The Last Eligible Bachelor - Ashtyn Newbold Page 0,29

life. Although, I cannot owe it all to the quality of my sleep. I must owe a great deal of it to Mr. Hill, as a lady cannot feel anything but alert and renewed when in the presence of such an agreeable, handsome gentleman.”

Mr. Hill choked on his water, setting down his cup and coughing. He cleared his throat. “I did not know I had such an effect on you, Miss Sedgwick.”

I touched a hand to my collarbone, addressing Mrs. Ollerton with an adoring smile. “Not only is he agreeable and handsome, but he is also humble.”

She agreed with an emphatic nod. “Indeed, he is.”

Turning back toward Mr. Hill, I made sure he caught sight of my broad smile. My cheeks ached. I hadn’t smiled this much in a very long time. His demeanor seemed to change slightly, as if he were beginning to believe my act. He turned his attention back to his plate, a deep furrow on his brow. Good. Let him be confused. Let him be disappointed in me. It would not be long before I drove his attention away for good. For a strange reason, something inside me resisted the idea. As much as I hated to admit it, I had been flattered by his attention, as uncalled for as it was. No man had ever found me so fascinating before.

Don’t be ridiculous, I scolded myself. He did not find me fascinating. He found me entertaining and unique.

Well, that all would change today.

Mr. Hill ate in silence for several minutes. I had run out of things to say to him, so I took to conversing with Mrs. Ollerton instead, directing the conversation to topics that I was sure would bore Mr. Hill. We spoke of fabric and bonnets and all matters of fashion. Mrs. Ollerton complimented my hair, and I told her just how long Jessie had agonized over it. As discreetly as possible, I checked Mr. Hill’s expression throughout the conversation, noting the lack of a flirtatious smile. He looked simply confused. And surprised. But not pleasantly surprised any longer.

My nerves had begun to dissolve, and I played my new role with more confidence. Eventually, the other ladies entered the room, and I sat up straighter. Now was my chance to blend in.

The moment she walked through the door, Miss Downsfield fixed me with a hard stare, her blonde curls spilling over her forehead and hiding the scowl I knew pinched on her pale brows. Her vexation was surely tied to the fact that I was seated next to Mr. Hill, but it also could have something to do with the fact that I returned her challenging stare this time. If I were to be like her, I would also have to be competitive.

She sat down on the other side of Mrs. Ollerton, and the other three ladies filled the empty chairs.

“Good morning, Miss Sedgwick,” Miss Benham said as she took the chair on my other side.

“Good morning,” I said. “Mr. Hill has been such a pleasant companion for breakfast, as well as Mrs. Ollerton, of course.”

All the ladies seemed to glance at my plate, then Mr. Hill’s, in perfect synchrony, likely noting that both our plates were nearly empty.

“Yes, we’ve had a lengthy and diverting conversation.” I brushed a curl from my forehead as I had seen Miss Downsfield do, but the motion released a loose hair, and it tangled in my lashes, brushing against my eye. I blinked rapidly, my eye flooding with moisture as the loose hair irritated it. I blinked hard again, but it didn’t dispel the hair. I picked at my lashes, trying to catch the hair that was tangled in them.

“Are you unwell, Miss Sedgwick?” Miss Coppins grew pale as she watched me from across the table. “Shall we call for the physician?”

“No, no.” I held up a hand, my rapid blinking continuing as a tear balanced on the edge of my eyelid.

“Good heavens, what is the matter?” Behind the blur of my vision, I saw the outline of Mrs. Ollerton’s dismayed features.

Around a sigh, I finally succumbed. “There is something in my eye.”

As expected, Mr. Hill leaned slightly closer. “I suspected so.”

Between my forefinger and thumb, I finally caught hold of the culprit, a short, thin hair that had fallen out of my hairline, likely from all of Jessie’s combing and tugging from that morning. Once my eye was clear, I blinked away the moisture. Could I not act without embarrassing myself for one day? I reminded myself