playing a part
and that it was imperative she accept the maid’s attention without
pause, or she would reveal her real nature to the world.
She caught a glimpse of her drawn face in the mirror
and tried not to worry about the endurance test ahead, where she
would have to meet a bevy of future in-laws who would be assessing
her every word and judging her every movement. She had always
considered herself an equal or better than Katherine in everything
but social standing. Soon would come the moment of truth, when she
would have to prove her claim.
Vaguely she wondered if she would be attracted to
the earl—though it wasn’t important because she wasn’t really going
to marry the man—and doubted she would find anyone as attractive as
Captain Ramsay. Something about that man had struck her more than
anyone she had ever met, including the young men the household
servants had pushed her way. They had seemed silly and immature
back then, and even more so now that she had met the captain.
She must stop thinking of him. What good would it
do? Instead, she turned her thoughts to a more important goal of
her afternoon, that of visiting a jeweler and finding out if she
could sell the buckle, and if so, how much it would raise.
She had already concocted a plausible excuse for
telling Charles to stop along the way, that she wished to buy a
gift for her betrothed. She was just pulling on her gloves at the
door, ready to depart, when Captain Ramsay arrived on horseback,
his shoulders and hat covered with snow, his cheeks rosy with
cold.
“Good afternoon, Captain,” she greeted, wondering at
his sudden appearance, and trying to hide her dismay that he would
arrive at the last minute to detain her.
“Miss Hinds.” He swept off his hat in greeting and
quickly replaced it. “I didn’t think I’d make it.”
“Make it?”
“In time to accompany you.”
“I thought you weren’t invited.” She tried to
conceal her disappointment.
“Yes, but I thought I could at least provide
protection along the way.” He seemed surprised at her reaction and
glanced once at Charles and then back at her. “The streets are
treacherous in a storm like this.”
“I shall be fine, Captain.” She drew up the hood of
her cloak and stepped toward the coach. “But thank you for the
offer.”
“Nonsense. You are from Santo Domingo. You can’t
begin to know what it’s like here in winter.”
“Charles shall see to my safety, won’t you,
Charles?”
“Of course, miss.” He touched his hat.
“But what if you get stuck? Caught in the cold?”
“I am warmly dressed, thanks to you.”
His gaze traveled over her from her booted feet up
to the metal supports of her calabash, and she suddenly realized he
was disappointed in not being welcomed to serve as her companion,
as her protector. He had wanted to go with her? She wondered
if he had made a special trip just for her.
Any other time she would have been flattered by such
a gesture and would have desired the opportunity to talk with him,
to sit in the intimacy of the coach and exchange conversation. But
not this time. It was imperative that she make her inquiry at the
jeweler’s. The sooner she rid herself of the buckle, the
better.
“Really, Captain. I shall be fine.”
“So be it. Then I wish you luck, Miss Hinds.” He
held out his hand and she raised hers in response. His gloved
fingers gently grasped hers at the tips, and then he drew her hand
to his mouth. She watched him, unable to disengage from his dark
regard as she felt the warmth of his lips permeate the thin fabric
of her kid glove. The heat of his mouth coursed all the way through
her.
“You will entrance him,” he remarked, his expression
unreadable.
“Then I look presentable?”
“More than presentable.” Their gazes held, their
hands lingered together, and she felt her pulse race from being
this close to him, this connected. She could barely take a
breath.
All too soon he released her hand, and she
and that it was imperative she accept the maid’s attention without
pause, or she would reveal her real nature to the world.
She caught a glimpse of her drawn face in the mirror
and tried not to worry about the endurance test ahead, where she
would have to meet a bevy of future in-laws who would be assessing
her every word and judging her every movement. She had always
considered herself an equal or better than Katherine in everything
but social standing. Soon would come the moment of truth, when she
would have to prove her claim.
Vaguely she wondered if she would be attracted to
the earl—though it wasn’t important because she wasn’t really going
to marry the man—and doubted she would find anyone as attractive as
Captain Ramsay. Something about that man had struck her more than
anyone she had ever met, including the young men the household
servants had pushed her way. They had seemed silly and immature
back then, and even more so now that she had met the captain.
She must stop thinking of him. What good would it
do? Instead, she turned her thoughts to a more important goal of
her afternoon, that of visiting a jeweler and finding out if she
could sell the buckle, and if so, how much it would raise.
She had already concocted a plausible excuse for
telling Charles to stop along the way, that she wished to buy a
gift for her betrothed. She was just pulling on her gloves at the
door, ready to depart, when Captain Ramsay arrived on horseback,
his shoulders and hat covered with snow, his cheeks rosy with
cold.
“Good afternoon, Captain,” she greeted, wondering at
his sudden appearance, and trying to hide her dismay that he would
arrive at the last minute to detain her.
“Miss Hinds.” He swept off his hat in greeting and
quickly replaced it. “I didn’t think I’d make it.”
“Make it?”
“In time to accompany you.”
“I thought you weren’t invited.” She tried to
conceal her disappointment.
“Yes, but I thought I could at least provide
protection along the way.” He seemed surprised at her reaction and
glanced once at Charles and then back at her. “The streets are
treacherous in a storm like this.”
“I shall be fine, Captain.” She drew up the hood of
her cloak and stepped toward the coach. “But thank you for the
offer.”
“Nonsense. You are from Santo Domingo. You can’t
begin to know what it’s like here in winter.”
“Charles shall see to my safety, won’t you,
Charles?”
“Of course, miss.” He touched his hat.
“But what if you get stuck? Caught in the cold?”
“I am warmly dressed, thanks to you.”
His gaze traveled over her from her booted feet up
to the metal supports of her calabash, and she suddenly realized he
was disappointed in not being welcomed to serve as her companion,
as her protector. He had wanted to go with her? She wondered
if he had made a special trip just for her.
Any other time she would have been flattered by such
a gesture and would have desired the opportunity to talk with him,
to sit in the intimacy of the coach and exchange conversation. But
not this time. It was imperative that she make her inquiry at the
jeweler’s. The sooner she rid herself of the buckle, the
better.
“Really, Captain. I shall be fine.”
“So be it. Then I wish you luck, Miss Hinds.” He
held out his hand and she raised hers in response. His gloved
fingers gently grasped hers at the tips, and then he drew her hand
to his mouth. She watched him, unable to disengage from his dark
regard as she felt the warmth of his lips permeate the thin fabric
of her kid glove. The heat of his mouth coursed all the way through
her.
“You will entrance him,” he remarked, his expression
unreadable.
“Then I look presentable?”
“More than presentable.” Their gazes held, their
hands lingered together, and she felt her pulse race from being
this close to him, this connected. She could barely take a
breath.
All too soon he released her hand, and she
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