of the insect world, it was much more likely that she was the fly and the viscount was—a spider! But she dared not tell him that.
She took a step to move around him, but he moved with her. “Milord! I must go to the children.”
Still he stood there, blocking her way. “You’re even more beautiful when your eyes spark like that.”
“You’re being quite ridiculous.” Though she’d like to believe him, she knew better than to succumb to smooth words of flattery. “I am a governess,” she said, “a very plain creature. I must be. I have reached the age of four and twenty without receiving a single offer of marriage.”
He shrugged. “Then I can only assume you had no dowry.”
She felt the surge of anger the memory always brought her. If Papa hadn’t sacrificed everything to his insane obsession to get a title, if he’d used his money, some of it anyway, to give her a dowry, she would at this very moment be the wife of a man who valued her. He might value her for the funds she’d brought him, but at least she would have the title of wife. She would have a husband, a home, and perhaps children of her own.
But that wasn’t for her. That dream was dead. “My father used up his substance trying to acquire a title,” she said flatly. “He had nothing left to provide me with a dowry. Even if he’d wanted to.”
The viscount nodded sympathetically. “I see. Did he succeed in getting his title?”
Edwina sighed. “I suppose one might say so—in a way at least. He was made a baron, and several months later he died.”
The viscount raised an eyebrow. “Happily, I presume.”
She shrugged. This conversation had gone far astray. Why had she even mentioned Papa’s obsession? It meant nothing now. “I suppose so. I suppose it was just as well, since he had few funds left with which to support himself in his new position.”
“And that,” the viscount said, “explains why you are so determined to succeed in your position here.”
She nodded. She hadn’t meant to talk so freely, but the viscount was a very personable young man. She was a lonely young woman, whose every decision could be dangerous.
“I have considerable influence with the earl,” he said, moving a step closer. “So I should imagine that your position here is quite secure.”
He was now so close that only inches separated them. She considered backing away from him, but that wouldn’t look good. He might take it as an insult. And if he had all the influence that he said he had ... But still she had to discourage him. Politely, with a coldness and distance that would be difficult because his company was really most enjoyable.
While she was still considering how best to keep him at a bay, he reached out and drew her into his arms. His kiss was quite long and quite pleasurable. When he released her lips, she was breathing heavily and her cheeks were hot. “Milord Crawford!” she protested. “This is most unseemly behavior.”
But he didn’t relax his grip on her. His lips moved against her throat, making her body tremble, making her think thoughts that she shouldn’t be thinking. “There is no one up here to see what we do,” he said. “No one at all.”
She fought to pull herself together. Why had she let herself get so talkative? Now he knew her precarious financial position, he knew she couldn’t leave the castle. That knowledge gave him power over her. Not a comfortable position for her to be in.
“Milord, please! I have a reputation to consider.”
He shrugged. “Many a London lady has a reputation as empty as her pretty head.”
“But I am not a lady. Please, milord! You must let me go.”
He smiled and stepped back from her. “All right, Miss Pierce. But I am not convinced. You’re still a very attractive woman.”
She raised a hand to her disheveled hair. She’d like to believe him, she’d like it very much, but she knew better. “I must go to the girls. There is a great deal to be done.”
“Of
She took a step to move around him, but he moved with her. “Milord! I must go to the children.”
Still he stood there, blocking her way. “You’re even more beautiful when your eyes spark like that.”
“You’re being quite ridiculous.” Though she’d like to believe him, she knew better than to succumb to smooth words of flattery. “I am a governess,” she said, “a very plain creature. I must be. I have reached the age of four and twenty without receiving a single offer of marriage.”
He shrugged. “Then I can only assume you had no dowry.”
She felt the surge of anger the memory always brought her. If Papa hadn’t sacrificed everything to his insane obsession to get a title, if he’d used his money, some of it anyway, to give her a dowry, she would at this very moment be the wife of a man who valued her. He might value her for the funds she’d brought him, but at least she would have the title of wife. She would have a husband, a home, and perhaps children of her own.
But that wasn’t for her. That dream was dead. “My father used up his substance trying to acquire a title,” she said flatly. “He had nothing left to provide me with a dowry. Even if he’d wanted to.”
The viscount nodded sympathetically. “I see. Did he succeed in getting his title?”
Edwina sighed. “I suppose one might say so—in a way at least. He was made a baron, and several months later he died.”
The viscount raised an eyebrow. “Happily, I presume.”
She shrugged. This conversation had gone far astray. Why had she even mentioned Papa’s obsession? It meant nothing now. “I suppose so. I suppose it was just as well, since he had few funds left with which to support himself in his new position.”
“And that,” the viscount said, “explains why you are so determined to succeed in your position here.”
She nodded. She hadn’t meant to talk so freely, but the viscount was a very personable young man. She was a lonely young woman, whose every decision could be dangerous.
“I have considerable influence with the earl,” he said, moving a step closer. “So I should imagine that your position here is quite secure.”
He was now so close that only inches separated them. She considered backing away from him, but that wouldn’t look good. He might take it as an insult. And if he had all the influence that he said he had ... But still she had to discourage him. Politely, with a coldness and distance that would be difficult because his company was really most enjoyable.
While she was still considering how best to keep him at a bay, he reached out and drew her into his arms. His kiss was quite long and quite pleasurable. When he released her lips, she was breathing heavily and her cheeks were hot. “Milord Crawford!” she protested. “This is most unseemly behavior.”
But he didn’t relax his grip on her. His lips moved against her throat, making her body tremble, making her think thoughts that she shouldn’t be thinking. “There is no one up here to see what we do,” he said. “No one at all.”
She fought to pull herself together. Why had she let herself get so talkative? Now he knew her precarious financial position, he knew she couldn’t leave the castle. That knowledge gave him power over her. Not a comfortable position for her to be in.
“Milord, please! I have a reputation to consider.”
He shrugged. “Many a London lady has a reputation as empty as her pretty head.”
“But I am not a lady. Please, milord! You must let me go.”
He smiled and stepped back from her. “All right, Miss Pierce. But I am not convinced. You’re still a very attractive woman.”
She raised a hand to her disheveled hair. She’d like to believe him, she’d like it very much, but she knew better. “I must go to the girls. There is a great deal to be done.”
“Of
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