Can such a strange friendship turn into love? He never realized she was so lovely. She never noticed how charming he was. Miles Bridgerton and Vanessa Everleigh have known each for over a decade and both of them had never really given the other much...
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Vanessa wishes she had never the acquaintance of Augusta Hawkins because she was the most aggravating person she had ever met.
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Vanessa was unexpectedly enjoying herself next to Lord Smythe-Smith. She would have preferred to be seated next to Miles, where they could quietly poke fun at the fake politeness of the guests, but Michael would do.
She tried not to look at Miles too much, because paying attention to him meant paying attention to the Hawkins. And if she even so much as looked at them, she would find herself vexed. But of course, Augusta just had to open her mouth and bat her eyelashes at Michael, too. Vanessa would have stayed quiet and paid no attention to their conversation. She might've even started whispering to Mary, but then the topic turned to Miles' pursuit in medicine, and the Hawkins sisters were not subtle about their disapproval of it.
She had to defend Miles, as she knew he wouldn't defend himself because he valued manners too much. She didn't mind arguing with Augusta, she had been doing it since she was a school girl. But then Caroline just had to start bothering Mary too, and that made her blood boil.
Vanessa was just about ready to disregard table manners altogether when Miles stopped her. They managed to communicate with their footwear and movements of the head. In the end, she liked to think that she got the best of him by yanking her foot away in annoyance, and she almost burst out with laughter when she noticed how subtly revolted he was by Caroline's unwelcome touch.
"Miss Everleigh, will we have the honor of seeing you participate in the ladies' archery tournament tomorrow afternoon?" Michael asked.
"Oh no, I don't take part in such activities. I don't do good with competition." She lied to him. She loved competition, she'd just rather not deal with the pettiness that came with besting all the other girls.
"A shame, I would have loved to witness your skill."
"So would I." Miles said and she looked up at him.
"My sister and I will be competing," Caroline said, as if itching to include herself in the conversation. Vanessa refrained from rolling her eyes. The Hawkins could never stand not being the center of attention.
"Mary will be there, too." Vanessa nudged Mary, trying to give her an opening to speak.
"Oh!" Mary realized what she was doing. "Yes, I will try my best. I'm not the most accurate but I'm certainly better than Charlotte." She glanced to the far edge of the table where Charlotte sat with James and her parents.
Then she giggled, "She won't be competing."
Miles chuckled, happy that her sister was finally part of the conversation. "I wouldn't expect her to."
"Yes, she's quite terrible at it, but you didn't hear that from me." Vanessa smiled and Michael laughed.
"That wasn't very polite." Augusta opened her dreadful mouth again.
