Poppy wrinkled her nose delicately as Kristoffer parried back and the smile that stole across her face was telling. It was so easy, this comfortable banter they shared. He was the only gentleman in this room that didn’t make her second guess herself, even when he was snapping his jaws playfully at her ego. She had opened her mouth to retort in kind when he suddenly mentioned their exchange from last year and Poppy snapped her teeth shut with an audible click.
For a moment, a brilliant blush painted itself across her face highlighting every inch of the girl’s fair skin. She hadn’t expected him to bring up their little altercation in so many words, and the sentiment behind it settled uncomfortably in her gut. (It shouldn’t bother her the insinuation that he did not want to kiss her again, but Poppy couldn’t help the sneaking suspicion that it did.) Trying to breezily press the thought aside however, she scoffed. “Well I certainly won’t be the one taking undue liberties with unsuspecting soon-to-be debutants,” she teased, cheeks still warm.
Turning her gaze across the room then, and reaching for the fan tucked gingerly in her pocket, Poppy appraised the guests as Kristoffer commented upon their behavior. She nodded, unable to help thinking back to the rather bizarre exchange she’d had with Mr. Dempsey earlier. (If that too made her cheeks heat even more, Poppy pressed the thought aside.) She flipped her fan open then with more force than was necessary and began to flutter it as unaffectedly as possible. The soft breeze was a godsend.
“It has been a rather interesting night,” she agreed. “I’ve had some peculiar exchanges myself but nothing I can quite put my finger upon.” she turned to offer Kristoffer a mischievous smile. “Perhaps the ton is merely celebrating the end of the year with a a more blasé, relaxed outlook on life? Very Parisian, very chic.” She laughed then.
© Fox