The Girl is Not For Christmas - Emma V Leech Page 0,27

chair at her side.

Livvy rolled her eyes at him. “Only at breakfast and it won’t kill you, I promise. They’re only children, they don’t bite. Well, George might if he’s being very naughty, but generally speaking....”

She saw Kingston give George a frowning glance as she handed the boy another piece of her bread and jam.

“Oof, oof,” George said.

“Hmm.” The earl reached for a bread roll.

“Do you know the Prince Regent?”

“Have you been to Vauxhall Gardens?”

“Do pigs really like mud?”

“Is Lord Byron terribly handsome?”

Kingston paused as a barrage of questions hit him from all sides and Livvy held her breath, wondering if they were all about to get a terrible set down.

He frowned for a moment.

“Yes. Yes. Certainly, and no, he’s overrated,” he said, and put the roll down on his plate.

Livvy watched the children gather themselves for the next onslaught and got in first. “Children, Lord Kingston wishes to break his fast, not answer a lot of impertinent questions. Now, Harry, as you’ve already finished, do take Birdie up to Ceci. I’m sure she’d like to see her mama. Girls, if you’ve eaten your fill, take George to the nursery, and then begin the lesson I wrote on the board. I shall be up in a little while to see how you’re doing.”

“Yes, Livvy,” they chorused, and for a moment there was the industrious chink of cutlery and teacups as everyone finished their tea and cleared their plates, followed by the scraping of chairs.

A short while thereafter, peace reigned.

“Thank you,” the earl said with a sigh of relief.

Livvy suspected he was still feeling somewhat delicate and headachy, but it wouldn’t do to pander to him.

“I didn’t do it for you. We don’t have an inexhaustible supply of jam, you know,” Livvy replied.

“I beg your pardon. I shall content myself with the butter.” Kingston said gravely.

Livvy’s lips twitched. “I only meant that the children would eat it all if I let them linger too long.”

“Ah. In that case, might I trouble you for the blackberry? It’s my favourite.”

“Certainly.” Livvy passed it to him and took a moment study his face. “You’re looking somewhat better than you did, at least.”

He snorted. “Why, Miss Penrose, my heart is all a-flutter at your extravagant praise.”

Livvy gave a huff of impatience and reached for her teacup. “I am not inclined to flirt with you, my lord. I merely observe that you appear a few steps farther from your impending demise than you did two days ago.”

“Are you inclined to flirt with anyone?”

Livvy cursed herself for having walked into that one.

“Yes,” she replied brightly. “Mr Moon.”

His dark brows drew together. “Who the devil is… oh, wait. I remember. The crow. And where is the elegant Mr Moon this morning?”

“Oh, he comes and goes as he pleases. I shall likely meet him in the gardens later.”

“Lucky Mr Moon,” he murmured.

Livvy opened her mouth, quite prepared for the singular pleasure of giving the Earl of Kingston a set down, when she realised this was her opportunity and changed tack.

“I wish there were a Mr Moon to meet me in the gardens, but we are sadly lacking in beaus here at Boscawen. In fact, my lord, that’s something I wish you to help me with.”

Kingston’s eyes widened and his knife clattered down upon his plate. He stared at her in astonishment.

Livvy frowned and thought again about what she’d just said.

“Oh!” she exclaimed, heat blooming in her cheeks. “Oh. Oh, I… I did not mean….”

“No,” he replied with a wry smile. “I rather suspected you didn’t. A pity. I am at your disposal, naturally.”

Livvy fell silent and considered his words. Her heart picked up. Well, there was a thought. If seducing a man was anything like, say, baking, then reading a recipe was all well and good, but there was nothing like practical experience. Surely, a man as depraved as Kingston would have plenty to teach her, and no qualms whatsoever about doing so. The idea made her breathless. Livvy had squashed any hope of marrying years ago, but the longing to feel a man’s arms about her, his lips upon hers, that had never gone away. It rose in her now, hot, and wicked. She slid him a sideways glance. He really was quite devilishly handsome, even with the dark circles under his eyes and the rather worn look about him. In fact, she wondered if it didn’t add a little something to his appeal as he looked very much as if he’d been up to no good. Why