Chapter8
Aurora sat forward in her hired carriage, watching Lord Sullivan rush up the front stairs of the distant town house where they were supposed to have met earlier that day. She had arrived on time, before him it seemed. Had already knocked on the door to no reply from within.
He had not said the house in Conduit Street was unoccupied. She had expected at least a servant to answer the door to admit her.
Disappointed and slightly embarrassed, she’d rushed away to hail a new carriage, since she’d unwisely sent her last one away. She’d dived inside to hide her flaming face and wondered what to do. She’d assumed Sullivan had given her the wrong address. But just as she’d started to ask the new coachman to take her home, a gleaming black carriage had deposited Sullivan in front of the town house.
He seemed in a great hurry to get inside.
She gulped, unsure whether his rush was a good sign or not.
She could admit to herself that she’d thought of nothing but Sullivan’s mouth on her skin since their last meeting a week ago. Seeing him, even from this distance, seemed to affect her greatly.
“Where to, madam?” the coachman called out a second time while she had been sitting here, indecisive.
She had to see Sullivan again, if only to hear of his pursuit of other women. That’s what matchmakers do.
With that thought firmly in mind, Aurora stepped out of the carriage, handed over some coin for the coachman’s trouble, and headed for the front door of the town house.
The door opened before she could even knock, and she slipped inside. Sullivan shut the door by leaning against it until it closed. “I feared you wouldn’t come,” he whispered.
She didn’t mention he was tardy. “I keep my promises.”
“As do I. Come this way,” he said before immediately striding into the next room.
Aurora followed more slowly, taking a moment to get her bearings. It seemed she was in a modest town house. Four square chambers below and a narrow staircase splitting the house into two. Upstairs appeared very dark, despite being the middle of the day and sunny outside. But the downstairs drapes had been drawn back in each front room, revealing the house was fully furnished. Many things were under dust cloths.
She followed after Sullivan to discover him uncovering a desk and chairs. “Whose house is this?”
“No one’s yet. It is for sale though. It’s a rare opportunity indeed. I have the permission of the owner to inspect it this afternoon and take all the time I need. If I like it enough, I might just purchase it.”
“An investment?”
“Perhaps. It could be mine, too. The town house I currently live in is a seasonal lease, and my landlord expects more and more each year.”
“I see.” She glanced around again. “This room at least seems very comfortable.”
“That is what I thought, too,” he said as he sat down at the desk as if he planned to work there. “I do like this chamber. What do you think of it as a study?”
“The light is good.” She went to the window and peered out. “It has a view of the courtyard but not much else.”
“That is all right by me. I would sit here to work most mornings and shouldn’t become distracted anyway.”
She nodded slowly. “Why did you want to meet me here?”
“It’s more private than anywhere else,” Sullivan murmured. “Far away from prying eyes and servants, since there are none here.”
“None at all?”
“There’s only an old fellow who sleeps here each evening to deter thieves, I’m told.” He covered up the desk again. “Would you like to talk while we take a look at the rest of the place together?”
“Have you not been here before?”
“Not until today.” He caught her hand in his larger one and dragged her from the room with a soft laugh. “The best way to decide about any property, I find, is to imagine living there. Can you help me do that? I would appreciate a woman’s point of view.”
“Why not? But we will discuss your progress this past week.”
Sullivan nodded as he uncovered all the furniture in the drawing room, and once he’d slapped the settee a few times and judged it free of dust, threw himself upon it. “A good length for me. All the furniture would be mine, so it is important to test it all, too.”