by Anthology
He heaved a sigh, got his scrambled thoughts into some sort of order, and then, finally, was able to answer with equanimity.
“You drive me to bloody distraction, Louisa Bright. More than anyone I’ve ever met. And you, a mere slip of a girl.”
Louisa’s mouth dropped open, and Hugh could have kicked himself. Why had he gone and confessed such a thing?
“But that is neither here nor there,” he hurried on before she issued what would no doubt be an acerbic rejoinder. “Now, why don’t you finally tell me what you wanted me for?”
Louisa didn’t answer for some time, choosing instead to gaze at him as though he’d grown another head. He couldn’t blame her really.
Finally, after what seemed like an age, she shook her head slightly, and he noted the glint of battle sparkle in her green eyes.
They were really beautiful, those eyes. He’d never paid that much attention to them before. Of course, they had been more beautiful when they’d been rendered blank by his ministrations but—
“Hugh!”
The screech of his name brought him back to earth with a thud. Oh right, she’d been speaking.
“Are you quite alright?” she demanded, hissing out a frustrated breath.”Because if discussing strategy is a little beyond your mental capabilities, I’ll just deal with this myself.”
Ah, there was the little hell cat he’d come to know and lo—
Hugh felt his eyes widen in horror. He was going nowhere near the end of that thought.
“What in God’s name is the matter with you?” She stomped her foot and Hugh was disgusted with himself for finding it rather endearing.
“Forgive me. I — ah — over imbibed last night,” he said quickly.” And did you just stamp your foot at me?”
He grinned at her sudden obvious discomfort.
“O-of course not,” she stammered.” Ladies do not stomp.”
“No,” he responded feeling much more the thing now that he was teasing her again. ”But then, I never said a lady did it.”
She growled in response, and it was all he could do not to pluck her from her stomping little feet and carry her off somewhere to do something about all that frustration.
Yes, indeed. He was in very big trouble.
NEVER, EVER BEFORE HAD Louisa dealt with such an array of emotions in such a short space of time.
She was already exhausted; mentally wrung out, and they hadn’t even begun discussing what they should do about their irresponsible siblings.
Hugh was acting as though he had run mad, and she couldn’t deal with his madness. Not when she was trying hard not to descend into the same state herself after that kiss.
Good Lord. He’d kissed her. Again. And she’d let him. Again.
This was not good. Not good at all.
How could she stand in pious judgment of Meredith when she went around kissing Hugh? And he was far more irritating than his older brother.
Pressing a hand to her temple, she tried desperately to claw back some semblance of normality.
There would be plenty of time to mourn the loss of her sanity later. And plenty of time to guiltily enjoy the memory of that toe-curling kiss and what it did to her.
She watched the man in front of her now, as his blue eyes finally focused on her.
He seemed terribly distracted. And that wasn’t very flattering really. It seemed that even with a kiss involved, she couldn’t hold his attention.
“Your brother,” she started through gritted teeth, “has told my sister that she is to partner with him for tonight’s event. Obviously he’s lying to get her alone. And—” This was the part she hadn’t wanted to confess, but Louisa had always been the honest sort. “—and she didn’t seem too averse to the idea.”
“And?”
Louisa frowned. Whatever did he mean, ‘and’?
“And he’s obviously lying,” she said firmly. “So, we need to stop them from partnering with each other.”
He remained silent so long that she was contemplating slapping him. And not just because she’d rather enjoy it.
Finally, he sighed and looked at her with those direct, probing eyes of his.
“Would it really be so bad?” he asked.
Her jaw dropped open again and so, she noted, did his. It was as though he was as surprised by his idiotic question as she.
“What? Of course it would be so bad,” she shouted.
“No need to shout.”
“I did not shout,” she shouted again.
Hugh smiled his maddening smile.
“Allow me to guess; ladies do not shout?”
Louisa squeezed her head at her temples again.
“Hugh,” she began as though talking to a particularly dim child. Which he was. If an overgrown one. ”Remember that we are both concerned about our respective siblings. I cannot stand idly by and allow my sister to be hurt by your brother.”
“Why do you assume he means to hurt her?”
She wanted to feel his forehead to see if he were feverish but she couldn’t trust herself to touch him without tackling him to the ground and ravishing him, so she kept her deviant hands to herself.
“Considering you and your brothers have wanted nothing more than to hurt all of us, all our lives, I rather think my assumption is an accurate one.”
Hugh swallowed hard and Louisa averted her eyes from the muscles in his throat lest she do something crazy like press her lips to them.
“I think,” he said rather gruffly. “I think it’s possible that Lucas is starting to genuinely care about your sister.”
Louisa felt a pang of shock.
She had been thinking that Meredith was starting to care for Lucas as well, especially in light of their carry on at breakfast.
But she wouldn’t believe it. No good could come of it. She had thought that Hugh had cared about her three years ago when he had kissed her, and look how that had turned out.
Steeling her heart against any sort of compassion for either Lucas or her silly, innocent sister, Louisa raised her chin and made sure to look absolutely fierce.
