A Taste of Desire(99)
“And my brother? Why were we about to witness a brawl in my foyer?”
“I believe Lord Alex just enjoys provoking Thomas.” Which was as apparent as a trunk on an elephant.
The countess’s mouth curved in a secretive smile as she took another drink of tea. “Alex can be provoking, period. Although, only those close to him are aware of that fact. But rarely can he get a rise out of Thomas. They have known each other too long. But I wonder how long you will try to avoid my question about you and my brother.” She flashed Amelia a guileless smile before popping a forkful of ham in her mouth.
The woman was absolutely relentless—an Armstrong trait, it would appear. “There is nothing between me and Thom-Lord Armstrong.”
The countess’s eyebrows rose innocently at her slip.
Amelia continued. “He and my father are very close. On the other hand, he and I don’t particularly get along, but we will make an effort during our visit.”
If Amelia expected the countess to lay the whole thing to rest, she would have been well advised not to hold her breath. A full-bodied laugh burst from Lady Windmere’s throat. She laughed and laughed. And the longer she laughed, the more disgruntled Amelia grew. Lord, she hadn’t said anything that amusing.
“Oh dear,” the countess said, her slender shoulders still shaking as she wiped a tear from her eye. “For a moment, I thought you actually expected me to believe the two of you have no feelings for each other.” She gave one final hiccupping laugh, her expression slowly sobering. Then her mouth formed a circle. “Oh,” the countess breathed, “you do expect me to believe that drivel.”
Amelia blanched. Some thought she had cheek, but it appeared the countess was looking to best her in that arena. Suddenly, she felt quite put upon and defensive. But she was not about to go off, all half-cocked, as she would have done in the past. Instead, she plucked the serviette from her lap, and touched it to the corners of her mouth, the small action giving her a measure of composure.
“I’m not certain I know entirely what you mean by that,” Amelia said. Normally situations such as this would have called for a swift and cutting response. Unfortunately, she could think of nothing else to say.
The countess’s slate-blue eyes softened, her expression becoming contrite. “Amelia, I didn’t mean to disconcert you.”
Amelia shook her head numbly, trying to ignore the look the countess wore. It was that you-poor-girl-you-are-fooling-yourself expression she knew so well because she’d worn it herself and directed it at many deluded females.
Turning her attention back to her food, the countess popped the last piece of marmalade-laden bread in her mouth. Once finished, she washed it down with the remainder of her tea. Amelia followed suit, her near-empty stomach demanding she try to consume as much as she could.
“My brother has been known for his temper, but that was in the past.” The countess fixed her utensils on her plate to signal her completion of her meal. “The last time I’ve seen him so close to violence was with James.” Her eyes lit at the mention of her husband’s name. A soft wispy sigh fluttered past her lips. “But that was to be expected as Thomas had just learned he’d compromised me.”
Amelia blinked back another wave of surprise at the latest revelation. For a brief moment, she wondered if the countess had said it for shock value, but the frankness of her regard told her differently as she appeared amused by the memory.
“Unfortunately—or perhaps fortunately—my determination to have James as my husband was a thing to be seen. I was in love, and terribly naïve. But as you can see, it all worked out for the best, for I couldn’t be happier with my life.” Her smile displayed pearly white teeth, and a woman more than content with her lot in life.
“But getting back to the point I am trying to make. I think I’ve known since your introduction last year, you would play a significant role in his life.” Amelia opened her mouth to speak, but the countess held up her hand to halt the words before she could issue them. “And when I heard word of what happened at Lady Stanton’s ball back in August, I was certain of it. Your reaction to him is too volatile. And instead of dismissing you out of hand as Thomas does with most women he doesn’t care for, he allows you to get under his skin. I have never seen my brother allow a woman to get under his skin. Quite the opposite in fact.”
Amelia sat mute in her chair, trying to quell a rising tide of fear. Lord, how exposed she felt. What response did she give to this woman who—much like her brother—seemed to be able to see right through her and would no doubt scoff at her every denial and any defense she chose to mount?