Page 34 of The Missing Book
That made him drop his head. “I will not pretend I have been anything other than a despicable character, Lady Amelia.”
“But I do not mean to berate you,” she responded, quickly. “I did not actually mean to speak as openly as I did just now. I have been struggling with this awareness, as you have called it, for a while but I did not intend to speak to you of it! It just… came to me and I spoke before I could think to prevent myself from doing so.”
“I am very glad that you did.” Leopold did not know what else to say, looking back at Lady Amelia and becoming completely overcome by her beauty. She was most extraordinary, unlike any other young lady of his acquaintance and Leopold was more than a little distracted by her! What ought he to do next? Should he ask to come to take tea with her? Suggest a walk in the park together? He blinked quickly, his mouth tugging to one side as he tried to understand what was required of him. He had always known about what would be expected when it came to courting a young lady but he had never expected to feel so unlike himself, as he did at this moment! His thoughts were not clear, his heartstill beating furiously as he tried to form the right thing to say next.
“She told me!”
The next moment, Anna grasped his arm, pulling out of his daze and forcing his attention back towards her.
“She laughed and blushed when I suggested that the gentleman might mean something to her,” Anna continued, her eyes darting between Leopold and Lady Amelia as she spoke feverishly. “I repeated my suggestion that she was, mayhap, hopeful of his courtship only for her to state that she was quite unwilling to evenconsidersuch a gentleman, not when she has hopes foranothergentleman.”
Leopold blinked, regaining himself a little. “She was speaking of Melford.”
“I think so. I did ask her who it was but she did not tell me, shaking her head and blushing quite pink! It seems very strange to me, given that I now know Melford is going to see her of his own volition. Why would she not just say?”
Lady Amelia tilted her head. “Mayhap he has not told her that we are aware of his interest.”
A frown tugged at Leopold’s forehead. “That would seem a little strange but it might be an explanation.”
“Who is the gentleman?” Lady Amelia leaned closer to Anna, her eyes bright with interest. “Did she say?”
Anna nodded. “A gentleman by the name of Baron Wishart. That is all she said.”
It felt as though Leopold had been struck by lightning. A strangled sound came from his throat, making both Lady Amelia and Anna look at him.
“You know Baron Wishart?” Lady Amelia asked, inferring the reason for his response immediately. “Have you a connection with him?”
Leopold closed his eyes and nodded, his stomach rolling. “Lord Wishart is a gentleman of disrepute,” he said, a little hoarsely. “A gentleman that I have been warned to stay away from by a friend of mine, Lord Huggan. I am sure that I spoke to my brother about him also, asking him to stay out of that particular gentleman’s company though I cannot be certain I did so.”
“I must find out all I can about Lord Wishart.” Lady Amelia touched Leopold’s arm and then made to walk past him. “Thank you, Anna. I will speak to the other bluestockings at once and – ”
“Might I come to call?” Leopold, grasping her hand so that she could not step away, saw the surprise that leaped into her expression, though it was quickly washed away by the warmth of her smile. “That is what a gentleman ought to do, I think, in circumstances such as these.”
She laughed then, but gently and sweetly so that he was not in the least bit offended. “I would have thought that a gentleman such as you, Lord Broughton, would have known precisely what steps ought to be taken in such circumstances! But yes, I should be very glad if you would.” Her voice softened. “It would make me very happy indeed.”
“Then I shall call very soon,” Leopold responded, as she smiled. “Thank you, Lady Amelia.”
With a press of his hand, she stepped away but the happiness in Leopold’s heart spread warmth right through him, making his face split with a smile.
Anna frowned. “You are to call on Lady Amelia?”
“I am, yes.” Leopold looked back steadily at his sister, only for her eyes to flare in evident understanding. “I hope… well, we shall see what happens but I am to take tea with her at the very least. I will write to her to make an arrangement tomorrow.”
Anna blinked, her eyes still rounded. “Goodness. I would never have expected there to be any sort of connection between you both.”
This made Leopold smile. “Nor would I have done, Anna. But it has come upon my heart all the same.”
15
“Lord Melford, good afternoon!” Amelia, silently thanking fate for allowing her chance to meet with Lord Melford, smiled up at him. “You are back in Temple, I see.”
Lord Melford nodded, gesturing to the case which now held no books at all. “I came to see the state of things. I am sad to see the absence of these books.”
“Indeed,” Amelia sighed, quietly. “Mr. Lackington now has them in his safe. It is a great pity that he cannot permit them to be out on display.” She saw Lord Melford’s eyes flick back towards the case again, wondering if he was thinking about what had taken place… and whathehad done. “Though he was glad to have those three books returned to him.”
Lord Melford did not so much as blink. “I was glad to be able to do so, though I would have much preferred to return all of them. There were five books in total, I think.”
“Six,” Amelia corrected. “I do not know the titles for them all but I know they are very highly valued.” Her eyebrows lifted as, just a little away from Lord Melford, Lady Anna came into view. “Oh, I did not know Anna was with you!”
