When Two Hearts Meet (Brightmore #2)

Chapter Three

Chapter Three

The Falmouth dining hall was elaborate and well lit. It was one of the grandest rooms Ori had ever seen and her eldest sister Imogen was married to His Grace, Marshall Sutherland, who owned a vast array of elaborate properties across the country. The hall was wide and narrow, an intricately beautiful golden chandelier directly hung above the oversized, polished table that stretched against one wall. The opposite side was interspersed with spacious windows that peered out over the ocean, scarlet drapes hoisted to the side by golden tassels. The tapestry on the other wall depicted a somewhat faded tale of knights in battle, their swords raised bravely and proudly against a cowed enemy.

Ori immediately found herself entranced and rather thought that this was her favourite chamber of all. The ocean on one side and a glorious tapestry on the other. It was romantic and she thought that Dani was the luckiest woman in the world to have such a spectacular home.

“Ah. I see you’ve made a friend,” Danielle said, coming in behind Ori and looking pointedly at the mastiff hound by her thigh.

“He won’t leave me alone,” Ori grumbled. “The pest follows me everywhere.”

An amused smile crept against Dani’s lips, but she gestured to the table regardless. “I’m afraid we are very informal at Falmouth,” she explained. “I’ve just had a word with Rhys and it appears both gentlemen were sorely incapacitated after the little incident this afternoon. They decided that they could afford themselves a nap. I have awoken Rhys only now and sent for someone to rouse Captain Stanley. Come, we can sit and have some wine while we wait for them to join us.”

An image of a grizzly Captain Stanley flashed through Ori’s mind and she smothered a smirk of distaste. No doubt the unsavoury man would refuse a bath or a shave and she largely suspected he shunned proper evening attire. He’d come down to dinner looking like a sewer rat and smelling like a brewery.

Ori followed Dani to the table and noticed Plank brushing against the side of her leg. “No, stay!” she commanded, irritated by the beast’s persistent efforts to befriend her.

Plank whined, his shiny black eyes swathed with wrinkled skin, and pleadingly considered her. The ice around her heart began to splinter. “Oh, blast,” she mumbled. “Alright then. I suppose if you sit quietly in the corner…”

The hound would have nothing of it. Plank insisted that he coil heavily about her ankles where they lay under the elaborately set table. It was here that the dog huffed out a content sigh and promptly went to sleep. “Bloody mutt,” Ori said disparagingly.

“It is rather peculiar that he has taken to you so fondly,” Dani remarked unwelcomingly. “He is usually quite protective of Captain Stanley and won’t let any of us near him until he can be sure that he can trust us.”

“Who? Captain Stanley or the dog?”

Dani pursed her lips. “Come now, Ori,” she urged gently. “The captain and you have merely gotten off on the wrong foot. Believe me when I say that he is one of the most amiable and brave men you’ll ever meet. You must promise me that you’ll at least try to put aside this animosity you bear for him, just for this evening.”

Ori gave her a dark look. “Dani, he saw me naked.”

“I’m sure it was nothing he didn’t want to see in the first place,” she crooned as a footman came forward and poured her wine.

Oriana narrowed her eyes at the little woman. “I’m not sure how to interpret that.”

A smile was her only answer as Dani sipped at the ruby liquid encased in the crystal of her glass. “Rhys told me he has never married,” she murmured speculatively. “Curious, don’t you think? A man such as he in the prime of his age with no wife to speak of?”