Fiona would find her lacking.
“Yes, I think this will do quite nicely,” Lady Fiona said, and lifted her hand from her lap to reveal a glistening choker. She raised it for Chloe’s inspection. Chloe gasped at the sight of it. It was a dazzling silver, with hundreds of tiny, winking diamonds and a few well-placed sapphires. It was like nothing she’d ever seen before—certainly like nothing she’d ever worn. In fact, she didn’t own a single piece of jewelry, save for the ring her mother had given her.
Lady Fiona held the choker out to her. “Oh!” Chloe said with an embarrassed gasp. “I mustn’t—you shouldn’t!”
“Rubble!” Lady Fiona said firmly. “It was a gift to me from Ian’s father and I would dearly love to share it with you, my dear. It will match quite nicely with your lovely dress.”
Chloe’s heart swelled with gratitude over Fiona’s sweet compliment.
“It was a gift from Lord Lindale’s father?” sheasked in awe. How very generous of Lady Fiona to share it. Chloe hadn’t the first clue what to say in response. Lady Fiona rarely spoke of her late husband. She wanted to know more, though she daren’t pry.
Lady Fiona’s eyes betrayed a shimmer of moisture. “Yes, dear. He gave this to me the night he asked my father for my hand in marriage.”
Chloe furrowed her brows. She thought Ian’s father had been a merchant. How could he have possibly afforded such an extravagant gift? Nor had she realized he’d asked for Lady Fiona’s hand in marriage. Chloe could have sworn her father had said the two had eloped.
“You cannot harm it. Go on, take it,” Lady Fiona urged her.
Chloe reached to take it from Lady Fiona’s hands and Aggie came scurrying out from the parlor at once. “I’ll help!” she exclaimed excitedly.
“Oh, thank you, dear,” Fiona said to Aggie, smiling at the girl. “I’m afraid I just cannot manage from this infernal chair!”
“It’s absolutely beautiful,” Chloe said in disbelief, as Aggie lifted it before her and placed it about her throat, “Thank you!” She was enormously confused by the recent turn of events. In the space of a single day, nothing seemed the same.
How could she suddenly feel so thrilled to dinewith a man who only yesterday she’d claimed to despise?
What had changed since then?
And when?
“You look positively radiant,” Fiona said warmly when Aggie stepped away. She glanced at the timepiece that lay in her lap, and exclaimed, “Goodness! It’s five after the hour! You must hie away.”
Chloe blinked. To where?
“Go on now,” Lady Fiona urged her, waving a hand toward the door where Edward was waiting. He turned to retrieve a snow-white pelisse from the coatrack and held it out for her.
“Well, go on,” Fiona commanded her.
Chloe felt her feet move without direction.
Feeling suddenly numb, as though it were all happening in a dream, she allowed Edward to settle the pelisse over her shoulders. Without a word, he opened the front door. Chloe stepped outside to find a coach at the ready. Afraid to turn about for fear that everyone was staring at her, she hurriedly climbed into the carriage, half expecting to find Ian waiting inside.
He wasn’t there.
The carriage was empty, save for a single red rose that lay upon the facing seat.
Chloe didn’t touch it. She didn’t dare. It didn’t seem possible it could be for her.
Her hands sought the choker at her neck. It felt incredibly heavy and wickedly beautiful. Good Lord, she felt beautiful simply wearing it—though merely one of its gems would feed a family for years. Guilt pricked at her for wearing it. It was more than she could bear. This was not her life, nor did she wish it to be. So why did it feel so…titillating?
If this was Lindale’s idea of a joke, she would never forgive him.
Remembering the kiss, her hands unconsciously went to her lips. God help her, the mere memory shouldn’t make her belly flutter, but it did.
Would he kiss her
“Yes, I think this will do quite nicely,” Lady Fiona said, and lifted her hand from her lap to reveal a glistening choker. She raised it for Chloe’s inspection. Chloe gasped at the sight of it. It was a dazzling silver, with hundreds of tiny, winking diamonds and a few well-placed sapphires. It was like nothing she’d ever seen before—certainly like nothing she’d ever worn. In fact, she didn’t own a single piece of jewelry, save for the ring her mother had given her.
Lady Fiona held the choker out to her. “Oh!” Chloe said with an embarrassed gasp. “I mustn’t—you shouldn’t!”
“Rubble!” Lady Fiona said firmly. “It was a gift to me from Ian’s father and I would dearly love to share it with you, my dear. It will match quite nicely with your lovely dress.”
Chloe’s heart swelled with gratitude over Fiona’s sweet compliment.
“It was a gift from Lord Lindale’s father?” sheasked in awe. How very generous of Lady Fiona to share it. Chloe hadn’t the first clue what to say in response. Lady Fiona rarely spoke of her late husband. She wanted to know more, though she daren’t pry.
Lady Fiona’s eyes betrayed a shimmer of moisture. “Yes, dear. He gave this to me the night he asked my father for my hand in marriage.”
Chloe furrowed her brows. She thought Ian’s father had been a merchant. How could he have possibly afforded such an extravagant gift? Nor had she realized he’d asked for Lady Fiona’s hand in marriage. Chloe could have sworn her father had said the two had eloped.
“You cannot harm it. Go on, take it,” Lady Fiona urged her.
Chloe reached to take it from Lady Fiona’s hands and Aggie came scurrying out from the parlor at once. “I’ll help!” she exclaimed excitedly.
“Oh, thank you, dear,” Fiona said to Aggie, smiling at the girl. “I’m afraid I just cannot manage from this infernal chair!”
“It’s absolutely beautiful,” Chloe said in disbelief, as Aggie lifted it before her and placed it about her throat, “Thank you!” She was enormously confused by the recent turn of events. In the space of a single day, nothing seemed the same.
How could she suddenly feel so thrilled to dinewith a man who only yesterday she’d claimed to despise?
What had changed since then?
And when?
“You look positively radiant,” Fiona said warmly when Aggie stepped away. She glanced at the timepiece that lay in her lap, and exclaimed, “Goodness! It’s five after the hour! You must hie away.”
Chloe blinked. To where?
“Go on now,” Lady Fiona urged her, waving a hand toward the door where Edward was waiting. He turned to retrieve a snow-white pelisse from the coatrack and held it out for her.
“Well, go on,” Fiona commanded her.
Chloe felt her feet move without direction.
Feeling suddenly numb, as though it were all happening in a dream, she allowed Edward to settle the pelisse over her shoulders. Without a word, he opened the front door. Chloe stepped outside to find a coach at the ready. Afraid to turn about for fear that everyone was staring at her, she hurriedly climbed into the carriage, half expecting to find Ian waiting inside.
He wasn’t there.
The carriage was empty, save for a single red rose that lay upon the facing seat.
Chloe didn’t touch it. She didn’t dare. It didn’t seem possible it could be for her.
Her hands sought the choker at her neck. It felt incredibly heavy and wickedly beautiful. Good Lord, she felt beautiful simply wearing it—though merely one of its gems would feed a family for years. Guilt pricked at her for wearing it. It was more than she could bear. This was not her life, nor did she wish it to be. So why did it feel so…titillating?
If this was Lindale’s idea of a joke, she would never forgive him.
Remembering the kiss, her hands unconsciously went to her lips. God help her, the mere memory shouldn’t make her belly flutter, but it did.
Would he kiss her
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