Page 29 of Calling on the Matchmaker
Finola couldn’t look away.
Did he hope to move forward into a marriage that was represented by love, friendship, and loyalty? Maybe in spite of the reservations he’d expressed to his father, he intended to do his best with a second marriage.
It was noble of him. She had to admit, Riley Rafferty was a fine and decent man, regardless of the interesting way they’d met. At this moment, he made her want to forget about everything that had happened in the past with Ava and move forward with a new life. None of the other suitors had made her feel that way.
There was something about him that was different from any man she’d ever met. And, of course, she couldn’t deny her attraction to him, which was also different from the other men who’d come calling.
If only she was a different woman—a worthier woman without such a stain on her conscience....
Straightening her shoulders with resolve, she held out her hand so he would have no choice but to put the ring on, touching her in the process, the very thing he wanted to avoid.
Her conscience nagged her, as it had in the past, to talk again with her mam and da and explain her passion to enter the convent. But what if they disregarded her feelings the same way they did Enya’s?
No, she had to stay strong for a wee bit longer and try to overwhelm Riley Rafferty with her physical affection. And if he didn’t run away fast and scared, she’d have to plot another way to chase him off.
Riley stared at her hand for a moment, then took it in his. This time she wasn’t wearing gloves and could feel the calluses on his palm. They were work roughened, the kind that belonged to a man accustomed to long hours of labor. And his fingers were warm.
She could sense her family watching and from the corners of her eyes could see her da looking on eagerly. If only he wasn’t so intent on having each of his children walk in his footsteps and having the kind of life he’d carved out for himself. Aye, he only wanted to provide the best for them. But what if his idea of what was best wasn’t best for her?
As Riley began to slip the ring over her finger, his thumb brushed against the length of her finger, as though preparing the way for the ring. It was such a soft caress and the slide of the ring so slow that she found herself holding her breath until it was in place. Even then she couldn’t breathe as he raised her hand toward his mouth.
Was he planning to kiss her fingers again, as he had during his last visit?
His eyes met hers, and something within them spoke of both tenderness and strength, not unlike the day he’d rescued her from being hit by the hackney.
She couldn’t move, couldn’t object—although she knew sheshould. She’d planned to be the one in control of their physical interactions. But she felt helpless to do anything but wait for him to finish.
His breath caressed her knuckles first. Then his lips touched her, feather-light, exquisite, sending tingles over her skin. He’d hardly just begun when he lowered her hand.
She didn’t immediately move back, strangely unsatisfied and wishing he’d done something more, although she couldn’t describe what.
He stood and put at least an arm’s length of space between them but watched her expectantly.
She needed to acknowledge his kind gesture. “Thank you, Riley—Mr. Rafferty.” She extended her hand and examined the ring. “It’s beautiful, to be sure.”
“It belonged to my mom.”
She was curious to know more about his past, although learning about him might make parting ways difficult. She needed to be careful. It would be best not to invest any more in the relationship than was necessary.
Besides, he’d likely gotten down on one knee in front of Helen too and slipped this very ring on her finger.
A knot twisted inside at the image of Riley kissing another woman’s hand. But just as quickly, she pivoted away from him and the image.
As she passed around the table behind her da, he clasped her arm and steered her back toward Riley. “The two of you need a wee bit of time to get to know each other. I suggest moving to the parlor.”
Before she could protest, Kiernan and her da were directing Riley and her out of the dining room. Her da didn’t release her arm until he’d walked her to the settee in the parlor and situated her there. Kiernan did the same with Riley, positioning him right next to her.
She started to scoot away. Her da had always prohibited herfrom sitting directly beside a young man, had even required separate seats. But her da pressed her shoulder firmly to hold her in place. “You’ll be married soon enough, Finola.”
The insinuation brought a flush to her insides, leaving her speechless.
Da gave her arm a final squeeze before heading out the door with Kiernan on his heels. Once they were gone, she glanced around the room. No one was in sight.
Had her da not only given her permission to sit next to Riley, but also left her unchaperoned? He’d never before allowed it, had always required all his daughters to have a chaperone any time they entertained suitors.
She stared at the parlor entrance, waiting for him to come back through. Or at the very least to send one of her siblings to sit with Riley and her. She prayed he’d choose Madigan. Her younger brother hadn’t stopped her from scheming with other suitors and certainly wouldn’t tonight either.
But the mantel clock ticked loudly as the seconds passed and no one returned. Finally, Riley cleared his throat. “How was your charity work today?”
