upstairs.
Chapter Six
E lizabeth stood gazing out the window
of Lord Harmstead’s library, blinking against the afternoon sky. Her head hurt
as though someone had taken a hammer to it. The champagne had been too much,
too quick—and so had Lord Stephen Clearbrook.
"Did
you see what he did at breakfast, Papa?" She turned to her father.
"Did you? He acted as if... as if he loved me.”
Elizabeth
was both furious and touched at Lord Stephen Clearbrook's behavior this morning.
She could very well see how he had saved Wellington's life. The man was no
coward.
That
point was proved when he acted the hero this morning, saving her from an embarrassing
scene. Although making that ludicrous announcement was akin to professing his love
for her, the two of them were definitely not a love match.
Yet she
couldn't deny the spark of warmth that had swept through her when he pressed
his lips lightly to her hand. She would not think about that. Nor would she
think about the way his eyes had devoured her with such tenderness that she
wanted to cry.
No, she
didn't want to think of him having any heart at all. She wanted him to be a
callous man whom she could distance herself from. Even heroes were callous at
times.
But he
had not been callous, her heart whispered.
Whether
he pitied her or not, he was a fiend with feelings, she told herself. Feelings
that could charm a woman into a rake's lair with one blink of his devastating
smile.
However, she would not be
Lord Stephen's woman. Why, when he had pulled her into the hall after she
received that note from Mr. Fennington, the circumstance had not affected her
at all!
Oh,
maybe she had enjoyed his nearness a tad more than she would admit. But who
wouldn't? Those chocolate brown eyes had probably swept many a lady off her
feet. Yet she was no simpering female and even heroes had their flaws. She
would never forget the fact he only wanted to marry her for money.
"He
is a gentleman, Lizzie. Knew that the moment I clapped eyes on the
fellow."
Elizabeth
stared at her father, her mind working furiously to extricate herself from this
absurd situation. "Of course he's a gentleman; he's the son of a
duke."
"But
that ain't precisely what I meant. You must see that honor is as much a part of
Lord Stephen Clearbrook as breathing. It's a code the man lives by. All the men
in the Elbourne family live by it. His three brothers are very highly thought
of, my dear. You should be pleased to be marrying into such a family."
There
was a bit of reproach in his tone, and Elizabeth tried to mentally count to
ten. Honor? Forget about the man's past. What kind of honor was it when a man
married a woman for her father's money?
This
conversation was getting her nowhere.
"Well,
if you ask me," Milli piped in from across the room where she sat on a
leather chair, swinging her slippers over the rug, "I believe his lordship
would die for Lizzie if he had to. Now, that would be real love, would it
not?"
"Millicent,
please do not tell me that you are falling for the man's charms,"
Elizabeth said, pinching the bridge of her nose. This was the outside of
enough.
"Oh,
but I like him regardless," her sister said, jumping off the chair.
"An hour ago I saw him in the hall, and he gave me a sack of candy,
whether I became his sister-in-law or not."
Elizabeth
groaned. The charms of this rake were never ending.
"He
may be handsome, Lizzie, but he's not the smartest man on earth," Milli
added thoughtfully. "He treats me as if I were only twelve. Can you
believe that? I will be fifteen next month."
"Fifteen?"
William Shelby replied with a frown.
Elizabeth
was surprised at Milli's defense of the handsome lord. Though Milli was smaller
than girls her age, she made up in spirit for what she lacked in height. Brown
locks coiled about her face and down her back in a childlike innocence that
made most people think she was younger than she was. No wonder Lord Stephen had
given her candy.
"See,
Papa," Elizabeth
Chapter Six
E lizabeth stood gazing out the window
of Lord Harmstead’s library, blinking against the afternoon sky. Her head hurt
as though someone had taken a hammer to it. The champagne had been too much,
too quick—and so had Lord Stephen Clearbrook.
"Did
you see what he did at breakfast, Papa?" She turned to her father.
"Did you? He acted as if... as if he loved me.”
Elizabeth
was both furious and touched at Lord Stephen Clearbrook's behavior this morning.
She could very well see how he had saved Wellington's life. The man was no
coward.
That
point was proved when he acted the hero this morning, saving her from an embarrassing
scene. Although making that ludicrous announcement was akin to professing his love
for her, the two of them were definitely not a love match.
Yet she
couldn't deny the spark of warmth that had swept through her when he pressed
his lips lightly to her hand. She would not think about that. Nor would she
think about the way his eyes had devoured her with such tenderness that she
wanted to cry.
No, she
didn't want to think of him having any heart at all. She wanted him to be a
callous man whom she could distance herself from. Even heroes were callous at
times.
But he
had not been callous, her heart whispered.
Whether
he pitied her or not, he was a fiend with feelings, she told herself. Feelings
that could charm a woman into a rake's lair with one blink of his devastating
smile.
However, she would not be
Lord Stephen's woman. Why, when he had pulled her into the hall after she
received that note from Mr. Fennington, the circumstance had not affected her
at all!
Oh,
maybe she had enjoyed his nearness a tad more than she would admit. But who
wouldn't? Those chocolate brown eyes had probably swept many a lady off her
feet. Yet she was no simpering female and even heroes had their flaws. She
would never forget the fact he only wanted to marry her for money.
"He
is a gentleman, Lizzie. Knew that the moment I clapped eyes on the
fellow."
Elizabeth
stared at her father, her mind working furiously to extricate herself from this
absurd situation. "Of course he's a gentleman; he's the son of a
duke."
"But
that ain't precisely what I meant. You must see that honor is as much a part of
Lord Stephen Clearbrook as breathing. It's a code the man lives by. All the men
in the Elbourne family live by it. His three brothers are very highly thought
of, my dear. You should be pleased to be marrying into such a family."
There
was a bit of reproach in his tone, and Elizabeth tried to mentally count to
ten. Honor? Forget about the man's past. What kind of honor was it when a man
married a woman for her father's money?
This
conversation was getting her nowhere.
"Well,
if you ask me," Milli piped in from across the room where she sat on a
leather chair, swinging her slippers over the rug, "I believe his lordship
would die for Lizzie if he had to. Now, that would be real love, would it
not?"
"Millicent,
please do not tell me that you are falling for the man's charms,"
Elizabeth said, pinching the bridge of her nose. This was the outside of
enough.
"Oh,
but I like him regardless," her sister said, jumping off the chair.
"An hour ago I saw him in the hall, and he gave me a sack of candy,
whether I became his sister-in-law or not."
Elizabeth
groaned. The charms of this rake were never ending.
"He
may be handsome, Lizzie, but he's not the smartest man on earth," Milli
added thoughtfully. "He treats me as if I were only twelve. Can you
believe that? I will be fifteen next month."
"Fifteen?"
William Shelby replied with a frown.
Elizabeth
was surprised at Milli's defense of the handsome lord. Though Milli was smaller
than girls her age, she made up in spirit for what she lacked in height. Brown
locks coiled about her face and down her back in a childlike innocence that
made most people think she was younger than she was. No wonder Lord Stephen had
given her candy.
"See,
Papa," Elizabeth
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