Louisa gasped as he leaned in to kiss her just as he had at the home of Lord Walcott. This time, however, she pushed him away. With a grunt, he took a step back. She would not be caught in his net again!
“You’re correct. This situation resembles that encounter. And I would like to leave you with the same words as I did then. I despise you, Sir Aaron!”
The knight crossed his arms over his chest and barked a laugh. “No, Miss Dunston. Like before, you’re smitten with me. You may deny it, but you and I both know it for true.”
A growl stuck in her throat, for she could not argue this fact. She did want his kisses, but she wanted to strangle him more! Therefore, she turned on her heel and barged from the room to go in search of Ruth. As they gathered their wraps, Sir Aaron leaned against a nearby wall, that silly grin on his face.
“Would you like me to accompany you back to the school?” he asked.
Adjusting her wrap, Louisa replied in her sweetest tone, “I would rather poke the eyes from my head, sir.”
Ruth snorted and quickly covered it with a cough as Sir Aaron opened the door for them. “At least allow me to walk you to the carriage.”
The sky was washed in pink as they stepped outside, but Louisa paid the sunset little heed. All she wanted was to be as far away from this beast as she could be. Yet as she lifted her skirts to follow Ruth into the vehicle, he placed a hand on her arm to forestall her.
“I know you think I’m cruel, but I assure you, I’m not. I only wish to save you from the humiliation of me besting you when I purchase the theater.”
Louisa placed a hand on his chest. His heart beat against her palm. “I recognize my destiny now. I’ll write a book.”
“A book? And what will it be about?”
“A knight with a rather large head who was bested by a woman and thus scorned for the rest of his life. Yes, that is exactly what I’ll do. I’ll save the theater and write a book about it.”
Without waiting for his reply, she stepped into the carriage and closed the door. Soon, she and Ruth were heading back to Courtly Manor.
“You’ll not believe what he said!” Louisa said.
Ruth laughed. “Oh, I do believe it. I heard everything.”
“You spied on me?”
Ruth shook her head. “No, I’m your chaperone. It’s my job to see you don’t succumb to your passions.”
Louisa sniffed. “You mean his passions,” she corrected.
“Oh no, I mean yours. I’m beginning to see that your frustration with him stems from the attraction you feel whenever you’re in his company.”
Crossing her arms, Louisa glared at her friend. “I’m not attracted to him in the slightest! At least not any longer. It has been a terrible mistake on my part, but I’ll remedy that situation just as soon as I can.”
Ruth shook her head. “Maybe if you tell yourself that enough, you just might believe it.”
ChapterFifteen
Three days had passed since Louisa had last spoken to Sir Aaron. Despite how they had left things, to deny she missed him would be a lie. There was something about that man that seemed to call to her. What that was, she could not name, yet it was there just beneath the surface of understanding. He frustrated her, to be sure, but Ruth had been right. Fighting her attraction to him was a challenge, for he was a walking contradiction. Arrogant one moment, compassionate the next.
After opening her heart to him, after allowing him to see a piece of her soul, she was glad she had not revealed all to him. If he ridiculed her for wanting to learn beyond what was expected of her, how would he have reacted if she had shared more? No, she had made the right choice. He could not be trusted. And winning this feud was the only way to be rid of him for good, so she would be able to find a husband worthy of her.
But she had no time to waste thinking of him. Two of her friends, her Sisters, were now far more important.
Gray clouds dotted the sky as Louisa stood on the portico of Courtly Manor with the remaining members of the Sisterhood of Secrets. Unity’s parents had arrived the previous evening, ready to collect the twins so they could return to Unity’s home. Their belongings had already been strapped to the top of the carriage, and the girls were allowed a moment alone to say their farewells.
“I’ve no idea what to say,” Louisa said as she blinked back tears. “I’ll miss you both so very much. The school will not be the same without you here.”
Unity dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief. “The years passed by far too quickly. I suppose I have no one to blame but myself. And Theodosia.” She grinned at her friend. “After all, we both urged it forward because we’ve so looked forward to the next stage of our lives. Now I find myself in a conundrum. I wish to turn back the clock so I have more time here, yet I also cannot wait to leave. I know I speak for us both when I say that we will cherish every moment of our time here.”
Theodosia nodded. “I could not have said it better myself, Unity. It’s as if we’re leaving behind family.”
“That’s because you are,” Louisa said. “We’re all sisters now, remember? We made a pact, which means we’re now family. But all children in a family must move on, do they not?”