your cap upon him, and no, I haven’t.”
“I’ll take him,” exclaimed a pale-faced, blue eyed, blonde haired little girl, sending Simon’s mind into a small whirlwind of panic. “He’s mansome.”
Simon choked. Mansome? What the devil was mansome?
Between Rae’s bright red face and Mrs. Hughes girlish giggles, Simon didn’t think he’d get an answer were he to be foolish enough to put his confusion into words.
“Yes, Jane,” Mrs. Hughes said, still laughing. “Henrietta’s beau is very handsome.”
Ah, handsome. “Thank you, Miss Hughes,” Simon said with a low bow.
“Ooooh,” squealed the little girl. She ran up to him and thrust her hand out toward him.
Simon stared at it.
She waved it around between them.
Simon looked to Rae for some sort of clue about what was expected of him.
Unfortunately, that was not a good idea as she stood there with her lips puckered, making kissing faces at him. Blast and damnation! That was the last thing a man who’d been woolgathering about kissing her not two minutes before needed to see at the moment.
He turned his attention back to the little hand with five wiggly fingers waving about in front of him and reached for it and shook it. “Pleasure to meet you, Jane.”
Rae’s loud sigh drew Simon’s attention. “Is something wrong?” he asked. Why the hell was she holding her head in her hands? And was she crying?
“She wanted you to kiss her hand, not shake it.”
“Oh.” If the ground would suddenly open up before him and swallow him whole he wouldn’t mind so much.
“Jane, you’ll have to forgive Simon, he hasn’t any younger sisters to know how to dote properly.” She flashed her sister that wide, encouraging smile that had the power to stir a firestorm of desire within him. “Not to worry though, next time you see him, he’ll remember what’s expected of him.”
“And have you taken it into your mind to make sure he’s been properly trained?” came a stern male voice.
“Papa,” Rae said, a hint of surprise in her voice. She embraced her father with the same affections she had her mother. “Mama, Papa, please allow me to introduce you to Mr. Simon Appleton.”
Fortunately for Simon, he knew how to properly act with adults and removed his hat then gave the duo a low bow. “At your service,” he said before returning his hat to his head.
“And just when is the service?” Mr. Hughes’ tone was as unyielding as his face.
An uncomfortable silence stole over the room.
“They’re not getting married, Papa,” Jane announced—apparently she’d escaped the discomfort that threatened to suffocate everyone else.
“The devil you say,” Mr. Hughes snapped, the protruding vein in his forehead pulsating. “I might not be a noble, but my daughter was not born to be a mistress.”
From the corner of Simon’s eyes, he saw Rae blanch. “I have no such intentions, sir,” Simon cut in smoothly.
“So you came here to speak to her father first,” Mrs. Hughes surmised with a clap of her hands.
“It certainly would be prudent to be close to her father, should we decide we suit,” Simon agreed.
Every inch of Rae’s skin from her scalp to the soles of her feet tingled at Simon’s words. Though he looked at Mama and Papa when he said them, they were for her. She just knew it. Did he have a genuine interest in her? She dismissed the thought with a harsh laugh. Simon, it would seem, had a romantic interest in just about everyone in a skirt. Well, the unmarried one’s anyway. She sobered. That wasn’t entirely true… He’d heavily pursued Isabelle Knight who had actually been married. Estranged, but still married. And now reconciled.
“Henrietta dear, is something the matter?” Mama asked, placing her rough hand on Rae’s forehead.
“I’m a-thinking she don’t think they’ll suit,” Papa said with a chuckle.
“And you find that humorous?” Simon asked flatly.
“Of course I do,” Papa said, grinning. “You’re exactly the kind she used to spin daydreams about.”
Simon arched a brow. “The kind? And what kind would that be?”
“A toff,” Papa said without hesitation. “She used to lie on that sofa—” he gestured toward the offending piece of furniture she and Simon had been occupying when Mama had entered the room “—and dream about being a mistress of a grand estate with servants all about to fetch her whatever she fancied.”
Mortification swept over Rae and she chanced a glance at Simon. Would he look relieved that he wasn’t betrothed to such a selfish ninny? She frowned. The wretch grinned widely, the corners of his mischievous eyes wrinkled like