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Authors: Kimberley Comeaux
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nerves.”
Helen started to speak but stopped when Cameron suddenly walked into the foyer. He looked at Claudia first, and the smile that lit his face nearly took her breath away. “Lady Claudia.” His deep voice resembled smooth honey as he walked toward them. “What a pleasant surprise.”
“I don’t think he’s angry,” Helen whispered.
“Shh!” Claudia gave her friend a gentle nudge with her elbow.
“Lord Kinclary,” she greeted him in return. “You know my friend, Lady Northingshire?”
She was relieved when he turned to Helen with a warm smile. “Ah, yes. I believe our introduction was interrupted in the park. I’m so glad to finally make your acquaintance.” He picked up her gloved hand and bent over it gallantly.
Helen put her other hand to her chest, and Claudia had to bite her lip to hide a smile. Helen was such a romantic, and now she would be talking about his courtly behavior for weeks.
Cameron escorted them into a brightly lit parlor and seated them on a brocade-covered sofa. After ringing for tea he sat across from them. “Now to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?”
He smiled at her confidently, as if he found her presence in his home no surprise at all.
“This is not a sociable call. We’ve come only to inquire after a certain matter,” she informed him abruptly.
Cameron’s smile deepened. “Are you sure you’re not here because you missed me?”
“Preposterous!”
“That’s partly the reason,” Helen affirmed at the same time as Claudia denied it.
“Helen!” Claudia admonished.
“Well?” Helen said with a shrug.
“Or did you finally want to thank me for those rescues?”
“No,” she snapped but then decided to soften her tone a bit. She was here, after all, to ask for his help. “I mean, of course, I thank you for rescuing me from that horrid mugger, but it isn’t why I—”
“Wait one minute!” he interrupted her then turned to Helen. “You are a witness to this statement, are you not? She did just thank me? I’m not dreaming?”
Helen giggled as she nodded, and Claudia closed her eyes briefly, praying for patience. “Lord Kinclary—”
“Cameron,” he corrected.
She pursed her lips and shook her head. “Cameron.” She wasn’t going to argue the point. “We’re not here because I’ve missed you or any other such nonsense.” She ignored his look of disbelief and hurried to say the rest. “I’m here because I found out where my grandfather is, and only you can help me meet him.”
Cameron’s flirtatious smile turned questioning. “I don’t understand.”
Claudia exchanged a glance with Helen then looked back to him. “My grandfather is—” Claudia swallowed nervously. Her throat was so dry she nearly choked. She suddenly stood up. “Perhaps this is not the best time to go into all this. I think we should leave. Now!”
Helen stood with her and took hold of her arm. “Just tell him.”
Claudia glanced at Cameron and found she could not say it. It did matter to her what he thought of her. She did have feelings for him, which went deeper than she wanted to admit. If telling him meant he might look down upon her, she didn’t think she could bear it. “I can’t. We must leave.”
Helen shook her head as Cameron stood up with them. “Lord Kinclary, Claudia’s grandfather is George Canterbury—your butler.”
When he didn’t say anything, Claudia finally let her gaze rise to see his expression. He appeared absolutely stunned.
Claudia’s heart dropped when he glanced at her before looking away. “Are you sure it’s my George Canterbury?”
“Yes. He was a butler in Grandfather Moreland’s home when my father married his daughter,” Claudia answered stiffly. Her fears were coming to fruition when Cameron still would not look at her.
“Lord Kinclary,” Helen cut in, “could you perhaps speak to your butler and ask if he would meet with Claudia? Her greatest desire is to form a relationship with
Helen started to speak but stopped when Cameron suddenly walked into the foyer. He looked at Claudia first, and the smile that lit his face nearly took her breath away. “Lady Claudia.” His deep voice resembled smooth honey as he walked toward them. “What a pleasant surprise.”
“I don’t think he’s angry,” Helen whispered.
“Shh!” Claudia gave her friend a gentle nudge with her elbow.
“Lord Kinclary,” she greeted him in return. “You know my friend, Lady Northingshire?”
She was relieved when he turned to Helen with a warm smile. “Ah, yes. I believe our introduction was interrupted in the park. I’m so glad to finally make your acquaintance.” He picked up her gloved hand and bent over it gallantly.
Helen put her other hand to her chest, and Claudia had to bite her lip to hide a smile. Helen was such a romantic, and now she would be talking about his courtly behavior for weeks.
Cameron escorted them into a brightly lit parlor and seated them on a brocade-covered sofa. After ringing for tea he sat across from them. “Now to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?”
He smiled at her confidently, as if he found her presence in his home no surprise at all.
“This is not a sociable call. We’ve come only to inquire after a certain matter,” she informed him abruptly.
Cameron’s smile deepened. “Are you sure you’re not here because you missed me?”
“Preposterous!”
“That’s partly the reason,” Helen affirmed at the same time as Claudia denied it.
“Helen!” Claudia admonished.
“Well?” Helen said with a shrug.
“Or did you finally want to thank me for those rescues?”
“No,” she snapped but then decided to soften her tone a bit. She was here, after all, to ask for his help. “I mean, of course, I thank you for rescuing me from that horrid mugger, but it isn’t why I—”
“Wait one minute!” he interrupted her then turned to Helen. “You are a witness to this statement, are you not? She did just thank me? I’m not dreaming?”
Helen giggled as she nodded, and Claudia closed her eyes briefly, praying for patience. “Lord Kinclary—”
“Cameron,” he corrected.
She pursed her lips and shook her head. “Cameron.” She wasn’t going to argue the point. “We’re not here because I’ve missed you or any other such nonsense.” She ignored his look of disbelief and hurried to say the rest. “I’m here because I found out where my grandfather is, and only you can help me meet him.”
Cameron’s flirtatious smile turned questioning. “I don’t understand.”
Claudia exchanged a glance with Helen then looked back to him. “My grandfather is—” Claudia swallowed nervously. Her throat was so dry she nearly choked. She suddenly stood up. “Perhaps this is not the best time to go into all this. I think we should leave. Now!”
Helen stood with her and took hold of her arm. “Just tell him.”
Claudia glanced at Cameron and found she could not say it. It did matter to her what he thought of her. She did have feelings for him, which went deeper than she wanted to admit. If telling him meant he might look down upon her, she didn’t think she could bear it. “I can’t. We must leave.”
Helen shook her head as Cameron stood up with them. “Lord Kinclary, Claudia’s grandfather is George Canterbury—your butler.”
When he didn’t say anything, Claudia finally let her gaze rise to see his expression. He appeared absolutely stunned.
Claudia’s heart dropped when he glanced at her before looking away. “Are you sure it’s my George Canterbury?”
“Yes. He was a butler in Grandfather Moreland’s home when my father married his daughter,” Claudia answered stiffly. Her fears were coming to fruition when Cameron still would not look at her.
“Lord Kinclary,” Helen cut in, “could you perhaps speak to your butler and ask if he would meet with Claudia? Her greatest desire is to form a relationship with
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