Just Like Heaven (Smythe-Smith Quartet #1)

by Julia Quinn

He gave her his best smile. His best I-almost-died-so-how-can-you-deny-me smile. Or at least that’s how he hoped it appeared. The truth was, he wasn’t a very accomplished flirt, and it might very well have come across as an I-am-mildly-deranged-so-it’s-in-all-of-our-best-interests-if-you-pretend-to-agree-with-me smile. There was really no way to know.

“I did enjoy it,” she finally said, “although I found some parts to be implausible.” He flipped over the book and peered down. “Really?” “You’re not very far into it,” Honoria said, tugging the tea towel back in her direction. “Her mother is pecked to death by pigeons.” Marcus regarded the book with newfound respect. “Really?”

“How about The Life and Death of Cardinal Wolsey?” she asked, holding up another book. “No? I also have History of the Rise, Progress, and Termination of the American Revolution.” “You really do think I’m dull,” he said to her. She looked at him accusingly. “The Crusades are not dull.” “But you brought only Volume Two,” he reminded her. “I can certainly go back and look for the first volume.” He decided to interpret that as a threat.

Instead he said something like: “Oh, well.” Or perhaps, “Quite so.” Either way, it served the purpose of making a noise without saying anything at all.

“Can you try to smile?” Honoria asked wearily. Iris stretched her lips into an expression so frightening that Marcus almost left the room. “Good God, never mind,” Honoria muttered. “Don’t do that.” “It is difficult to feign good humor when all I wish is to throw myself through the window.” “The window is closed,” Daisy said officiously. Iris’s stare was pure venom. “Precisely.”