“Stuff and nonsense,” she said with a laugh. “Your brother is as incapable of caring about a woman as you are.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“Only that your brother may act as though he cares about her but he is as heartless as the rest of you.”
She could practically see the wheels turning in his pretty head, trying to work out where the bitterness that she could not disguise was coming from.
“What is this really about?” he demanded, his voice low.
Louisa huffed out a frustrated breath. This wasn’t how she had wanted this conversation to go. They were supposed to be discussing how to keep their siblings apart. Now, he was questioning her motives. And that was a question she really didn’t want to answer.
Raising a brow and making every effort to appear utterly nonchalant, Louisa gave another, brittle laugh.
“It is about stopping Lucas and Meredith from making a colossal mistake. I thought we both agreed on that.”
For a moment, it looked as though he would argue with her. But, finally, he sighed, the sound wearier than any she’d ever heard from him and shook his head.
“We do agree. It would be a mistake. For many reasons. So, what do we do?”
CHAPTER FIVE
IT WAS EXHAUSTING, LOUISA decided hours later, planning strategies of war with her sisters whilst all the while planning strategies of distance with Hugh.
Sara and Meredith had both seemed terribly suspicious of her earlier, and it had taken all of Louisa’s strength to act as though everything were normal.
When Sara had mentioned seeing Louisa and Hugh in the garden area, Louisa’s heart had fluttered with panic. Thankfully though, her gossipy younger sister had only seen them walking. The kiss remained a secret.
But her siblings were suspicious, Louisa knew. And it had taken all of her talent for avoidance, and the promise of her new pi
nk evening gown for Sara to drop the matter.
Her sisters were even more suspicious when they saw what she intended to wear.
Her dress, she could admit, was probably better suited to a royal affair than a garden party in the depths of the winter. But Louisa cared not. The pale green satin made her eyes appear greener than usual, and she knew green was Hugh’s favorite color.
He had hurt her three years ago, and then he had infuriated her earlier today and ignored her for the rest of the afternoon.
Well, she thought as she adjusted the band of diamonds in her hair and tugged on the rather low neckline of her satin dress, he would bloody well pay attention to her tonight.
She had been snapping at Sara and Meredith all afternoon, and they at her. The Mayford brothers had certainly succeeded in pitting the sisters against one another. But Louisa was ready for action.
If Lucas thought he could drag her sister off into the middle of the maze and ruin her, he had another think coming.
Louisa just prayed Hugh would actually help her.
He hadn’t seemed as enamored with the idea earlier as she would have liked.
The bell sounded for dinner and Louisa took one final glance in the looking glass.
The determined glint in her eyes gave her the confidence boost she needed. She appeared sophisticated and ready for battle.
Let the game commence.
“IS THE FOOD NOT to your taste, my lord?”
Hugh released the death grip on his wineglass and turned toward the girl who was twittering beside him.
With herculean effort, he strove to appear interested in her banal conversation.
“I find I have no appetite this evening Miss — ah—”
“Miss Bolton. I was just telling Mama about your performance on the pianoforte.”
Hugh breathed a sigh of relief as another guest unwittingly saved him from a rather awkward situation.
He hadn’t for the life of him been able to remember anything about the pretty young lady he’d been seated beside at dinner, save for the fact that she was the daughter of one of his father’s closest acquaintances.
He hadn’t been paying any attention to Miss Bolton because he was solely focused on Louisa Bright, sitting opposite him, looking beautiful enough to give him an apoplexy… and ignoring him.
What had his mother been thinking, seating them like this?
Why was it that Lucas got to sit with Meredith, and Hugh was forced to sit across the table from Louisa and Lord Oxton and watch the man salivate all over her for the evening?
If he touched her one more time, Hugh would launch himself over the table and strangle the man.
The evening was dragging, the wine was having no effect on his temper whatsoever, and if appearances were anything to go by, Lord Oxton was becoming permanently attached to Louisa’s thigh.
Hugh watched Louisa’s face closely. If she gave even the slightest indication that the swine beside her was bothering her, he’d knock the stuffing out of the bast—
Louisa suddenly looked across the table directly into his eyes and all thoughts, violent or otherwise, fled from his mind.
Dear God in Heaven. She was extraordinary. A goddess. And his heart, he knew, had never been in more danger.
Louisa raised a brow, as though daring him. To do what, he had no idea but it made him determined to win whatever this battle between them was. He could only hope, rather desperately, that she was going to be his prize.
Hugh made no effort to release Louisa from his gaze. He knew he probably looked brooding and intense, a look that had frightened many before her, but he couldn’t look away. Didn’t want to.
His desire for her seemed a tangible force, reaching across the table to wrap her in its web. Her eyes widened and her lips parted, and Hugh had to grip the edge of his seat to stop himself from reaching out and hauling her to him, dinner be damned!
More and more, Hugh was becoming sympathetic to Lucas’s predicament. If his brother felt for Meredith even a fraction of what Hugh was starting to feel for Louisa, then Hugh wanted no part in preventing his brother’s happiness.
Lord knew he had started to feel like he’d tear a man limb from limb if he attempted to stop him from being with Louisa.
