He had been expecting the butler his delivery boy had told him about, but this was... not the butler. No, he’d stake his life on this being the mistress of the house. Stake Barry’s life on it, too. While London made him grumpy, socialites scared him a little – they were like an alien species, and incomprehensible: you never knew what they might do next.
And yet, while there was suddenly an uncomfortable itch at the back of his neck and a certain aversion to holding her gaze – he angled his eyeline to somewhere about her nose, and focused closely on her left nostril – Howell was not shaken from his purpose here.
He knew he was in the right, so she’d see no sheepishness from him. “And your name, ma’am?” Howell asked loudly, to clarify.
And yet, while there was suddenly an uncomfortable itch at the back of his neck and a certain aversion to holding her gaze – he angled his eyeline to somewhere about her nose, and focused closely on her left nostril – Howell was not shaken from his purpose here.
He knew he was in the right, so she’d see no sheepishness from him. “And your name, ma’am?” Howell asked loudly, to clarify.
