The Last Eligible Bachelor - Ashtyn Newbold Page 0,28

Hill looked up from his plate and stood, his gaze steady as he watched me enter, a light smile on his lips. Had he even noticed the extravagance of my appearance? I curtsied, forgetting my practiced flirtatious smile. It was much more difficult offering it to Mr. Hill rather than my own reflection. Focus, Tillie, I demanded inwardly before walking to the sidebar to fill my plate. I hardly noticed what I chose to eat. All I could think of was the greeting I had tried to pluck up the courage to give him. Before I could lose my nerve, I turned and chose the chair directly beside Mr. Hill.

He did seem surprised.

But pleasantly surprised.

I took a deep breath, hoping he couldn’t hear the nervous tremor behind it. Putting on my most flirtatious smile, I rotated toward him.

“Good morning, Mr. Hill. I cannot believe my good fortune to have been the first lady to come to breakfast this morning. I wouldn’t have possibly been able to secure a place next to you at the table if I hadn’t been.” I batted my eyelashes slowly as I had seen Miss Downsfield do, tipping my head to one side with a demure smile. “Even if I hadn’t been this fortunate, I would have fought the other women for a precious moment to speak with you.”

His surprise persisted, mingled with a hint of confusion. My gaze flitted to Mrs. Ollerton, who watched me with wide eyes, her serviette hovering over her lips.

Mr. Hill sat back in his chair, studying me with his intent gaze. “What is this important matter you wish to speak with me about?”

I gave my most shrill laugh, leaning closer to him—close enough to catch his scent again. I met his eyes, realizing that I had leaned close enough to see the deep green lines that marked the blue of his irises. I cleared my throat, sitting back slightly. I forgot to smile. “Oh, it is not an important matter. It is simply the privilege of speaking with you at all that is precious to me.” I fluttered my eyelids again before realizing that I may have been doing that more often than Miss Downsfield had. It was no wonder my Season had been a disaster. I could not flirt in the slightest.

My efforts did appear to be working somewhat. I consoled myself with the look of growing confusion on Mr. Hill’s face as he watched me.

Mrs. Ollerton cleared her throat, a slight squeak in the sound. “You seem quite different this morning, Miss Sedgwick,” she said, her voice slow and careful. “Did you sleep well? Are you ill?”

“Is there something in your eye?” Mr. Hill added in a voice of mock concern, a smile curling one edge of his mouth.

So I had taken my eyelash fluttering to an extreme. I addressed Mrs. Ollerton first. “Yes, in fact, I awoke today feeling much more refreshed than I have been in days. I daresay I am finally feeling like myself. I am quite dull and quiet when I am suffering from exhaustion as I have been lately. But today, I awoke with a clear sense of all my ambitions.” I turned my gaze to Mr. Hill with a coy grin. I felt ill for letting a single one of those words escape me, and for even attempting such outrageous behavior.

Mr. Hill continued to stare at me with a furrowed brow, but there was an edge of amusement behind his eyes, a curiosity that I didn’t understand. Was I not convincing enough?

“And no, Mr. Hill,” I said, picking up my fork, “I have nothing in my eye, although I find it most thoughtful that you would inquire.” I stabbed at my plate while smiling up at him, missing my eggs entirely.

“Well,” Mrs. Ollerton said, “I am quite glad you are so...refreshed.” She gave a pained smile, taking another bite from her plate, swallowing it quickly.

A pang of guilt struck me as I realized how much distress I had caused Mrs. Ollerton in such a short time. Surely she regretted ever inviting Sophia Sedgwick to her matchmaking party. Is that what this gathering was called? I hardly knew. My thoughts wandered back to Mr. Hill’s words the night before, that he too had been forced to come. What did that mean? My curiosity had been tugging at me ever since.

Refocusing my attention on the task at hand, I smiled at Mrs. Ollerton. “I daresay I have never felt so refreshed in my entire