said. “I have the headache…that is all.”
But her words rang hollow, and Lottie had seen Ethan’s gaze fall to where her hands were still clenched and one of the delicate wooded struts of the fan had snapped clean in two.
I N THE MORNING Ethan woke her with a hand on her bare shoulder, and Lottie stirred, feeling warm and content for a moment before she saw that he was fully dressed and about to leave. The light in the hotel bedchamber was dingy and pale, showing the dirty windows and the dust on the floor. Ethan sat down on the edge of the bed.
“I have to go now,” he said. “My coach leaves for Wantage in an hour. You may stay here at Limmer’s if you wish or find lodgings wherever you choose for the next few days. All I require is that you will be on the coach from Oxford on Friday.” He nodded to the table. “I have left you sufficient funds to cover your shot and to buy you a few gowns, as we discussed.” He laughed. “Try not to be too extravagant. Oh, and make sure that you dress to make an impression when you arrive.”
Lottie gaped. If she had thought him parsimonious the day before, the fortune he was now leaving with her took her breath away. “You have left me all those guineas when I tried to steal them from you two days ago?”
She could hear the smile in his voice. “I am confident that you won’t run off with my money this time.”
Lottie frowned, trying to read his expression in the half-light of the room. “I don’t know how you can be so certain,” she said.
“Nothing is certain,” Ethan said, “but I trust you to be in Wantage next Friday.”
“You trust me?” Lottie said. She was beginning to wonder if she was still asleep and dreaming. “Are you mad?” she burst out.
“Not at all.” Ethan stood up. “We have an agreement,do we not? The terms of my parole mean that I must return to Wantage today, but you need more time to make some necessary purchases, so…” He shrugged his shoulders.
“Yes,” Lottie said, “but to leave me here alone with the money!” She struggled upright. “I could fleece you, run away, cheat you like I tried to do before.”
“So you could.” Ethan sounded unconcerned. “But you won’t. Not this time.”
Lottie shook her head. “I wish I had your confidence,” she said. “I thought you would at least ask someone to be my banker and keep an eye on my spending.”
“There is no need,” Ethan said. “Is there? You will not play me false.”
He bent and kissed her. His lips were cool and firm, the kiss no more than a brief caress, and yet she shivered down to her soul. “You’re a strange man,” she murmured.
“It’s only business, Lottie,” Ethan said. “It makes better sense for you to throw in your lot with me just now. That is all.”
He raised a hand in farewell, picked up his bag and went out, closing the door softly behind him. Lottie heard his steps retreat down the stair and fade away. A door closed in the distance. Some impulse prompted her to run to the window and she curled there on the seat as he walked away, his stride long and confident. He did not look back. She felt piqued.
She sat puzzling over what he had said. In the growing light she could see the fat bags of guineas sittingon the table. Greed and excitement possessed her. How much money was there? What could she do with it? Where could she go? She glanced out of the window again. Perhaps it was a trick. Perhaps Ethan was waiting for her to play him false.
“I could fleece you, run away, cheat you like I tried to do before.”
“But you won’t. Not this time.”
Damn him! How could he know? How could he be so sure of her? What had happened to her in the past two days that meant that Ethan was right? Trust and loyalty had scarcely been her watchwords up until now. In fact they had barely been in her vocabulary, and then only so that she could behave in an opposite manner.
Her feet were cold. She slipped back into the warm folds of the
But her words rang hollow, and Lottie had seen Ethan’s gaze fall to where her hands were still clenched and one of the delicate wooded struts of the fan had snapped clean in two.
I N THE MORNING Ethan woke her with a hand on her bare shoulder, and Lottie stirred, feeling warm and content for a moment before she saw that he was fully dressed and about to leave. The light in the hotel bedchamber was dingy and pale, showing the dirty windows and the dust on the floor. Ethan sat down on the edge of the bed.
“I have to go now,” he said. “My coach leaves for Wantage in an hour. You may stay here at Limmer’s if you wish or find lodgings wherever you choose for the next few days. All I require is that you will be on the coach from Oxford on Friday.” He nodded to the table. “I have left you sufficient funds to cover your shot and to buy you a few gowns, as we discussed.” He laughed. “Try not to be too extravagant. Oh, and make sure that you dress to make an impression when you arrive.”
Lottie gaped. If she had thought him parsimonious the day before, the fortune he was now leaving with her took her breath away. “You have left me all those guineas when I tried to steal them from you two days ago?”
She could hear the smile in his voice. “I am confident that you won’t run off with my money this time.”
Lottie frowned, trying to read his expression in the half-light of the room. “I don’t know how you can be so certain,” she said.
“Nothing is certain,” Ethan said, “but I trust you to be in Wantage next Friday.”
“You trust me?” Lottie said. She was beginning to wonder if she was still asleep and dreaming. “Are you mad?” she burst out.
“Not at all.” Ethan stood up. “We have an agreement,do we not? The terms of my parole mean that I must return to Wantage today, but you need more time to make some necessary purchases, so…” He shrugged his shoulders.
“Yes,” Lottie said, “but to leave me here alone with the money!” She struggled upright. “I could fleece you, run away, cheat you like I tried to do before.”
“So you could.” Ethan sounded unconcerned. “But you won’t. Not this time.”
Lottie shook her head. “I wish I had your confidence,” she said. “I thought you would at least ask someone to be my banker and keep an eye on my spending.”
“There is no need,” Ethan said. “Is there? You will not play me false.”
He bent and kissed her. His lips were cool and firm, the kiss no more than a brief caress, and yet she shivered down to her soul. “You’re a strange man,” she murmured.
“It’s only business, Lottie,” Ethan said. “It makes better sense for you to throw in your lot with me just now. That is all.”
He raised a hand in farewell, picked up his bag and went out, closing the door softly behind him. Lottie heard his steps retreat down the stair and fade away. A door closed in the distance. Some impulse prompted her to run to the window and she curled there on the seat as he walked away, his stride long and confident. He did not look back. She felt piqued.
She sat puzzling over what he had said. In the growing light she could see the fat bags of guineas sittingon the table. Greed and excitement possessed her. How much money was there? What could she do with it? Where could she go? She glanced out of the window again. Perhaps it was a trick. Perhaps Ethan was waiting for her to play him false.
“I could fleece you, run away, cheat you like I tried to do before.”
“But you won’t. Not this time.”
Damn him! How could he know? How could he be so sure of her? What had happened to her in the past two days that meant that Ethan was right? Trust and loyalty had scarcely been her watchwords up until now. In fact they had barely been in her vocabulary, and then only so that she could behave in an opposite manner.
Her feet were cold. She slipped back into the warm folds of the
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