Brewer, she was a mother, she was a daughter and sister, but she didn’t feel like a woman .
As a married lady, she’d discovered she had a sensual nature. When Colin died, she had dismissed that part of her life, thinking it could be put aside and forever ignored. Obviously that wasn’t true, or the one night with Luke would never have happened in the first place. Now, having seen him again, spoken with him, looked once more into those mesmerizing gray eyes, she couldn’t stop thinking about that wanton, delicious night . . . about him .
Mrs. Pearson said blithely, “I’ve heard some wicked rumors about Altea, I admit it.”
“Do tell.” Lady Hendricks stopped in the act of taking another sweet.
“He’s as reckless in the boudoir as he is in the gaming rooms.”
“Where there’s a Daudet male, there will always be women,” Mrs. Pearce agreed sagely.
“Brazenly willing women, no doubt. I was afraid Lady Hart was going to ravish him on the ballroom floor the other evening. She’s positively shameless in her quest to snare his interest.”
“Well, I heard—”
Oh, no. This was the last scenario Madeline wanted. Older ladies exchanging intimate gossip about Luke. She rose abruptly. “I just noticed the time. My apologies, but I forgot I have an appointment. Please excuse me.”
“Darling . . .” her mother began to say, her eyes wide and startled.
There was no question of explaining her precipitous departure. Madeline smiled at the room at large and murmured a hasty farewell, exiting the house to find her driver waiting by the carriage, idly talking to a tall young man in a nondescript coat and threadbare hat, his lean jaw showing a straggle of dark whiskers. An interesting scar bisected one eyebrow and lent him the air of a down-on-his-luck pirate. He politely tugged on the brim of the disreputable hat when she approached. “My lady.”
Her questioning look was met with a small smile. He bowed and produced a small packet from his jacket. “I was instructed to wait and hand this to you personally, Lady Brewer.”
It was oblong and heavy, and a small thrill of relief went through as she realized just what it was. Colin’s journal, no doubt. Luke had come through as promised. “Thank you,” she said with as much dignity as possible.
The man’s eyes showed a certain keen level of intel ligence at odds with his threadbare clothing. “Not at all. A pleasure to serve such a lovely lady.”
She watched him walk away, a little bemused, and then let her driver help her into her carriage. Once in side, she unwrapped the delivery as they pulled into the street, her hands not quite steady.
Luke’s note was brief. For you, as promised.
For you. As promised.
Madeline held the journal in her hands and gazed out the window, not seeing the passing houses or hear ing the street hawkers on the corners. Touched, moved, relieved . . . she was all of those things and more.
Unfortunately, so much more.
What to do about it was the question.
Chapter Six
“I can’t.”
“Why?”
“Because.” Elizabeth gazed at her companion with exasperated consternation. “Miles won’t court someone just because I tell him I think he should do so. He might, in fact, form a distaste for Miss Meyer if I encourage him to consider a romance. He likes nothing more than to irritate me. We are always squabbling over something or another.”
“You told me you and he were inseparable as children.”
“We’ve grown up and it isn’t the same.” That was an understatement. The Miles she remembered had changed. It was hard to define how, but it was there .
“Yet you waltzed with him twice the other evening.” Walking next to her, Amelia St. James seemed to consider a group of playing children with their watchful nannies, but her mouth twitched.
“He’s my cousin.” Elizabeth shrugged, enjoying the warmth of the beautiful afternoon. The park was predictably crowded with both fashionably dressed
As a married lady, she’d discovered she had a sensual nature. When Colin died, she had dismissed that part of her life, thinking it could be put aside and forever ignored. Obviously that wasn’t true, or the one night with Luke would never have happened in the first place. Now, having seen him again, spoken with him, looked once more into those mesmerizing gray eyes, she couldn’t stop thinking about that wanton, delicious night . . . about him .
Mrs. Pearson said blithely, “I’ve heard some wicked rumors about Altea, I admit it.”
“Do tell.” Lady Hendricks stopped in the act of taking another sweet.
“He’s as reckless in the boudoir as he is in the gaming rooms.”
“Where there’s a Daudet male, there will always be women,” Mrs. Pearce agreed sagely.
“Brazenly willing women, no doubt. I was afraid Lady Hart was going to ravish him on the ballroom floor the other evening. She’s positively shameless in her quest to snare his interest.”
“Well, I heard—”
Oh, no. This was the last scenario Madeline wanted. Older ladies exchanging intimate gossip about Luke. She rose abruptly. “I just noticed the time. My apologies, but I forgot I have an appointment. Please excuse me.”
“Darling . . .” her mother began to say, her eyes wide and startled.
There was no question of explaining her precipitous departure. Madeline smiled at the room at large and murmured a hasty farewell, exiting the house to find her driver waiting by the carriage, idly talking to a tall young man in a nondescript coat and threadbare hat, his lean jaw showing a straggle of dark whiskers. An interesting scar bisected one eyebrow and lent him the air of a down-on-his-luck pirate. He politely tugged on the brim of the disreputable hat when she approached. “My lady.”
Her questioning look was met with a small smile. He bowed and produced a small packet from his jacket. “I was instructed to wait and hand this to you personally, Lady Brewer.”
It was oblong and heavy, and a small thrill of relief went through as she realized just what it was. Colin’s journal, no doubt. Luke had come through as promised. “Thank you,” she said with as much dignity as possible.
The man’s eyes showed a certain keen level of intel ligence at odds with his threadbare clothing. “Not at all. A pleasure to serve such a lovely lady.”
She watched him walk away, a little bemused, and then let her driver help her into her carriage. Once in side, she unwrapped the delivery as they pulled into the street, her hands not quite steady.
Luke’s note was brief. For you, as promised.
For you. As promised.
Madeline held the journal in her hands and gazed out the window, not seeing the passing houses or hear ing the street hawkers on the corners. Touched, moved, relieved . . . she was all of those things and more.
Unfortunately, so much more.
What to do about it was the question.
Chapter Six
“I can’t.”
“Why?”
“Because.” Elizabeth gazed at her companion with exasperated consternation. “Miles won’t court someone just because I tell him I think he should do so. He might, in fact, form a distaste for Miss Meyer if I encourage him to consider a romance. He likes nothing more than to irritate me. We are always squabbling over something or another.”
“You told me you and he were inseparable as children.”
“We’ve grown up and it isn’t the same.” That was an understatement. The Miles she remembered had changed. It was hard to define how, but it was there .
“Yet you waltzed with him twice the other evening.” Walking next to her, Amelia St. James seemed to consider a group of playing children with their watchful nannies, but her mouth twitched.
“He’s my cousin.” Elizabeth shrugged, enjoying the warmth of the beautiful afternoon. The park was predictably crowded with both fashionably dressed
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