Once she throughly interrogated Isobel tomorrow, she would need to thank her. Despite her misgivings, the evening was less traumatizing than it could have been. At least since she accidentally reintroduced herself to her brother-in-law by smashing into the poor man. Ironically, her least graceful moment had become the best step of the evening.
He took her ribbing well and continued the play, which had her relaxing further into the railing at his side. "It stands to reason. A master criminal hidden behind our great protector. A wolf in sheep's clothing." Pressing a hand to her chest in a false gesture of dismay. "Oh, what danger I must be in." Anya didn't attempt to keep a straight face as she dropped her other hand to the railing between them. Anya let her eyes drift closed for just a moment, letting the night flowers reach her nose on the breeze. She could scent jasmine and the softest hint of heather mixed with something she couldn't place, something warmer, a spice.
Her revery was interrupted by her name and as she was about to reassure Mr. Greyback that she could handle the evening for a while longer when she felt him for a second time this evening. What relaxing she'd done in the last while was gone as she went stiff. Eyes flicking to her - their - hands and then back to her companion, Anya forced herself to take a breath. He shocked her, but it wasn't entirely unwelcome. She knew Murdock Greyback, despite the years between meetings, she could trust him. If Isobel trusted her brother, if Anya's own brother trusted him, then what was there to cause alarm?
Glad the veranda was darker than the ballroom and that she must look a bit less alarmed in this light, Anya looked away for a moment as she turned the hand under his. Letting his hand brush her palm. Managing a tiny smile, not sure which of them she was reassuring, Anya did meet his eyes then. "No, Mr. Greyback, the night air agrees with me for now." The chill to he skin had nothing to do with cold now.
He took her ribbing well and continued the play, which had her relaxing further into the railing at his side. "It stands to reason. A master criminal hidden behind our great protector. A wolf in sheep's clothing." Pressing a hand to her chest in a false gesture of dismay. "Oh, what danger I must be in." Anya didn't attempt to keep a straight face as she dropped her other hand to the railing between them. Anya let her eyes drift closed for just a moment, letting the night flowers reach her nose on the breeze. She could scent jasmine and the softest hint of heather mixed with something she couldn't place, something warmer, a spice.
Her revery was interrupted by her name and as she was about to reassure Mr. Greyback that she could handle the evening for a while longer when she felt him for a second time this evening. What relaxing she'd done in the last while was gone as she went stiff. Eyes flicking to her - their - hands and then back to her companion, Anya forced herself to take a breath. He shocked her, but it wasn't entirely unwelcome. She knew Murdock Greyback, despite the years between meetings, she could trust him. If Isobel trusted her brother, if Anya's own brother trusted him, then what was there to cause alarm?
Glad the veranda was darker than the ballroom and that she must look a bit less alarmed in this light, Anya looked away for a moment as she turned the hand under his. Letting his hand brush her palm. Managing a tiny smile, not sure which of them she was reassuring, Anya did meet his eyes then. "No, Mr. Greyback, the night air agrees with me for now." The chill to he skin had nothing to do with cold now.