on the tea. She set it down. When she looked up, it was to see Robert smirking again. He looked like he was almost laughing.
“Actually, I was on my way to call upon the Dowager Duchess. It was merely the hand of fortune that brought us together sooner.” He drained his cup and set it down before reaching into the breast pocket of his morning coat. He withdrew several folded notes and held them out towards her.
She stared at them. “Your winnings, Your Grace,” he prompted.
“My Lord, I—”
His expression darkened at her denial, and he interrupted. “If you do not want it then give it to a charitable institution. I said I would lay the bet for you, and I did.” He tossed the money on to her lap and rose.
Jane picked it up and put it on the table by her cup, then rose, too. She felt as though there was a tumultuous moat of misunderstanding and maybes separating them. Their impulsive embrace of moments ago was like a lost memory already.
“Your Grace.” He bowed. “If you will excuse me, I should be off in any case.” He turned to Violet, stepped forward and, bowing, held out his hand, indicating for her to set her hand in his. She did not. Jane watched Robert rise and smile in a dismissive gesture that told Violet he did not give a damn. “My Lady,” he intoned scathingly, before turning away then striding from the room with an assured step.
Oh.
Jane looked at Violet, unsure what to do, but then, without any real thought, she set off in pursuit.
“My Lord!” she called, halting his pace as he reached the top of the stairs. “Wait, I’ll see you out.”
A knowing smile curved his lips.
The infuriating man was driving her quite mad.
When she reached him, she gripped his arm and led him on to the stairs, speaking in a whisper, “Robert, I do not want you to think—”
“To think what, Jane? That you do not find me attractive? That you are indeed playing games?” He leaned closer to her ear. “Or that you want me still? Or that you wish now that you’d not been so hasty in your retreat the other night?”
Her fingers fell from his arm, and as he took the next step, she did not, setting a distance between them. “What I wish for, my Lord, is that you would leave me alone.”
He scowled, and his fingers curled into a fist. His voice was bitter when he spoke. “That is hardly the response I expect after what your friend observed.”
She supposed she deserved that.
He climbed a step.
She took another upward, backward, only to stumble.
He caught her arm, his grip firm and secure, stopping her fall, and he shook his head at her. “You need not be afraid of me, Jane, no matter what Lady Rimes has said to you. Surely you know that?”
Her gaze met his, and she answered truthfully, “I trust you, Robert, but perhaps I do not trust myself, and there is nowhere for this to go from here.”
His head bent to whisper again, and his hair fell forward in that familiar way. “Why? Is there someone else? I thought I had shown you the night before last where this could go. Is pleasure not enough for you? That was just a taste, Jane. It could be good between us, if you let it
be.”
Robert watched Jane’s skin pale at his words and her eyes searched his. She looked shocked. Had he just hit a mark? Was there someone else?
He let go of her arm and faced those sharp green eyes as they darkened to jade. Her beauty was enough to knock a man off balance.
My dear Jane.
He wanted her still. Desperately. No matter what she wanted, he could not just walk away. He would not, and he would not bow to any competitor either. He could not think of her with anyone else. She was his.
“I don’t know what to do,” she whispered. “I hardly know how to live or breathe any more.” Her voice was breathless and weighted with an emotion he didn’t understand.
She sighed. “It is not you, Robert.”
What on earth did she mean by that? That she did have another man?
“It hardly matters what I want. My life has
“Actually, I was on my way to call upon the Dowager Duchess. It was merely the hand of fortune that brought us together sooner.” He drained his cup and set it down before reaching into the breast pocket of his morning coat. He withdrew several folded notes and held them out towards her.
She stared at them. “Your winnings, Your Grace,” he prompted.
“My Lord, I—”
His expression darkened at her denial, and he interrupted. “If you do not want it then give it to a charitable institution. I said I would lay the bet for you, and I did.” He tossed the money on to her lap and rose.
Jane picked it up and put it on the table by her cup, then rose, too. She felt as though there was a tumultuous moat of misunderstanding and maybes separating them. Their impulsive embrace of moments ago was like a lost memory already.
“Your Grace.” He bowed. “If you will excuse me, I should be off in any case.” He turned to Violet, stepped forward and, bowing, held out his hand, indicating for her to set her hand in his. She did not. Jane watched Robert rise and smile in a dismissive gesture that told Violet he did not give a damn. “My Lady,” he intoned scathingly, before turning away then striding from the room with an assured step.
Oh.
Jane looked at Violet, unsure what to do, but then, without any real thought, she set off in pursuit.
“My Lord!” she called, halting his pace as he reached the top of the stairs. “Wait, I’ll see you out.”
A knowing smile curved his lips.
The infuriating man was driving her quite mad.
When she reached him, she gripped his arm and led him on to the stairs, speaking in a whisper, “Robert, I do not want you to think—”
“To think what, Jane? That you do not find me attractive? That you are indeed playing games?” He leaned closer to her ear. “Or that you want me still? Or that you wish now that you’d not been so hasty in your retreat the other night?”
Her fingers fell from his arm, and as he took the next step, she did not, setting a distance between them. “What I wish for, my Lord, is that you would leave me alone.”
He scowled, and his fingers curled into a fist. His voice was bitter when he spoke. “That is hardly the response I expect after what your friend observed.”
She supposed she deserved that.
He climbed a step.
She took another upward, backward, only to stumble.
He caught her arm, his grip firm and secure, stopping her fall, and he shook his head at her. “You need not be afraid of me, Jane, no matter what Lady Rimes has said to you. Surely you know that?”
Her gaze met his, and she answered truthfully, “I trust you, Robert, but perhaps I do not trust myself, and there is nowhere for this to go from here.”
His head bent to whisper again, and his hair fell forward in that familiar way. “Why? Is there someone else? I thought I had shown you the night before last where this could go. Is pleasure not enough for you? That was just a taste, Jane. It could be good between us, if you let it
be.”
Robert watched Jane’s skin pale at his words and her eyes searched his. She looked shocked. Had he just hit a mark? Was there someone else?
He let go of her arm and faced those sharp green eyes as they darkened to jade. Her beauty was enough to knock a man off balance.
My dear Jane.
He wanted her still. Desperately. No matter what she wanted, he could not just walk away. He would not, and he would not bow to any competitor either. He could not think of her with anyone else. She was his.
“I don’t know what to do,” she whispered. “I hardly know how to live or breathe any more.” Her voice was breathless and weighted with an emotion he didn’t understand.
She sighed. “It is not you, Robert.”
What on earth did she mean by that? That she did have another man?
“It hardly matters what I want. My life has
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