You sound as though you agree to our plan,” she pointed out. “And here I thought you were opposed to the whole idea. Has seeing Tobias changed your mind?” She wiggled her brows for good measure.
Anne paused. Had it?
Indeed, seeing Tobias again after almost a month apart had stirred something within her. She’d barely been able to keep her eyes off him, off that teasing smile, off those chocolate-brown eyes that seemed to see right through her. They’d touched no more than was considered appropriate, and yet, the feel of his arm under her hand had all but stolen her breath. What did this mean? Had she truly come to care for him beyond the measurements of their friendship? Or was she simply feeling self-conscious at the thought of a mistletoe kiss with him?
“Oh, look, Leo, she’s blushing!” Louisa observed delightedly before she turned to her sister. “I think we have our answer right here.”
“Great!” Anne cried, seizing this opportunity. “Then we don’t need that dreadful mistletoe kiss after all. I−”
“Oh, no! You’re not getting out of this.” Shaking her head at her, Louisa chuckled, “Why are you so reluctant? I should think you’d want to know how you feel about him.”
“I do know how I feel about him,” Anne hastened to assure her meddlesome cousin.
“Truly?” Louisa asked with a doubtful look in her green eyes.
Anne sighed, “Perhaps.” Her spirits sank as her short-lived hopes fell into the dust at her feet. “But why now? Why here?”
“Why not?” Louisa countered. “Are you not worried that he might agree to a match elsewhere if he thinks you indifferent? Has that not ever crossed your mind? After all, he’s got his father’s title to consider.”
“You mean, his brother’s,” Leonora corrected.
Louisa rolled her eyes, ignoring her sister’s objection. “He might need to father an heir and−”
“Lord Barrington needs an heir,” Leonora corrected once again, her frown deepening. “You do know how this works, do you not?”
Louisa’s nose crinkled as though she smelled something rotten. “That man is a disgrace, and I do not believe for a second that he’ll ever find a woman foolish enough to marry him.” She scoffed, “The thought alone is ludicrous. No, after that man’s no doubt untimely passing, Tobias will need to assume the title and provide an heir. Therefore−”
“That is quite harsh!” Leonora objected. “It is poor form to speak of him thusly.”
Anne nodded, unable to hide the grin that stole onto her face. “Indeed, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say…you liked him.”
Louisa’s jaw dropped; however, she quickly recovered, her eyes narrowing. “You must be mad! I hate that man. No, hate is not a strong enough word. I loathe that man.”