think he’s been here a long time, but I can’t remember his name.” Her eyes glistened with unshed tears.
Ethan pressed a handkerchief into her hand. “Today is a good day,” he said calmly. “We’ll spend it together, all right? Would you like to go for a ride?”
For an instant, she seemed pleased at the idea. Then her face fell and she shook her head. “I’m frightened to go out of doors. What if I get lost?”
“I’ll be with you,” he reminded her. “You wouldn’t be lost.”
“No, what if I get
lost
?” She covered her forehead with her hand, and Ethan understood. She licked her lips and plucked at the hem of his handkerchief. “What if I never come back?”
“Shhh. Come now.” Ethan drew her away from the window and led her to a chair. When she was settled, he sat down in the chair’s mate on the other side of a little side table.
“You were going to tell me about your wife,” Vanessa said, changing the subject.
Ethan smiled, delighted she remembered their conversation from before her rest. “She isn’t my wife — not yet, anyway. Maybe never. Who knows?”
Vanessa waved a hand. “Bosh. The ladies adore you, Thorburn. You have your pick of the
ton
.”
He crossed his foot onto the opposite knee and breathed a laugh. “I don’t know about that.” Vanessa knew nothing of his current financial woes or how he was barely tolerated in the same ballrooms he’d once had the run of.
“Tell me,” she pressed. “We might not have another chance to talk.”
Saddened by her humbling words, he nodded. “Her name is Lily Bachman,” he began, “and it would be wrong of me to marry her.”
Vanessa tilted her head. “What an odd thing to say. What does she look like?”
Her image sprang to his mind: lush curves and full lips; hair he wanted to bury his hands in while he devoured her with kisses; long legs he imagined wrapping around him in bed …
He let out a strangled sound. “She looks like Aphrodite, as drawn by a bawdy adolescent.” He glanced around the room. “Isn’t there any brandy in the house?”
“She sounds lovely,” Vanessa said. “And you’re such a handsome young man. You’d make a fine-looking pair. Tell me about her.”
Out of luck in his desire for alcohol, Ethan dropped his head against the back of the chair and gazed at the frescoed ceiling, where centaurs and pans gamboled across a fanciful landscape. “She’s maddening. She says the most outrageous things.” His lips twitched as he recalled how she’d made that buffoon cry after he’d spilled punch in her lap. “But she’s marvelous, too, with a more generous, noble heart than any born aristocrat.”
Vanessa listened while he spoke of Lily, and the misgivings he felt about marrying her. He divulged the sordid story about Ghita, even. Vanessa stopped him to ask questions every now and then, or to offer a comment. But mostly, she just listened. It was such a relief to finally be able to talk about the whole horrible mess with someone.
He was unaware of how much time had passed until he noticed the light outside growing purple.
He glanced at Vanessa. She was staring into the air, as though transfixed by something unseen. “Oh, God.” He crouched beside her chair and touched her hand. “Nessa?”
Her startled eyes flew to his face, blank but for the fear he saw in their depths. She snatched her hand back. “Don’t touch me! How dare you, sir?”
A cold rock fell into his middle. “Come, Nessa, let’s go back to your room now.” He placed a hand on her back to help her up.
She sprang from the chair with the spry energy of a woman a third her age. “No!” She shook her head from side to side, her silver locks coming loose of their twist. “Get away! Help me,” she called. She darted from side to side, like a bird trapped in a house, confused and desperate for escape.
If he could just get her back to her rooms, maybe the familiar surroundings would calm her.
He lunged and grabbed her
Ethan pressed a handkerchief into her hand. “Today is a good day,” he said calmly. “We’ll spend it together, all right? Would you like to go for a ride?”
For an instant, she seemed pleased at the idea. Then her face fell and she shook her head. “I’m frightened to go out of doors. What if I get lost?”
“I’ll be with you,” he reminded her. “You wouldn’t be lost.”
“No, what if I get
lost
?” She covered her forehead with her hand, and Ethan understood. She licked her lips and plucked at the hem of his handkerchief. “What if I never come back?”
“Shhh. Come now.” Ethan drew her away from the window and led her to a chair. When she was settled, he sat down in the chair’s mate on the other side of a little side table.
“You were going to tell me about your wife,” Vanessa said, changing the subject.
Ethan smiled, delighted she remembered their conversation from before her rest. “She isn’t my wife — not yet, anyway. Maybe never. Who knows?”
Vanessa waved a hand. “Bosh. The ladies adore you, Thorburn. You have your pick of the
ton
.”
He crossed his foot onto the opposite knee and breathed a laugh. “I don’t know about that.” Vanessa knew nothing of his current financial woes or how he was barely tolerated in the same ballrooms he’d once had the run of.
“Tell me,” she pressed. “We might not have another chance to talk.”
Saddened by her humbling words, he nodded. “Her name is Lily Bachman,” he began, “and it would be wrong of me to marry her.”
Vanessa tilted her head. “What an odd thing to say. What does she look like?”
Her image sprang to his mind: lush curves and full lips; hair he wanted to bury his hands in while he devoured her with kisses; long legs he imagined wrapping around him in bed …
He let out a strangled sound. “She looks like Aphrodite, as drawn by a bawdy adolescent.” He glanced around the room. “Isn’t there any brandy in the house?”
“She sounds lovely,” Vanessa said. “And you’re such a handsome young man. You’d make a fine-looking pair. Tell me about her.”
Out of luck in his desire for alcohol, Ethan dropped his head against the back of the chair and gazed at the frescoed ceiling, where centaurs and pans gamboled across a fanciful landscape. “She’s maddening. She says the most outrageous things.” His lips twitched as he recalled how she’d made that buffoon cry after he’d spilled punch in her lap. “But she’s marvelous, too, with a more generous, noble heart than any born aristocrat.”
Vanessa listened while he spoke of Lily, and the misgivings he felt about marrying her. He divulged the sordid story about Ghita, even. Vanessa stopped him to ask questions every now and then, or to offer a comment. But mostly, she just listened. It was such a relief to finally be able to talk about the whole horrible mess with someone.
He was unaware of how much time had passed until he noticed the light outside growing purple.
He glanced at Vanessa. She was staring into the air, as though transfixed by something unseen. “Oh, God.” He crouched beside her chair and touched her hand. “Nessa?”
Her startled eyes flew to his face, blank but for the fear he saw in their depths. She snatched her hand back. “Don’t touch me! How dare you, sir?”
A cold rock fell into his middle. “Come, Nessa, let’s go back to your room now.” He placed a hand on her back to help her up.
She sprang from the chair with the spry energy of a woman a third her age. “No!” She shook her head from side to side, her silver locks coming loose of their twist. “Get away! Help me,” she called. She darted from side to side, like a bird trapped in a house, confused and desperate for escape.
If he could just get her back to her rooms, maybe the familiar surroundings would calm her.
He lunged and grabbed her
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