Between the Pages and Lines

Chapter 3: Cousin Dearest

"I have returned with a bounty fit for a lady," Travis's voice echoed through the room as he came crashing through the door.

Eveyln shrieked and much to the amusement of Travis seemed to quickly throw herself on the ground at the sudden intrusion.

"What ever are you doing plastered to the floor? Is such an arrangement comfortable?" Travis questioned laughing. He walked over to her putting the gowns behind his back with one arm while offering the other to assist her in standing.

Eveyln took his hand and he pulled her to her feet. Her hand lingered on his and she took it back awkwardly brushing her hand on her shirt as she glared at him. Bringing his own hand back to his side he again adjusted the gowns to better obscure them from her view.

"I was trying to hide myself obviously," She explained sourly looking curiously at what he was holding behind his back. The gowns were too big to hide completely it would seem. "What did you find for me?"

"It is good that it was me and not some curious neighbor, cousin. I am troubled to find your hiding skills leave much to be desired. It is something we might need to work on," Travis laughed aloud again grinning at her as she tried to step around him to look at the gowns he found. He stepped back and turned. Always making sure to be facing her and not letting her take a peek behind him at his findings.

"Well, usually people would knock before barging into a room," Evelyn exclaimed, giving up on viewing the gowns and instead stood staring at him with her arms folded. "It is the polite thing to do, you know."

"And who says we are in a polite sort of society," Travis answered, holding himself in a straighter posture. "I am the only polite gentleman you will find in this estate I assure you. Why you didn't heed my advice and simply hide yourself in the wash bin to await my return is no fault of mine. Neither would it be of my doing if you were captured galavanting around my room in my clothes. And at such a late hour in the afternoon as well. I say you should be quite ashamed of yourself my dear cousin. A lady of your standing. Do not dirty the family name if you can help yourself."

Travis couldn't keep his smirk from tugging his lips up in the corner of his mouth as he watched Evelyn's face grow red with mild frustration and embarrassment at her situation. She was certainly an interesting girl. If only he knew the truth about where she had come from. Her falsified tale while entertaining would never hold up as a factual account of her arrival here.

He shook his head. It didn't matter too much to him. He was in the mood for a little bit of fun and there was no harm he could see in this pass time. Seeing as how he was spending a few months with his friend before beginning to start seriously looking for a girl to settle down with.

He couldn't believe his stroke of luck. A most interesting distraction was placed right before him as if an answer to his prayers of interrupting his boredom. No matter the woman before him was not of entirely sound mind. She was already a vast improvement upon the company available to him in this house apart from his friend Duke Warlington. Seeing as how he would be too busy entertaining his other guests to be of any fun anyhow this couldn't have come at a better time.

With all the ladies vying for his friends affections to be the next Duchess of Warlington Hill he didn't have much time for Travis as of late it would seem. No matter anymore he had found something or rather someone else to occupy his time here. Being a charitable person that he was he had every intention of helping this poor lady out. It was the charitable thing to do after all. He was a gentleman and this was clearly a damsel in distress that needed his assistance. If he had any fun while doing so that was but a reward for his generous charity.