It was a dangerous question. “Is she interested?” he heard himself ask.
Mirabel gave the complacent smile of a cat with her sights on a mouse. “She didn’t have to come in the house when she did. She knew you’d arrived.”
“She was being polite.” Thea hadn’t given him the impression that she’d been overjoyed to greet him.
“Thea was working very hard not to notice you.”
“She was successful.”
“You know so little about women,” Mirabel whispered. She started down the hall and stopped in front of the first door on the right. “This is your room.”
She opened the door and led him into a room decorated in green and cream accessories. “Ah, your valet has already been here. His name is Whiteson.” Neal hadn’t traveled with his own man, preferring to use one of the house servants instead. He liked traveling light. The valet was not in the room but had already laid out fresh attire for Neal.
“Whiteson has probably gone off to fetch fresh water,” Mirabel continued. “He’ll return momentarily. There will be several male guests, so you will have to share his attention.”
“When I’m in the country, I prefer a more simple life,” Neal answered. “It shall not be a problem.”
Mirabel tilted her head. “I like you, Lyon. I wasn’t certain I would, but you are not as pretentious as I had feared.”
“And what gave you the impression I would be pretentious?”
“It wasn’t Thea, if that is what you are thinking. But usually men like yourself who are statesmen and men of commerce have a vaunted opinion of themselves. You seem a genuinely nice man.”
“I was hoping for a more dashing opinion, my lady.”
She laughed. “Oh, you are dashing. Handsome men always are, but they are sometimes arrogant.”
“I can be.”
“Yes, that is what Thea said.”
“She believes me arrogant?” he said, needled by the thought. Then he decided, “Well, yes, I am. I do like to have things done my way.”
“And you shall have plenty of opportunity to exercise your wishes this week, Lyon.” She started to leave the room but paused by the door. “I wish you a merry chase in your hunt for a wife this week.”
“Thank you,” he said, uncertain if he meant the words.
And yet Neal found himself wondering if what Mirabel said about Thea’s interest in him could be true. The comment about his arrogance aside, Thea had not impressed him as being as aware of him as he was of her.
But if she was, what was he going to do about it?
“He’s very interested in you.”
Surprised, Thea turned to see Mirabel leaning on the doorjamb of the butler’s pantry. Thea had brought her flowers in here to arrange them in the yellow and gray pottery vase ... but Neal had not been far from her thoughts.
She’d believed she’d seen him every way possible, but he’d caught her by surprise this afternoon. He’d appeared more relaxed than he had in a long time. His hair had been mussed; dust had covered his boots. His whole person had given off an air of vitality and masculinity. A dangerous combination.
Thea prayed her face hadn’t betrayed the direction of her thoughts. She’d worked very hard to keep her manner welcoming but distant.
And now here was Mirabel, playing Cupid.
Thea focused on the rose in her hand. Thank heavens for thorns, which made one have to think when handling roses. “Nonsense, Mirabel. He’shere to meet other women, not me. The time for us was long ago. Too much has happened to each of us since then.”
“But he likesyou,” Mirabel said, inviting herself into the tight space. She leaned her hips against the cupboard where Thea was arranging. “Frankly, I was taken aback by how handsome he is.”
“You’d never met him?”
“I’d seen him from a distance, but he doesn’t go out in society often. He is a fine, fine man.”