“You ran off after Freddie without telling her,” said Oliver when the boy trailed off, eyes cast down.
Both children nodded. Oliver simply chuckled. “No need to look so glum, children. Don’t worry, I’ll return you to your Miss Hollis and have a nice chat with her. You see, I’m told I have a smile that can charm anyone out of the blackest of moods.” He looked at Elizabeth and winked. He winked! Had he ever winked at her before? No. She didn’t think so. Because she would have definitely remembered the way she was feeling—like melting or skipping or giggling.
A hand on her elbow made her jump. “We need to be going or Lady Kensworth will grow anxious.” Lord Hastings's voice sounded grave.
Oh. Right. She had to drive back with him. Her heart sank. In her mind, Elizabeth had imagined herself walking with Oliver and the children back to their governess. After, Oliver would have walked her home but taken the long way, allowing them to get lost for a time and explore the less traveled paths of Hyde Park.
Instead, she was climbing into that stuffy curricle with a man who made her long to step on his toes, while she watched Oliver disappear across the park.
The drive back to Kensworth House was a quiet one. But the thoughts inside Elizabeth’s mind were plenty loud. Oh, how she ached to give Lord Hastings a stinging set down. The worst feeling, however, was that of hopelessness. He was supposed to be the one to help her move on from Oliver. Instead, he was serving in the opposite capacity. Oliver was even more wonderful in her eyes than he had been yesterday. A large part of her wished he would stop showing up in her life. Maybe every other man wouldn’t look so dim if not forced to live in Oliver’s magnificent shadow.
The carriage came to stop in front of Kensworth House and a footman approached the side, ready to help Elizabeth down. Lord Hastings held up his hand to the servant. “Give us a moment.”
Elizabeth’s body went rigid. She didn’t wish to spend another moment in that man’s company. Handsome or not. She kept her eyes firmly fixed on her hands, tightly clasped in her lap, gritting her teeth in a way that would most definitely hurt later.
“Am I right to assume you are vexed with me over my reaction to the children at the park?” His smug voice irritated her.
“A bit.” She prepared herself for his defense.
His weary sigh, however, surprised her. Elizabeth turned her head and saw his broad shoulders sink a little. “You’re right to be vexed with me. I’m angry with myself, in fact.” She blinked at him, not sure what to do with that statement. He peeked over at her, a crooked smile on his mouth. “I was a pompous coxcomb back there. I can only beg for your forgiveness and ask that you put that memory out of your mind.” As it turns out, Lord Hastings wore a crooked smile nicely.
“Well…I suppose we could strike a deal. I might be able to forget your manners in the park if you are willing to forget my manners during Miss Loxley’s soirée.”
He shook his head. “I should never wish to forget that night.”
“But in the park you said you were surprised you did not give me the cut direct.”
He turned to face her more fully. “What I was going to say to you before we were interrupted by Freddie, was that I have a tendency to be completely and utterly daft when it comes to women.” Elizabeth had to press her lips together to not smile. “Somehow I have gained the reputation of a self-assured gentleman who finds woman beneath him. The truth is that I am shockingly shy and have no idea how to act around the opposite sex. Your manners at the soirée were shocking to me in the best of ways. You forced me out of my comfort and intrigued me. What I am about to admit is humiliating and would be a real damage to my finely crafted reputation, therefore you should know, if repeated, I will deny it to my grave.”
She couldn’t help her chuckle. “Very well, tell me your secret and I shall promise to keep it. Unless of course, it’s just too fantastic to keep to myself.”
“I was surprised that I did not ignore you because usually I am not bold enough to approach a beautiful woman.” Elizabeth felt a subtle stir inside her at his words. And she was more than pleased he hadn’t used the word well to describe her. “And now, having you here with me, I have no idea how to act or the proper thing to say. At the park, I shamefully admit that I was hoping to appear masculine and dashing. It was ridiculous, I see that now. Please, I beg you to forget this entire morning and allow me another chance.”
She smiled. “I would like that very much.” The only thing that would have made his speech any better was if he had taken her hand while making it. Something in her longed to know if his touch would invoke the same fire that she felt from Oliver’s.
But no…that was unfair. Elizabeth was determined to no longer compare Lord Hastings to Oliver.
She would give him the fair chance he deserved.
Chapter Seventeen
“I never got a chance to ask you about your morning with Lord Hastings yesterday,” said Rose as she and Elizabeth continued down the sidewalk toward Hatley House. Elizabeth hadn’t seen Mary since her move to Kensworth House. She had been meaning to visit, but every time she had considered it she'd thought of their last conversation and Elizabeth would talk herself out of it. She remembered that look in Mary’s eye—sad and heavy, but unwilling to talk about it with her younger sister who she clearly didn’t trust to rely on her to help with her troubles. The rejection still stung.
So, Elizabeth had been avoiding her sister. Robert, however, had sent a note over to Carver that morning requesting Rose and Elizabeth to come visit Mary. “But under no circumstances must Mary know that I have written on her behalf.” Elizabeth could almost see Robert hovered over a desk, quickly dashing off a note, fearfully looking over his shoulder in case Mary should find him out and spend the rest of the day scolding him for trying to take care of her without her approval.
Mary could be frightening when she wanted to be.
The sun was bright and warm against Elizabeth’s skin as she tipped her face up toward the sky, squinting at the light and trying to decide how to respond to Rose. My time with Lord Hastings was something of an intriguing disaster and I have no idea how my relationship with him will end. No. That wouldn’t work. Since Elizabeth was hoping this courtship with the viscount would see the distance, she didn’t want to put him in Rose’s black books by telling her about his manners toward the children.
So what to tell Rose? It was absolutely wonderful and I’ve fallen madly in love with him! Definitely not. She was a terrible actress and could never be that convincing.
“Too late,” said Rose, pulling Elizabeth to a stop with her on the sidewalk. “You took too long to answer. Now I know you had a terrible time.” Elizabeth wondered if she just kept on moving, would it keep Rose from asking any more questions? Worth a try.
“Elizabeth Ashburn, stop right there.”
Elizabeth stopped and winced as she waited for Rose to catch back up. Rose crossed in front of Elizabeth and paused. She was a tiny yet fierce woman. Elizabeth watched, resisting a smile as Rose tugged at the bonnet strings under her chin as if she could barely tolerate the thing being on her head. Rose had never been an admirer of fashionable ladies’ bonnets. It made Elizabeth laugh to see her sister-in-law so uncomfortable.
“What happened with Lord Hastings?” asked Rose.