Mistletoe and Mayhem - Cheryl Bolen Page 0,307

heed my advice now and not delay any further.”

Tobias sighed and nodded, “I should speak to her.”

“Indeed, you should,” said a slightly annoyed voice to his right.

When he turned, Tobias found Lady Louisa standing on the bank, her arms akimbo and a bit of a frustrated glare in her blue eyes. Without him noticing, she had made her way across the frozen lake, then removed her skates and was now watching him with great displeasure.

Intrigued, Phineas approached her, his dark gaze raking over her in open admiration. “You’re quite a menace, my dear Lulu.”

Her jaw tensed as she looked past him, ignoring Phineas as best as she could. “I know you care for her,” Lady Louisa said to Tobias without preamble, her eyes watchful, no doubt noting the way he all but sighed at the mere mention of Anne. “Why then do you stand idly by and allow another to steal kisses?”

Tobias tensed. “What ought I have done? I was too far away.”

Lady Louisa’s lips curled into a wicked smile. “Not this morning in the library.” Her brows rose in challenge. “I interfered and prevented the worst as I did again just now. However, I won’t be able to keep Lord Gillingham away from her indefinitely.” She took a step toward him, but then flinched, sucking in a sharp breath. “You need−”

“Are you hurt?” The easy smile slid off Phineas’s face as he grasped her hand, his gaze falling to her right foot.

“I’m fine,” Lady Louisa snapped, jerking her hand out of his. “I’d appreciate it if you didn’t touch me, Lord Barrington.” Her voice was icy, and Tobias did not fail to notice that it seemed to cut his brother as few things ever had before.

“Why?” Tobias asked. “Not that I’m not grateful for your interference, but why?”

Lady Louisa sighed, a rather indulgent look coming to her eyes. “Because I want to see her happy and because I believe you’re the one to achieve it.” Her gaze warmed. “She loves you, and I feel deeply confident in my conclusion that you love her as well. Is that not so?”

Staring at Lady Louisa, Tobias barely heard the remainder of her words as her first three continued to echo in his mind. She loves you.

Lady Louisa exhaled an exasperated sigh, “Apparently, you’re as blind as she is.” She took another step closer, cringing once again as she put weight on her right foot. “How can you not see it?” She shook her head in disbelief. “Be that as it may, if you no longer think of her as Little Annie, then you need to act. Fast.”

Phineas scoffed, “That’s precisely what I said.”

Shock came to Lady Louisa’s face as she turned to look upon him for the first time. “You did?” Her lips thinned in something resembling disgust.

In answer, Phineas wiggled his brows in that deeply annoying way. “Believe me, it came as quite a shock to me as well that we actually agree on something. A grave sign, indeed, for it surely prophesies the end of the world as we know it.” Then he laughed.

Rolling her eyes, Lady Louisa returned to ignoring Phineas, which was generally sound advice. Again, she took a painful step toward Tobias. “Well? What do you intend to do?”

“You should have a doctor look at your ankle,” Tobias advised, equally determined not to discuss his plans with Lady Louisa. The woman was as intrusive as Phineas. Why the two of them didn’t get along was beyond him.

“Don’t try to distract me,” Lady Louisa hissed, annoyance darkening her face. “You−”

“I’m not trying to distract you,” Tobias insisted. “However, I do believe you’re in significant pain. You should−”

“He’s right,” Phineas exclaimed, and without another word, he swept Lady Louisa into his arms and marched back toward the house.

Tobias couldn’t help but laugh as the lady protested not only loudly, but also with severe-looking smacks to his brother’s upper body−anything within reach! Phineas, however, seemed to find her reaction deeply amusing as his hold on her never wavered.

Perhaps Anne was right. Perhaps those two would either kill each other before the year was out or fall madly in love.

Tobias sighed, “Anne,” he whispered to himself, loving the sound of her name for it conjured her beautiful face. “Will you marry me?” he mumbled, imagining what it would be like to have her by his side for all the days to come.

Would she say yes?

“Truly, Leo, I’m fine,” Anne told her cousin after they’d returned to her chamber. “I’ll probably have