Which meant he had a view of her bedchamber, or at least the light from it before she closed the draperies. She doubted he could actually see inside to make note of the furnishings, although she might be visible walking about. “Mick named the street after our mother. Have you lived there long?”

“A little over a fortnight now.”

“How are you finding it?”

“To my liking thus far.”

“My brother has worked hard to make the area welcom—”

“Here you are, loves,” Becky said, setting the pewter tankards on the table. “Drink up ’n’ enjoy. Food’ll be here shortly.”

After the girl wandered off, Fancy continued, “Welcoming, I was going to say.” She lifted her tankard. “Cheers.”

While he lifted his pint, she took a sip, enjoying the crisp flavor. Gillie served only the best. Watching as he turned back the cover on his recent purchase, she removed the miniature book from her pocket, taking satisfaction from his gaze darting over to capture her movements, unsure why she wanted to bask in his attention. Perhaps because she’d never garnered a man’s full interest before. It was no secret in the area where she’d grown up that her family considered her destined for greater things, so most of the boys had kept their distance, none of them wanting to face her irritatingly intimidating brothers.

“What are you reading?” he asked.

“Aesop’s Fables.”

“Have you a favorite?”

“The Ant and the Grasshopper, I think. It applies to my family. They’ve always worked hard, seldom taken time for play. Have you one you favor, one to which you can relate, perhaps?”

“The Fox and the Crow. Be wary of flatterers, or something to that effect.”

She could have sworn a tinge of bitterness laced his voice and wondered at the cause. Yet she didn’t know him well enough to ask for the reasons behind his selection. Although his choice of fable was certainly one she should take to heart when she began making the social rounds. Although as she understood it, the entire Season revolved around flattery. “Have you any advice on how to differentiate between flattery and honest compliments?”

“Unfortunately, no.”

Chapter 3

Not that Matthew Sommersby wasn’t presently tempted to let loose with a foray into flattery that would have his dinner companion blushing with pleasure. It had been a good long while since he’d been drawn to a woman.