Persuasion in the Pantry [Maid for More #1]

Chapter 8: Dalliance in the Dark

Chapter 8

Mina shivered. Summer still lingered in the air but an evening chill slipped into her bones and chattered her teeth. Then, he turned to her and it was like the hottest day in the month of May.

She looked around self consciously and gnawed on her lower lip. This man who had so casually introduced himself as Jay was probably a Duke of something or other. She knew she shouldn't be anywhere near him and definitely not in the gardens on a Ball night, but....

 I can handle myself. Mina thought

She watched him watching her and tensed, but then firmly resolved not to waver. She would come up with a plan! Propelled by nothing so wise as sense nor as maidenly as honour, she began to scold him as she bought herself time.

"Look, thanks for your help but this is really inappropriate! What do you think you're doing?!"

He gestured for her to be silent but she swatted away his attempts to quieten her and threw in a light punch for good measure. By the look on his face, he wasn't used to being hit by a woman, That look would have been enough to satisfy Mina but when her fist connected with a very hard, muscled torso she felt a burning flush creep up to her cheeks. And yet, she pressed on- no point in making a plan if you didn't stick to it.

"Don't shhh me! Ooh... you rich men! You can't just go around... man-handling women like that. Your arrogance is inconceivable!"

He frowned "Inconceivable?"

"Yes!"

"Are you sure? I don't think that word means what you think it means." He said with a small smile and only a hint of playful mockery.

Mina eyed him suspiciously before tilting her head up with an air of superiority and replying, "Well, language should work for me, not the other way around."

Or at least that's what she had read somewhere once.

Jay cracked a smile at that, and then he just stared at her. He pondered what to do with this maid, now that he had her here- he wasn't entirely certain. She was beautiful, to be sure, but he couldn't be certain whether she was in possession of all her faculties. After all, she did hit a Duke which qualified most women for insanity and most men for a 'pistols at dawn' routine which was frankly rather bothersome. No, she didn't seem mad, perhaps just feisty and a little foolish considering she allowed him to manoeuvre her outside with very little protest. She was so small, so slim and although her eyes sparked with an ill-managed temper Jay could picture himself oddly wanting to take care of her and her not having a bar of it. The thought gave him cause to smile mysteriously at her.

Mina started to grow uncomfortable and she was tempted to shuffle but that was a give-away sign of unease and she would not yield. So, she stood her ground and he stood his. Although, not so much 'stood his' as just continued to be himself and stare and make her uncomfortable.

"Well?" she barked. "What do you want?"

He seemed to flicker with a wry half turn of the lips which was not exactly a smile.

Ah, that is the question. What do I want from the little sprite?

It was at that moment that Jay realised he liked her. She interested him and the thought of spending the evening chipping away at her facade was infinitely superior than returning to the drawing room and the Dowager Duchesses' twenty plus potential brides. He paused for a long moment before answering with certainty. "I would like to know more about you."

Mina sputtered like a boiling pot, all blurts and bips but not really the song of a kettle.

"You what?!" she finally got out.