Unable to argue, Millie pursed her mouth.
“It’s my turn to brush your hair.” Lenora laid a gentle hand against Millie’s arm. “You’ve had a tiring evening. Why don’t you sit down?”
Millie nodded gratefully, she and Lenora switched places, and then Millie submitted to Lenora’s care.
“You know,” Nettie said, “the other day Cassie let slip that Harbury not only brushes her hair, but hebegsher to allow him to do so.”
“Preposterous,” Millie responded. “And tattling on a sister isn’t done.”
Nettie pulled a face.
Oh, dear.Now, Millie heard it. Thathadsounded self-righteous. And just a little too much like the little lordling.
Millie moderated her tone to be less scolding. “I’mcertainyou heard wrong. I cannot imagine any powerful peer, even one as smitten as our new brother-in-law, begging to brush a lady’s hair.”
“I certainly never heard of a duke asking to serve as a lady’s maid,” Lenora agreed.
“Well, Harburydoes,” Nettie insisted.
“Perhaps,” Emily cut in, “Harbury likes to brush Cassie’s hair because Cassie goes all limp and boneless, as Millie is now. Limp and boneless must be a prelude to the…” Emily finished her sentence with more kissing noises.
“Ew!” Nettie exclaimed. “I’m not sure I wantthatimage in my head.”
Emily snorted. “Not even ifyouwere the lady in question, and the man was Bl—”
“Ssst!”Nettie silenced her friend.
Millie grimaced. As if they all didn’t know Nettie had developed atendrefor Asquith’s friend Blackwell.Why, Millie had no idea.
“Having a man brush one’s hair would be strange…” Lenora’s voice trailed.
“Imagine Asquith doing so”—Emily smirked—“andthentell me if you think it strange.”
Lenora paused her brushing and stared off into nothing, a pleasant smile on her lips.
Millie gritted her teeth.Good heavens. Her sisters could be geese. But was it true that a man could be, not just deluded by love, but truly devoted to the woman he married?
Devoted enough to brush his wife’s hair?
She tried to imagine such a thing, but memories of her father scolding her mother intruded.
She tapped her sister’s hand. “Back to the brushing, Lenora.”
Lenora’s eyes refocused. “Right.”
As Lenora resumed her task, Millie surrendered to relaxation. Sweep by sweep, the troubling night—and its accompanying confusions and complications—faded. She didn’t need to answer questions about devotion. She had something better—a plan. One that would keep her protected from marriage.
And while, at present, she waslimp and boneless,she couldn’t see how the state would encourage amorous attentions. Nor did she care. Because if her plan worked, she would never need to know anything aboutL’Amour.
A light flirtation with Lord Willard followed by playacted devastation would surely see her traveling back to the country as reliably as booking a place on the stage. And, as she’d quickly discovered,flirtingwith Lord Willard wouldn’t be any hardship at all.
He was a handsome devil.
And, while she hadn’t particularly wanted to dance with him, he had been observant enough to note her distress at Neville’s approach. Moreover, he’d immediately come to her rescue. Why else would he have interceded, if not to be kind?
That alone proved he, at least, was not like her father.
Kindness. And in a man.Wonder of wonders!