I give him credit for. He just might make a fine husband.”
“Oh,” was all she could say. She hastily brushed a stray tear from her eye, pretending her discomfort was from a dust mote, and not his dismissal of her.
“I will talk to him, if you’d prefer. His father would approve, since you are his friend’s daughter. I imagine it’s why your parents and Robert arranged this holiday for you in the first place.”
Miserable, she replaced the brush on the table, which gave her an excuse to turn her back. More tears seemed dangerously near. She had dreaded Lucinda finding her in the colonel’s chamber before, but now she’d welcome the interruption. She need not worry about causing a scandal by being alone with him. He clearly thought she was intended for Jeremy.
“I’ve upset you. Again, Miss Brooke, I apologize for speaking so frankly. I’m afraid I am stepping on your toes, and we are not even at the ball yet.”
His attempt at humor fell flat on her broken heart. She idly straightened the things on his dressing table, pretending to be occupied in her task while she digested his words.
“You are right,” she said, once her voice could be trusted to sound normal. “Mr. Parker would be a good catch for a girl like me.” Before she could walk away, he caught her elbow, spinning her around with more force than she realized he’d meant.
She stared up at him in shock. He released her abruptly.
“Forgive me.” He brushed a tear from her cheek. “I hadn’t realized…” His voice ended in a whisper.
She blinked, unable to tear her gaze from his. He’d kiss her, now. The future loomed ahead, and it was bright and filled with promise. She held her breath and squeezed her hands together.
“Jane! Do hurry. The barouche is outside. Oh, and bring Colonel Blakeney, will you?”
Lucinda’s voice at the foot of the stairs snapped her back to the present. The colonel turned so abruptly from her a slight breeze stirred the lace on her dress.
He motioned to his arm in the sling. A new sparkle filled his eyes and he had a different set to his jaw.
“Will you do me the honor of walking downstairs with me, Miss Brooke? You can see if my new hand feels like the real thing.”
Without hesitation, she slipped her arm through his, settling her hand briefly on the stuffed glove. She gasped in delight at her own inventiveness. “It does feel real.”
“I know not how to thank you.”
They were at his door now. She paused before touching the latch. In another moment, he would belong to the rest of the world.
“You need not thank me. I did it because…” Her voice broke. It was no use. A man of his station was far out of reach.
“There, now, Miss Brooke!” He squeezed her arm against his side for a heart-stopping moment. “I am truly fortunate to have made your acquaintance. I am the luckiest man in all of England, to have found my own guardian angel.”
He chucked her on the chin. Instead of moving away, his fingers lingered, bestowing a brief caress across her cheek. A moment later, he opened the door.
She had almost regained her normal demeanor when they met Lucinda, who took the colonel’s other arm with an easy familiarity Jane wished she possessed.
Chapter Eleven
The assembly rooms were grander than those at Weston, with more people in attendance than Jane had ever seen back home. Her shyness and dislike of such events returned stronger than ever, and she nearly feigned a headache so she could return to Everhill.
But the colonel was insistent, and Lucinda begged so furiously she couldn’t refuse. Her reluctance vanished when the colonel slipped her hand through his arm, patting it once as if to reassure her. He had offered his other arm to Lucinda, but she had skipped ahead toward a group of girls, whose gaily colored gowns made them resemble flowers, with Lucinda their buzzing bee in the center. Jane was alone with the colonel a thing she hardly minded.
He led her inside the hall, and
“Oh,” was all she could say. She hastily brushed a stray tear from her eye, pretending her discomfort was from a dust mote, and not his dismissal of her.
“I will talk to him, if you’d prefer. His father would approve, since you are his friend’s daughter. I imagine it’s why your parents and Robert arranged this holiday for you in the first place.”
Miserable, she replaced the brush on the table, which gave her an excuse to turn her back. More tears seemed dangerously near. She had dreaded Lucinda finding her in the colonel’s chamber before, but now she’d welcome the interruption. She need not worry about causing a scandal by being alone with him. He clearly thought she was intended for Jeremy.
“I’ve upset you. Again, Miss Brooke, I apologize for speaking so frankly. I’m afraid I am stepping on your toes, and we are not even at the ball yet.”
His attempt at humor fell flat on her broken heart. She idly straightened the things on his dressing table, pretending to be occupied in her task while she digested his words.
“You are right,” she said, once her voice could be trusted to sound normal. “Mr. Parker would be a good catch for a girl like me.” Before she could walk away, he caught her elbow, spinning her around with more force than she realized he’d meant.
She stared up at him in shock. He released her abruptly.
“Forgive me.” He brushed a tear from her cheek. “I hadn’t realized…” His voice ended in a whisper.
She blinked, unable to tear her gaze from his. He’d kiss her, now. The future loomed ahead, and it was bright and filled with promise. She held her breath and squeezed her hands together.
“Jane! Do hurry. The barouche is outside. Oh, and bring Colonel Blakeney, will you?”
Lucinda’s voice at the foot of the stairs snapped her back to the present. The colonel turned so abruptly from her a slight breeze stirred the lace on her dress.
He motioned to his arm in the sling. A new sparkle filled his eyes and he had a different set to his jaw.
“Will you do me the honor of walking downstairs with me, Miss Brooke? You can see if my new hand feels like the real thing.”
Without hesitation, she slipped her arm through his, settling her hand briefly on the stuffed glove. She gasped in delight at her own inventiveness. “It does feel real.”
“I know not how to thank you.”
They were at his door now. She paused before touching the latch. In another moment, he would belong to the rest of the world.
“You need not thank me. I did it because…” Her voice broke. It was no use. A man of his station was far out of reach.
“There, now, Miss Brooke!” He squeezed her arm against his side for a heart-stopping moment. “I am truly fortunate to have made your acquaintance. I am the luckiest man in all of England, to have found my own guardian angel.”
He chucked her on the chin. Instead of moving away, his fingers lingered, bestowing a brief caress across her cheek. A moment later, he opened the door.
She had almost regained her normal demeanor when they met Lucinda, who took the colonel’s other arm with an easy familiarity Jane wished she possessed.
Chapter Eleven
The assembly rooms were grander than those at Weston, with more people in attendance than Jane had ever seen back home. Her shyness and dislike of such events returned stronger than ever, and she nearly feigned a headache so she could return to Everhill.
But the colonel was insistent, and Lucinda begged so furiously she couldn’t refuse. Her reluctance vanished when the colonel slipped her hand through his arm, patting it once as if to reassure her. He had offered his other arm to Lucinda, but she had skipped ahead toward a group of girls, whose gaily colored gowns made them resemble flowers, with Lucinda their buzzing bee in the center. Jane was alone with the colonel a thing she hardly minded.
He led her inside the hall, and
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