.’” His moves were fluid and graceful. The room swirled past her in a rush. Then he hummed the waltz, slowing down the beat until they stopped in front of the fire. She found their waltz more intoxicating than the wine they consumed. Cupping her cheeks, he stared down at her. Surely she would melt on the spot. What Phil read in his eyes speared her heart. He cared for her--very much. That knowledge warmed her insides as much as it made them tumble in fright. “Happy New Year, Phil.” He kissed her, a gentle touch of his lips, which spoke of the tenderness within.
Do not cry, you silly woman. Tears did threaten, but she blinked them away. She stepped back and caressed his cheek. “Happy New Year, Spence.”
It seemed deep emotions hung between them, too numerous and unknown to name. To dissipate them, Phil walked to the tray. “Shall we eat? You brought bread, cheese, and oh, my favorite. Grapes. Come, sit here on the bed.” Her voice sounded too high and false in its cheerful tone to her own ears. She did not want to speak of anything serious. Not tonight. Not…now. Not ever.
Spence settled in next to her and placed the tray between them. As he nibbled on a piece of cheese, she helped herself to the grapes.
“Phil, I’ve been thinking. You and I could…”
Oh, no. She immediately stiffened, her breath caught in her throat. “Spence, you are a darling man. There is no ‘you and I.’ It is not possible.” She kept the tone of her voice gentle, though her insides lay in turmoil.
“You do not care for me.”
“That is not it at all. Think about it. You are the son of a duke, and I…I am not able to move about or be part of your world.”
“I am not out and about in society! Who would care?” he demanded.
Frustration caused her temper to flare. He was ruining this perfect night. Her hunger disappeared and she tossed the grapes back on the plate. “Your family! I will say it again--you are the son of a duke. A damned duke! It cannot happen; it will not happen.” She crossed her arms defiantly as her face flushed hot in annoyance.
“I am a nobody. Not the spare, and certainly not the heir. I am the peculiar one, the eccentric lordling who is worth a jot but what I inherited. Not handsome or charming and far too strange for the front parlors. What’s more I am glad of it. Perhaps I’m outlandish in my habits and life state, but I do have feelings.” He pounded his chest in emphasis, laying his hand flat above his heart. “Feelings that run deep and wide like a calm river, and like a calm river little seems to happen or change or take effect on it. But if you were to measure the strength of those feelings, their force would be powerful indeed.” His commanding voice ended on a whisper of sincere emotion, resonating straight from his soul.
What to say? Her heart ached for him. She did care, far more than she should or would admit. Could he be merely caught up in the new sensations he experienced with having sex for the first time? Entirely possible. Yet he seemed to know his own mind. Regardless of his potent words, her frustration flared further.
“I understand what you’re saying, and you are not a nobody. Let us not discuss this tonight,” she said, waving her arm in dismissal.
“When will we discuss it, as you are walking out the door?”
“In a couple of days time, when the man Boyle arrives with the wagon, I will be leaving with him, Spence. I must.” He opened his mouth to speak, but she laid two fingers against his lips. “No more talk of this. Let us enjoy the rest of the night and the remaining time we have.”
Spence tossed the piece of bread he’d been eating onto the tray. “Very well. I will not talk anymore of this right now. However, consider this. I believe we are well suited. When Boyle arrives I can leave with him and acquire a carriage and horses and we can pack up the books, dogs, and anything else we wish and head to Penhaven, my estate.”
She closed her eyes,
Do not cry, you silly woman. Tears did threaten, but she blinked them away. She stepped back and caressed his cheek. “Happy New Year, Spence.”
It seemed deep emotions hung between them, too numerous and unknown to name. To dissipate them, Phil walked to the tray. “Shall we eat? You brought bread, cheese, and oh, my favorite. Grapes. Come, sit here on the bed.” Her voice sounded too high and false in its cheerful tone to her own ears. She did not want to speak of anything serious. Not tonight. Not…now. Not ever.
Spence settled in next to her and placed the tray between them. As he nibbled on a piece of cheese, she helped herself to the grapes.
“Phil, I’ve been thinking. You and I could…”
Oh, no. She immediately stiffened, her breath caught in her throat. “Spence, you are a darling man. There is no ‘you and I.’ It is not possible.” She kept the tone of her voice gentle, though her insides lay in turmoil.
“You do not care for me.”
“That is not it at all. Think about it. You are the son of a duke, and I…I am not able to move about or be part of your world.”
“I am not out and about in society! Who would care?” he demanded.
Frustration caused her temper to flare. He was ruining this perfect night. Her hunger disappeared and she tossed the grapes back on the plate. “Your family! I will say it again--you are the son of a duke. A damned duke! It cannot happen; it will not happen.” She crossed her arms defiantly as her face flushed hot in annoyance.
“I am a nobody. Not the spare, and certainly not the heir. I am the peculiar one, the eccentric lordling who is worth a jot but what I inherited. Not handsome or charming and far too strange for the front parlors. What’s more I am glad of it. Perhaps I’m outlandish in my habits and life state, but I do have feelings.” He pounded his chest in emphasis, laying his hand flat above his heart. “Feelings that run deep and wide like a calm river, and like a calm river little seems to happen or change or take effect on it. But if you were to measure the strength of those feelings, their force would be powerful indeed.” His commanding voice ended on a whisper of sincere emotion, resonating straight from his soul.
What to say? Her heart ached for him. She did care, far more than she should or would admit. Could he be merely caught up in the new sensations he experienced with having sex for the first time? Entirely possible. Yet he seemed to know his own mind. Regardless of his potent words, her frustration flared further.
“I understand what you’re saying, and you are not a nobody. Let us not discuss this tonight,” she said, waving her arm in dismissal.
“When will we discuss it, as you are walking out the door?”
“In a couple of days time, when the man Boyle arrives with the wagon, I will be leaving with him, Spence. I must.” He opened his mouth to speak, but she laid two fingers against his lips. “No more talk of this. Let us enjoy the rest of the night and the remaining time we have.”
Spence tossed the piece of bread he’d been eating onto the tray. “Very well. I will not talk anymore of this right now. However, consider this. I believe we are well suited. When Boyle arrives I can leave with him and acquire a carriage and horses and we can pack up the books, dogs, and anything else we wish and head to Penhaven, my estate.”
She closed her eyes,
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