The venison was served and everyone picked up their knives and forks to eat. Everyone that was, except the lecherous Lord Oxton.
The blasted idiot still had his left hand on Louisa’s person. This time, he was touching her upper arm, his thumb brushing along the skin exposed by her capped sleeve and white evening glove.
Hugh’s tenuous grasp on his temper snapped.
“Oxton, you must tell me how you manage to eat a plate of venison with one of your hands attached to another person. That’s quite a talent.”
His words brought a sudden, shocked silence to the table.
Everyone looked from him to Lord Oxton, who had turned a satisfying shade of puce.
Hugh looked swiftly to Louisa to see her staring at him in consternation.
Looking round the table, he picked out the various looks on the faces of his family and friends.
Mother looked aghast, Miss Bolton scandalized. Jackson was scowling, Sara Bright doing the same. Meredith looked calculating, looking to Louisa and back to him. Lucas looked ecstatic, the blackguard.
“I’m not sure I follow, Mayford,” Oxton said now, but he had removed his hand from Louisa’s arm.
“Oh, I’m quite sure you do,” Hugh retorted softly.
He was gratified to see the other man’s throat bob wildly.
There was another uncomfortable silence which Hugh made no attempt to break since all his efforts were focused on giving Henry Oxton one of his most vicious scowls.
Finally, his mother made some inane comment about the weather and the chatter tentatively began again, although, Hugh was aware of furtive glances and daggers been sent his way for the remainder of the meal.
The ladies retired to the drawing room after the sweetmeats and, as soon as they left, Lucas made a beeline for him.
Hugh had been expecting it.
Handing Hugh a much needed glass of port, Lucas sighed and shook his head.
“You are done for, little brother.”
He could deny it but what was the point? Didn’t misery love company in any case?
“Tell me about it,” he responded dully, staring into the ruby liquid in his glass.
“Oh, I could Hugh. I could.”
The brothers finished their drinks in contemplative silence.
“I THOUGHT POOR OXTON was going to swallow his tongue,” Louisa hissed to Meredith who stood with her now. “Whatever can have gotten into him?”
Meredith smiled in a way that made Louisa’s cheeks flame.
“Can you not guess, Lou?”
“Of course I can’t.” She sniffed.
Risking a glance at her older sister’s face, she saw that daft, knowing smile again.
“Would it really be so terrible? Giving him a chance?”
Louisa studied her sister more closely. There was a softness about Meredith, a glow of something indefinable that hadn’t been there before. Louisa recognized it because she was terrified it was an expression she’d been wearing herself of late.
“Who are you asking for, Meredith? Me or you?” she whispered.
Before Meredith could answer, the duchess called them all to order.
Louisa moved to the edge of the assembly, noticing that Lord Oxton seemed to be making his way toward her.
“Damn and blast,” she whispered softly.
“Tut, tut, my beauty. Ladies surely do no swear.”
Hugh’s voice sounded in her ear, causing the most delicious of shivers to run down her back.
Louisa swallowed and turned her head to glare at him.
“We haven’t started yet, there is no need to stand so close to me,” she whispered fiercely.
“On the contrary, there is every need,” he said cryptically, and Louisa could have sworn she
felt the softest brush of his lips against her neck.
Oh, Lord. This was not good. Not at all.
Her heart was thudding most oddly, and Louisa had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.
She was starting to genuinely fear that what she felt for this man wasn’t ever going to go away.
Her Grace moved to the French windows leading onto the verandah and then on to the garden which contained the maze.
As Louisa made to move away, Hugh reached out and grasped her hand.
She felt the impact of his touch right down to her slipper encased toes.
“You look incredible,” he said simply and, still holding her hand in his significantly larger one, he moved toward the garden.
Louisa didn’t want to be thrilled at this simplest of gestures. But she was. And she knew then; she was lost.
CHAPTER SIX
“WHAT’S THE RUSH?” Hugh pulled gently on Louisa’s hand when she would have hurried ahead.
It probably wasn’t a good thing that he noticed how perfectly her hand fit in his, but he was starting to think Lucas had the right idea.
Why fight something that felt more and more right by the second?
It was obvious to Hugh that Lucas had forgotten all about seducing Meredith Bright as some sort of revenge tactic. The man was besotted.
It was obvious because he suspected he was feeling the same way about Louisa.
The problem was that Louisa was still hell bent on separating Meredith from Lucas. And if she didn’t want her sister with Hugh’s brother, then she certainly wouldn’t want Hugh for herself.
“What do you mean?” he answered now, tugging ineffectually on his hand to make him go faster. “I want to win.”
Hugh grinned.
“Is winning so important?”
She came to a stop so suddenly that Hugh almost ripped her arm from the socket.
Turning back to her with a frown, he saw her jaw open, the very picture of a horrorstruck young lady.
“What a ridiculous question,” she breathed, sounding most affronted. “Of course it is important.”
Hugh chuckled at her obvious passion for winning. Though he shouldn’t have been surprised. The Bright sisters put more effort into winning than Nelson himself.
