No! She could not haveenjoyedthat encounter!
“Have you any idea what would become of your reputation if anyone learned what just occurred?” Jenny asked. “He was there to meet another woman. How do you think she would react if she were to learn that you offered him a kiss! I, for one, would be heartbroken.”
Louisa sighed again, but this time it was not that dreamy sound from before. “That was not my intention. But whoever she is, I pray she does not fall for his dashing good looks. Nor his charm. Now, you cannot deny he was charming in his way.”
Charming? An arrogant demeanor and boasting that women wished to kiss him? Did Louisa forget what had just transpired? “Or his well-turned calf.”
“Louisa!”
“Well, it’s true, and you know it.”
As Louisa continued her tirade, bouncing from complaints about Sir Aaron’s atrocious behavior to how enticing he was, Jenny paused.
Were her friend’s actions toward the knight all that different from Jenny’s thoughts about Lord Dowding?
At least I did not throw myself at him!
The trouble was, the certainty behind the words was missing.
Chapter Seven
Why would a man refuse Miss Jenny Clifton?
This was the dilemma that faced Nicholas as he paced the corridors of Rosling Estate. At any moment, his guilt would overtake him. No matter how justified he was in the destruction of Lord Tulk, he could not use Miss Clifton to make it happen.
His willingness to prey on her innocence was what tore at his heart. His actions made him want to leave and never return. In the end, he had made the nonsensical promise to see her again.
Yet how could he not? She possessed such fairness. And not only in her appearance. Inside, Miss Clifton was pure. Her very presence was calming.
Nicholas was no fool. Well, perhaps he was, but he was not blind. He was attracted to the young woman. And she clearly felt the same about him. Beautiful was the word he had confessed in his heart, but it had also escaped his lips. Now he was caught in a trap of his own making. One from which he never wanted to escape. Although he should.
To make matters worse—or perhaps better—she had whispered that she thought him handsome in return.
In the end, he had been unable to walk away from her. Was it witless on his behalf? Perhaps so—if one were to give the matter careful consideration. But he had no time to consider even the slightest notion of romance. After all, how well did he know her? Not at all. Yet, he somehow found himself wanting to learn all he could about her.
You fool, he growled inwardly.What are you doing? You have no time to dwell on any lovely woman, let alone Miss Clifton. Too much is at stake.
With a shake of his head, he headed to the grand staircase and stopped to stand in the doorway of the room that once belonged to his father. He closed his eyes and brought forth the memory of the man’s last days on this earth. He had been in a great deal of pain, and his suffering was evident. Nicholas had procured the best doctors in hopes of making him more comfortable, but there was little they could do.
In those final hours, Nicholas had sat at his father’s bedside, clasping his hand as he spoke incoherent mumblings. Yet there had been moments of clarity.
“My son,” his father said at one point, “I must make a confession. I must clear my soul.”
Falling to his knees beside the bed, Nicholas moved closer to better hear. “Of course, Father,” he had whispered. “Would you like me to call in the vicar?”
His father gave a nearly imperceptible shake of his head. “This is for you to hear. Before I married your mother, I was with another woman. A maid. She had a child, a daughter. Your sister.”
Nicholas could only gape in disbelief. “A sister? Where is she now, Father? Do you know her name?”
“Eliza. She’s older than you by two years. I searched years for her but could not find her. Then I learned she was working for Lord Florington, but I fell ill…”
“Lord Florington,” Nicholas repeated. “I’m not acquainted with him, but I’ll make inquiries.”
With a sudden burst of energy, his father gripped his hand and said, “You must find her, Nicholas. Tell her that I’m sorry she was forced to live the life of a servant. I should have taken care of her.” His breaths came in short gasps. “Tell her… I’m sorry. If she needs anything, give her all the aid you can, my son. She was neglected for far too long. Swear to me you’ll do this!” He reached up to touch the side of Nicholas’s face, but the heavy gold ring he wore held a roughly cut emerald that scratched Nicholas’s cheek, drawing blood.
Nicholas barely noticed. His attention was on the agony his father was suffering, both physically and mentally.
“I’ll find her and tell her, Father. If she needs money for living expenses, food, clothing, whatever it may be, I swear it shall be done.”