homes. Just think of how many families they will help!”
His gaze traveled over Elizabeth’s face as she spoke with such feeling, finally settling on her full lips as she stopped speaking and smiled at him. His heart began to hammer against his chest as he wondered what it would be like to kiss her.
Elizabeth suddenly jumped to her feet. Her face seemed flushed as she asked, “Would you like a piece of cake? I’m going to get one for me.”
“I... Yes, please.”
He watched her hurry over to where the food was laid out and released a deep breath. Had she read his mind just then? She’d seemed to catch her breath as he’d looked at her. What would she have done had he leaned over at that moment and pressed his lips to hers? Would she have responded?
What was he thinking? It was broad daylight and they were in a public place! Besides, he wasn’t her kind and he knew it deep down. Whatever it was he felt, he’d best keep reminding himself of that fact.
* * *
Elizabeth took several deep breaths, trying to calm her rapidly beating heart. What was wrong with her? It was just that the way he’d just looked at her had her thinking all manner of things and for a moment she’d thought he might kiss her.
Wishful thinking on her part? No! Surely not. She and John had been around each other for several years now and she’d never thought much about his personal life—well, not that much—and never in connection to herself.
For the most part, she’d excused his absences from dinner or outings she and the others went on because of work. And no one had ever mentioned anything about him seeing a woman or having any interest in any of the women at Heaton House. So what was the identity of the woman he might be interested in? And why did it upset her to think that there was one? For it had given her pause when he’d said there might be one earlier. And if he was interested in someone, why had he looked at her the way he had just now?
As if... She shook her head. She’d never thought about kissing John, at least not until now. And she had no business thinking about it at all. She couldn’t become attracted to John Talbot, or any other man, for that matter. She could never trust that they wouldn’t care more about her inheritance than her, just as Richard had.
But John didn’t know about any of that. Didn’t know she’d been engaged. Didn’t know who she really was. Did he? No. He couldn’t. But what would he think when he found out? Elizabeth took a deep breath and released it. She wasn’t going to think about that now, either.
They were friends and that’s all they’d ever be. That was all they ever could be. She never wanted to care that much about anyone again only to find out it wasn’t her they were interested in, but the money. Suddenly she felt a little queasy.
She cut one large slice of cake instead of two and headed back over to where John was sitting. “Here you are.” She handed him his cake, but didn’t sit down. “I need to go speak to Kathleen.”
He looked a little puzzled, but said only, “Oh? Well, thank you for getting the cake.”
“You’re welcome.” She turned and walked off, suddenly feeling as if she were deserting him. Whatever was wrong with her? Just because she’d had a glimpse of a different John than the one she’d always thought of, the one who was only concerned about his future and what was good for him, didn’t mean she had to go all mushy where he was concerned. She couldn’t. She wouldn’t.
Elizabeth managed to stay away from John for the rest of the afternoon, flitting from one group to another. Along with the other women, she watched the men play ball from under the shade trees while the children napped.
Then Mrs. Heaton and Violet, who was feeling sleepy herself, offered to watch the children while the rest of the women went for a stroll or canoeing.
“I’ll stay, too, Mother,” Rebecca said. “It feels nice here in the shade.”
Elizabeth,
His gaze traveled over Elizabeth’s face as she spoke with such feeling, finally settling on her full lips as she stopped speaking and smiled at him. His heart began to hammer against his chest as he wondered what it would be like to kiss her.
Elizabeth suddenly jumped to her feet. Her face seemed flushed as she asked, “Would you like a piece of cake? I’m going to get one for me.”
“I... Yes, please.”
He watched her hurry over to where the food was laid out and released a deep breath. Had she read his mind just then? She’d seemed to catch her breath as he’d looked at her. What would she have done had he leaned over at that moment and pressed his lips to hers? Would she have responded?
What was he thinking? It was broad daylight and they were in a public place! Besides, he wasn’t her kind and he knew it deep down. Whatever it was he felt, he’d best keep reminding himself of that fact.
* * *
Elizabeth took several deep breaths, trying to calm her rapidly beating heart. What was wrong with her? It was just that the way he’d just looked at her had her thinking all manner of things and for a moment she’d thought he might kiss her.
Wishful thinking on her part? No! Surely not. She and John had been around each other for several years now and she’d never thought much about his personal life—well, not that much—and never in connection to herself.
For the most part, she’d excused his absences from dinner or outings she and the others went on because of work. And no one had ever mentioned anything about him seeing a woman or having any interest in any of the women at Heaton House. So what was the identity of the woman he might be interested in? And why did it upset her to think that there was one? For it had given her pause when he’d said there might be one earlier. And if he was interested in someone, why had he looked at her the way he had just now?
As if... She shook her head. She’d never thought about kissing John, at least not until now. And she had no business thinking about it at all. She couldn’t become attracted to John Talbot, or any other man, for that matter. She could never trust that they wouldn’t care more about her inheritance than her, just as Richard had.
But John didn’t know about any of that. Didn’t know she’d been engaged. Didn’t know who she really was. Did he? No. He couldn’t. But what would he think when he found out? Elizabeth took a deep breath and released it. She wasn’t going to think about that now, either.
They were friends and that’s all they’d ever be. That was all they ever could be. She never wanted to care that much about anyone again only to find out it wasn’t her they were interested in, but the money. Suddenly she felt a little queasy.
She cut one large slice of cake instead of two and headed back over to where John was sitting. “Here you are.” She handed him his cake, but didn’t sit down. “I need to go speak to Kathleen.”
He looked a little puzzled, but said only, “Oh? Well, thank you for getting the cake.”
“You’re welcome.” She turned and walked off, suddenly feeling as if she were deserting him. Whatever was wrong with her? Just because she’d had a glimpse of a different John than the one she’d always thought of, the one who was only concerned about his future and what was good for him, didn’t mean she had to go all mushy where he was concerned. She couldn’t. She wouldn’t.
Elizabeth managed to stay away from John for the rest of the afternoon, flitting from one group to another. Along with the other women, she watched the men play ball from under the shade trees while the children napped.
Then Mrs. Heaton and Violet, who was feeling sleepy herself, offered to watch the children while the rest of the women went for a stroll or canoeing.
“I’ll stay, too, Mother,” Rebecca said. “It feels nice here in the shade.”
Elizabeth,
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