“You think it an unfavorable idea?”
“More than a little unfavorable, my Lord. I think it’s rather foolish.”
His eyebrows lifted.
“Foolish?”
She nodded to him.
“Yes, foolish. What if you were discovered? What could be your excuse for being found in the home of a dead man?”
“I would not permit myself to be caught.” Lord Foster smiled, but there was a stiffness to it. “You may think the risk is great, but I can see no other way forward. Yes, I could ask many people about Lord Gillespie’s friends and the name of particular Viscounts he kept in company with - but what answers could they give me? They could give me the names of ten Viscounts and I would be none the wiser! But if I were to look through his correspondence, then I might find myself with an answer more quickly than any amount of questioning might manage to provide me with one.”
Lord Foster held her gaze steadily, but Alice could only shake her head again.
This did not seem a wise plan at all. To her mind, if Lord Foster was caught, then his reputation would be damaged all the more. Thetonwould state that, as an impoverished fellow, he had gone in the hope of seeking a little additional wealth - anything he could take from Lord Gillespie’s house. Anything that would bring him a little bit of coin. Any explanation he tried to give would be thrown aside.
“I seek only to protect you, Lord Foster.”
“There is no need for you to do so. I am perfectly able to take care of my own situation.”
There was a flash of temper in his eyes and Alice bristled as he folded his arms across his already puffed-out chest.
“I am doing what I have promised, Lord Foster. I am attempting not only to aid you but to preserve your reputation as best as I can.” Her temper flared, and she found herself saying something she had never intended. “If you are determined to go, then I shall come with you.”
Lord Foster immediately shook his head.
“No, Miss Lawrence, I couldn’t let you do such a thing.”
“And yet I am determined.” Realizing that she could not change her mind, and state that she would not go with him after all, Alice held her head high. “If we went together, then perhaps I might be able to protect you from any lingering servants… or any of the gentry who may come into his house for whatever reason. Or mayhap even his successor!”
“Miss Lawrence, when we made our agreement, I did not ever think nor expect that you would go to such lengths as this.”
Giving him a small smile, Alice stepped forward just so that she was as close to him as he had been to her. A hint of spice caught her nose and she inhaled instinctively, finding her stomach dropping, before it ricocheted back up, something delicious swirling through it. Speaking in a somewhat shaky voice, she held her gaze fixed to his.
“I will not be put off, Lord Foster. If you are determined to go to Lord Gillespie’s house, then I shall go with you, and together we will look through his correspondence to see what we can discover. Now what say you? Will you accept my offer, or will you refuse?”
Lord Foster said nothing for some moments. The air seemed to crackle as she looked up into his face, never blinking, never looking away. And then he dropped his head, speaking to her in a low whisper which had every inch of her shivering.
It seems that I am to wed a determined young woman.” A hint of a smile touched his lips. “I do not know whether I ought to be pleased or irritated. But yes, if you are determined to join me, then I shall see no way forward other than to agree. I do not know how you will do it, Miss Lawrence, for your parents will surely miss you if you are absent from the house. But it must be done so – either by one or both of us.”
The tone of his voice did nothing to prevent Alice’s determination. It had wavered a little, but at the challenge in his eyes and in his voice, she found it renewed.
“You need not have any concern as to how I will go about it, Lord Foster.” Placing both hands on her hips, she tipped her chin up. “Tell me when I must be there, and I shall meet you at Lord Gillespie’s.”
“Very well.” Lord Foster grinned, and the expression on his face was so startling that Alice’s eyes cleared and her breath hitched. How had he flitted from one expression to the next with such swiftness?
“Let us say Friday.” Lord Foster’s voice was low, and to her utter astonishment, his fingers lifted to trace across her cheek and down the curve of her neck to rest upon her shoulder. “I did not think you so determined, Miss Lawrence. It is something of a surprise to me, but I do not think it is an unwelcome one.” The grin began to fade, and Alice finally took a breath, then let out a small gasp as his nearness suddenly overwhelmed her, to the point that she was struggling to think anything comprehensible. Licking her lips, she let her gaze rest on his mouth for a moment, seeing how his lips puckered. Would there ever come a time when he would kiss her? Would there ever be a moment when she would lose herself in his embrace? “I shall send you a note tomorrow.”
Lord Foster stepped back sharply, and everything between them fell away. Alice was returned to the moment, to the dancing, and the conversation and laughter which filled the room, instead of the silence which had overwhelmed her as she had looked up into Lord Foster’s face. Turning completely away from him, unwilling to look up any longer, Alice tried to steady her furious heart. These few minutes in his company had sent her into a whirlwind of emotions, and she was not entirely ready to return to herself. She did not hear Lord Foster bid her farewell, nor did she see him take his leave of her. Instead, she looked out unseeingly at the crowd, leaning back against the wall of the ballroom and taking deep breaths over and over until she finally felt settled.
This is only a practical arrangement. I cannot allow emotions to confuse matters further.
Closing her eyes, Alice pressed one hand to her stomach. It would do her no good to think of Lord Foster in any other way than she did at present. To fall in love with him would cause all manner of problems, she was quite sure… and they had problems enough already.
Chapter Nine
There was a moment when you almost kissed her.