Chapter 15
Dinner, which had been tense every night since their arrival, was even more so that evening. Trapped between Lord Warrington and Mr Tulk, Alice could think of nothing but what had happened in the observatory. Every time Lord Warrington glanced in her direction, she imagined his lips upon hers once more. She imagined things going much further, further than she'd ever been with any man before.
Thomas is the first man I have ever kissed!she thought, not counting Mr Tulk who she had once kissed when they were merely children just to see what it felt like to be an 'adult'. Yet, Alice did not feel like an adult after kissing Thomas.No, his name is Lord Warrington,she scolded herself firmly.
She felt like a child again, awkward, and foolish and wanting nothing more than to hide away. The only thing that stopped her screaming her frustrations for all to hear was Mr Tulk and his usual flirtatious self. It was easy to lose herself in laughter and merriment whenever Mr Tulk was around. Yet whenever she laughed openly, she felt Warrington's eyes upon her, watching her, admiring her. She could feel the tension between them, imagine reaching out and touching it as if it were a living, solid thing.
Several times she was sure she saw jealousy written plainly on the man's face, the expression aimed at Mr Tulk who appeared oblivious to the entire ordeal going on silently beside him.
By the time that dinner was over, and all began to move to the parlour, Alice was so tense she thought she might never be able to bend her spine again. The relief she felt at walking away from the dining table was so strong that her knees grew weak with them only to become rigid again when she heardhimwhisper behind her, "Miss Skeffington."
I was so close!she thought seeing just how close the door to the parlour was. She caught sight of Nancy eyeing her from the doorway before she turned and forced a smile for Lord Warrington.
"Yes, my lord?" she said through gritted teeth, only half relaxing when she heard Nancy's footsteps fade into the parlour.
"May I have a moment?" Lord Warrington asked, eyeing Baron Colton who passed by a little too closely. The Baron seemed not to notice, instead offering Alice a bow of his head.
"Will you be joining us in the parlour, Miss Skeffington?" the older Baron asked, pausing a little way off.
"I shall see you in there," Alice promised, relieved when the nobleman nodded and continued after the other guests.
Alice remained right where she was, keeping a careful distance from Lord Warrington until everyone had disappeared into the parlour. Then she turned to him, taking a step forward out of sheer instinct. The moment his gaze caught hers, she wished she had not. She was too close for comfort, all too aware that if he took one step and reached out, he would have her in his arms once more.
"Miss Skeffington, you have been tense all evening," he remarked as soon as they were alone save for a maid who stood discreetly off at the far end of the hallway, chaperoning but giving privacy with her gaze to the ground.
He would not dare to kiss me again with a maid present,Alice hoped, though her stomach clenched at the thought of missing out on the touch of his lips.No, never again!
"Have I?" she gasped, deciding it was best to feign innocence. She kept her hands carefully clasped before her so not to reach out and touch him. Even so, her fingers tingled with the urge.
"Yes, and we are both well aware why," Thomas announced. He did the very thing Alice wished he would not. He took a step toward her. Alice half-stepped back, unable to force herself to move away entirely. Her heart skipped a beat, her breath hitching at his closeness. Though they never touched, Alice could feel him. Her body responded to his, her head spinning with the desire to kiss him again.It can never happen!
"I have been doing my best to forget it and so should you," Alice announced, regretting her harshness the moment she saw a flash of surprise flit through Thomas' emerald-green gaze.
He visibly sucked in breath, the action causing him to straighten up. He towered over Alice with a stern expression, and she braced herself for whatever scathing comment he was going to make.
"You are quite right, Miss Skeffington. We should both do our bit to forget everything that has happened between us," he stated, his gaze turned hard. Alice forced a firm nod. Every inch of her body was screaming at her to throw herself into his arms and take it all back, to apologise for ever having suggested they forget. Yet the cold glaze in Thomas' gaze said he would not accept it nor thank her for it.
"You would do well to relax a little, Miss Skeffington," Thomas insisted, his voice grim and grating. "You are wearing your emotions all over your face this evening."
Alice's mouth dropped open then, but she quickly corrected herself, stepping back, stung by his tone. Never in her adult life had she allowed her true feelings to show, and she was almost certain that she was not now. Yes, she may have been quieter than usual but that was not an indicator of much.
"Lord Warrington, you are very self-confident if you believe you have such a sway over my emotions," she said, struggling to keep the snapping from her tone. She glared at the earl, hoping that he would see the anger in her expression replacing whatever he believed he had seen beforehand. "Nothing shall ever happen between us again."
Lord Warrington raised an eyebrow. Alice could not be sure whether he was surprised by her scolding tone or even suspicious as to whether he had gotten things wrong. Either way, it did not matter. Alice quickly curtseyed and added, "I am glad we are in agreement, my lord. I wish you well for the rest of your evening."
With that, she turned and began to make her way into the parlour, her head bowed to hide the fact that her cheeks were flushed, and she felt tears pricking her eyes. She could feel his stare burning into her back as she went and the urge to turn back and fling herself at him once more pervaded her.
"Alice, do come here, sweetheart!"
Alice groaned the moment she entered the parlour. The last thing she needed right now was for her mother to question her. She was not sure she had the strength to stop herself from being truthful. Turning her gaze in the direction of her mother's voice, she found her standing beside the fireplace.
The problem was, she was not alone. Though there were people milling all about the place, several seated on the couches dotted around the room, there was one man standing firmly at her mother's side. It was clear that Lady Skeffington and Mr Gouldsmith had been deep in conversation before Alice entered.
Why could not I have hurried off to bed?Alice thought. A glance at the grandfather clock to her left told her that everyone would believe her to be unwell if she disappeared so early in the evening.
She had little choice now but to cross the room with a smile, bowing her head to those who showed any acknowledgement of her presence. She hoped that nobody would stop her to talk. She was not sure she could take multiple snippets of small talk on top of whatever her mother had planned for her with Mr Gouldsmith.
"Alice, Mr Gouldsmith was just telling me of his love for plant life," her mother said the moment that Alice approached and offered Mr Gouldsmith a curtsey.