Free Lady Star by Claudy Conn Page B

with an accompanying
chuckle.
    “Can’t hurt to make the ladies look twice,”
Miles beamed not at all insulted.
    “Those tight fitted britches look absurd on
you. You are too tall and lanky for ‘em,” said Vern still grinning
mischievously. “And your hair! What have you done my man, pomading
it into a roll like that?”
    “You have never had any sense of…”
    “Brummell would not approve,” Vern
announced.
    “Tis m’own style…thought I’d…”
    “ Don’t think , brush it out, Miles, you
look like a damn quiz,” Vern interrupted him with a laugh and then
coughed for a few moments.
    Miles frowned as his friend’s coughing fit
subsided and sighed before responding, “I am here to make you feel
better. I heard you were not up to par, but if you are going to
continue to insult me, ‘ole friend, I shall leave you to wallow on
your sickbed alone.”
    Vern grinned as he saw the twinkle in his
friend’s light brown eyes. “Not quite stout yet, but I shall be. I
am surprised to see you here. Thought you wouldn’t come around till
you were pretty sure you’d be safe from infection.” If he had the
strength he would have punched his friend’s arm with the words.
    “Well, as to that, you need to rethink, for
here I am,” Miles said and then more gravely, “How are you, Vern.
You look…drained.”
    “I am coming along…”
    A knock sounded at the door and Vern called
out, “Come in then.”
    Dilly appeared in the doorway. She looked
toward Miles who was well known in the Berkley household and
blushed a bright shade of pink before she lowered her eyes and
dropped a curtsy in the open doorway. Taking a tentative step
forward she held out an envelope, but as it was clear she did not
wish to enter the bedroom any further. Vern’s eyes narrowed as he
regarded his friend.
    “Bothering young Dilly here, have you?” Vern
said on a note of disapproval.
    “How can you say that? Have I bothered you,
lovely Dilly?” Miles returned, going forward to take up the
envelope and flip it toward Vern.
    “Oi just came up to bring ye that…now. Oi’ll
be going then…” Dilly said ignoring Miles altogether.
    Vern smiled kindly at her, “Thank you,
Dilly.”
    She bobbed her head and ran out and they
heard her steps take the long hallway outside the room with some
speed. Vern turned to his friend and said, “Whatever have you done
to make her act like that?”
    Miles shrugged, “Done? Why no more than tell
her how beautiful she looked when she bumped into me earlier.”
    “Bumped into you?” Vern said one brow up.
    “Well she came out of nowhere and all I did
was put an arm around her to steady her….”
    “Tried kissing her, didn’t you, Miles?” Vern
demanded. Damn. He had thought to ask Miles to escort his
sister and Georgie to the ball. Now, he was quite certain that
would be a very bad notion.
    “Well, only a little kiss…nothing to make her
quake,” Miles answered with a twinkle.
    “Scoundrel! Leave her alone. She is shy and
Star adores her and besides that, we only have four servants and
can’t afford to lose her.”
    Miles sighed, “Aye aye, my lord, aye aye.” He
shrugged his shoulder and added, “Besides, that is just a bit of
dallying. You know there isn’t a maid alive that interests me save
your sister.”
     “Gammon. You mean there isn’t a maid
alive who doesn’t interest you.” Vern snapped, but softened
the words with a boyish grin. “Who knows why you have this sudden
desire to marry my sister. You have known her all your life and
never before gave a hint of such feelings.”
    “Ah, never say you have warned Star off me?”
Miles returned grinning amiably.
     “Certes! Don’t have to. M’sister isn’t
a fool. She has your measure. She knows you are just going through
one of your phases. Today it is her, tomorrow another.”
    Vern dodged the pillow Miles flung at his
head and grinned.
    “Go to the devil!” Miles shouted in lively
accents. “What Star needs is a man