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made her a formal bow, then rose to his full height. He recalled she was slightly taller than average, although the top of her head still only reached his shoulder. Now that he was closer, he noted her flawless complexion, which was stained with a becoming rosy hue. Indeed, she looked rather flushed. Probably very warm in the carriage. In spite of what he knew had to have been an arduous journey, she surprisingly showed no outward signs of fatigue. No, she appeared fresh and lovely. Prim, proper, coolly elegant, and altogether ladylike. Still, he didn’tdoubt she’d suffer from the vapors like most ladies of her station and swoon about on every chaise Creston Manor had to offer at her first opportunity.
    His gaze took in her eyes, noting their vivid blue shade, made all the more outstanding by the crescent of dark lashes surrounding them. The last time he’d seen those eyes they’d been drooped at half-mast and glazed with arousal. And then there was her mouth…so lush and full. Everything about her demeanor and dress was perfectly prim and proper, but there was nothing proper about those lips. He instantly recalled how delicious they’d tasted, how plush they’d felt beneath his. She’d grown even lovelier in the last three years. Except he no longer detected that glitter of mischief in her eyes, that impish curve to her lips, and he idly wondered what had brought about the change. Probably had wisely decided that kissing strangers in the gallery was not a good idea. Not that he cared. No indeed. He had his own problems to worry about. She’d all but knocked him on his arse once before—he wouldn’t give her opportunity to do it again. Give him a warm, sweet-natured, plain woman over a cool, nose-in-the-air hothouse beauty any day.
    “How do you do, Lady Victoria?”
    She lifted her chin and somehow managed, in spite of their height differences, to peer down her nose at him, as if she were a bloody princess and he the lowly hired help.
    “Dr. Oliver.” Her gaze again flickered over his dirty attire and her nose twitched. Catching a pungent whiff of Reginald and Petunia no doubt. When their eyes met again, she said, “You are precisely as I recall.”
    Surely he should have been insulted by her insinuation that when last they’d met he’d been dirty, unkempt, and smelled foul, but instead he found himself unexpectedlyamused. “I’m honored that you remember me, my lady. Our meeting was…brief.”
    She muttered something that sounded suspiciously like not brief enough, then said, “I was expecting your father or brother to greet us.”
    “Neither are home at present, although they will both return for dinner this evening. In the meanwhile, Langston and Mrs. Henshaw have everything in order for your visit.”
    “Excellent. Naturally we are both anxious to get settled and refreshed after our journey.”
    “Naturally.” Although what she needed to refresh, he couldn’t imagine, as she appeared perfectly crisp. He extended his arm toward the house. “Follow me, please.”
    Victoria gathered her skirts, fell into step behind Dr. Oliver and breathed a sigh of relief that she was no longer forced to look into those intriguing gold-flecked eyes that saw too much, knew too much. No longer had to see that lovely mouth that had so thoroughly initiated her into the wonders of kissing. Botheration, she felt overheated and positively breathless, and as much as she longed to blame the condition on the strain of the journey, she’d done nothing more strenuous than sit and her conscience wouldn’t allow such a blatant lie.
    No, Dr. Oliver was the source of her discomfort, and a more vexing situation she could not recall. What on earth was wrong with her? The man looked dreadful . Dirty. Unkempt. Completely ungentlemanly. And he smelled as if he’d spent the day mucking out the stalls and engaged in hard labor. Without his shirt…
    Her gaze settled on his broad back and heat crept up her neck. She now knew what his