should go back. My grandfather expects me at eleven.”
Ellicott glanced at his pocket watch. “Eleven o’clock has come and gone while we were kissing. I must be going too. The horses will be restless by now. Have you ever made love in a carriage?”
“We should go.” She seized on the opportunity to end the discussion and fled the house, assuming he would follow along behind her. She gathered Louisa from the neglected gardens where she had been collecting wildflowers and hurried toward the distant mansion.
“Why are you rushing?” Louisa whispered as she struggled to securely hold her basket of scented flowers that she had picked at Torre Cottage.
“Later,” Sally promised, casting a glance over her shoulder at her grinning betrothed.
Later? What was she thinking? Try never! Louisa was an innocent, incredibly ignorant about men and desire, and she could not be confided in without humiliating them both. The only woman she could talk to about Ellicott was Lady Duckworth, and she was a very long walk away.
Sally normally enjoyed the stroll from Torre to Newberry, but at a fast walk it left her out of breath.
When they reached the curved garden walks of home and spotted her mother waiting at the drawing room door, she kissed her sister’s cheek. “I have to go. Would you please make sure Ellicott’s departure goes smoothly?”
Louisa smiled somewhat ruefully at the request and then nodded. She offered a smile toward Lord Ellicott as he drew near. “Say good morning to Grandfather for me.”
“I will.” To Ellicott she said, “Journey safely, my lord, and I will count the days till your return.”
“As will I, my dear. As will I.” His voice dropped to a seductive pitch as he leaned close to kiss her cheek. Louisa thankfully missed his intent completely and led him toward her mother.
Chapter Eleven
S ally took the most direct path that would bring her to her grandfather’s study, trampling across a bare garden bed in her haste. She paused outside the garden door a moment, stomped her feet, smoothed her gown, and checked her hair before entering without knocking as if nothing unsettling had occurred that morning.
“I am sorry I am late.” She hurried forward. “Ellicott wanted to see Torre Cottage with Louisa and me, and we lost track of time.”
What she had not expected when she took in the room was to come face-to-face with Felix Hastings. She had been trying to forget him all over again, and his presence rooted her to the spot. He unwound from his chair and stood at his full height of six feet three inches, and her heart slammed into her ribs rather painfully as he bowed.
His dark hair was just as unruly as it had been the night before, and she longed to run her fingers through the curls to tame them. His pale blue eyes widened as she stared, and his lips pressed together, reminding her of where they had last kissed her skin. Oh, how those wicked lips had corrupted her.
She tore her eyes away from him, blushing fiercely, and gave her attention to the duke. “Forgive me. I thought you wanted to see me, but if you are otherwise engaged, I can come back another time.”
“We were waiting for you. Please.” Her grandfather gestured to the writing desk placed beside his own. “You must take notes.”
She blushed and quickly took her usual place. Grandfather disliked sharing family matters with servants, and for the past five years when her aunt was engaged elsewhere, Sally acted as secretary to him. She wrote most of his correspondence and recorded his thoughts in a journal he kept. His hands, weary from walking with canes, often refused to cooperate for even the simplest of writing tasks on most days.
She noticed a fresh journal had been placed on her table, and she turned to the first page. “A record of Captain Felix Hastings’s actions at sea” had been penned on the front along with his date of birth and dates of his promotions in the service. He had advanced very quickly, she
Ellicott glanced at his pocket watch. “Eleven o’clock has come and gone while we were kissing. I must be going too. The horses will be restless by now. Have you ever made love in a carriage?”
“We should go.” She seized on the opportunity to end the discussion and fled the house, assuming he would follow along behind her. She gathered Louisa from the neglected gardens where she had been collecting wildflowers and hurried toward the distant mansion.
“Why are you rushing?” Louisa whispered as she struggled to securely hold her basket of scented flowers that she had picked at Torre Cottage.
“Later,” Sally promised, casting a glance over her shoulder at her grinning betrothed.
Later? What was she thinking? Try never! Louisa was an innocent, incredibly ignorant about men and desire, and she could not be confided in without humiliating them both. The only woman she could talk to about Ellicott was Lady Duckworth, and she was a very long walk away.
Sally normally enjoyed the stroll from Torre to Newberry, but at a fast walk it left her out of breath.
When they reached the curved garden walks of home and spotted her mother waiting at the drawing room door, she kissed her sister’s cheek. “I have to go. Would you please make sure Ellicott’s departure goes smoothly?”
Louisa smiled somewhat ruefully at the request and then nodded. She offered a smile toward Lord Ellicott as he drew near. “Say good morning to Grandfather for me.”
“I will.” To Ellicott she said, “Journey safely, my lord, and I will count the days till your return.”
“As will I, my dear. As will I.” His voice dropped to a seductive pitch as he leaned close to kiss her cheek. Louisa thankfully missed his intent completely and led him toward her mother.
Chapter Eleven
S ally took the most direct path that would bring her to her grandfather’s study, trampling across a bare garden bed in her haste. She paused outside the garden door a moment, stomped her feet, smoothed her gown, and checked her hair before entering without knocking as if nothing unsettling had occurred that morning.
“I am sorry I am late.” She hurried forward. “Ellicott wanted to see Torre Cottage with Louisa and me, and we lost track of time.”
What she had not expected when she took in the room was to come face-to-face with Felix Hastings. She had been trying to forget him all over again, and his presence rooted her to the spot. He unwound from his chair and stood at his full height of six feet three inches, and her heart slammed into her ribs rather painfully as he bowed.
His dark hair was just as unruly as it had been the night before, and she longed to run her fingers through the curls to tame them. His pale blue eyes widened as she stared, and his lips pressed together, reminding her of where they had last kissed her skin. Oh, how those wicked lips had corrupted her.
She tore her eyes away from him, blushing fiercely, and gave her attention to the duke. “Forgive me. I thought you wanted to see me, but if you are otherwise engaged, I can come back another time.”
“We were waiting for you. Please.” Her grandfather gestured to the writing desk placed beside his own. “You must take notes.”
She blushed and quickly took her usual place. Grandfather disliked sharing family matters with servants, and for the past five years when her aunt was engaged elsewhere, Sally acted as secretary to him. She wrote most of his correspondence and recorded his thoughts in a journal he kept. His hands, weary from walking with canes, often refused to cooperate for even the simplest of writing tasks on most days.
She noticed a fresh journal had been placed on her table, and she turned to the first page. “A record of Captain Felix Hastings’s actions at sea” had been penned on the front along with his date of birth and dates of his promotions in the service. He had advanced very quickly, she
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