Page 51 of The Viscount in her Bedroom
Louisa held her breath, exchanging glances with Georgie.
Simon hesitated. “Grandmama, just because I don’t display my every feeling, doesn’t mean I haven’t experienced them. Self pity, especially. But I’m doing better. And I’ll think about what Miss Shelby said regarding my food.”
“That’s all anyone can ask,” Lady Wade said.
They ate in companionable silence until Simon was served a plate of ham, and Georgie tried to cut it for him.
“Georgie,” he said, “if you don’t want me to pity myself, then I need to start cutting my meat so I feel older than five.”
“Oh,” she said, straightening up and setting down his knife. “I knew that Cook would—I never meant—”
“Of course you didn’t,” he said gently. “You have been my source of strength through this, Georgie, and I wouldn’t have come this far without you.”
Lady Wade dabbed at her eyes again, and even Louisa felt a tightening in her throat. Before making fools of themselves crying in front of Simon, they went on talking about Georgie’s wardrobe fittings. They all pretended not to watch Simon, who was the center of attention, whether he wanted to be or not. He cut his meat slowly, felt purposefully for the meat, speared it, and put it into his mouth. He showed no triumph at doing something so little, but Louisa felt it for him.
Had she truly helped him? She’d encouraged him to walk alone, but hadn’t imagined he’d be ready to take two new “steps” on the same day. She was filled with a sense of happiness that she’d made a difference. There weren’t many men who would so graciously accept her help, especially when she and Simon were…distracted by each other, feeling things they shouldn’t be feeling. She closed her eyes and tried to forget how just her touch had made him react. She well understood that. He did the same thing to her.
As if he could sense her staring at him, he looked toward her, and she blushed and took another bite of her eggs. She tried to let him eat in peace by turning to Georgie. “Though we’re only going for fittings, I’m sure we can persuade the dressmaker to give you a few gowns that day. Then we can begin the next phase of your education.”
Georgie sat back in her chair, looking nervous but determined. “What do you have in mind?”
“It’s time to accept invitations from local families, perhaps a small dinner party or musicale. You’ll feel like a different person with a new hairstyle and wardrobe.”
Georgie nodded, but Louisa sensed that the bravery wasn’t coming easily.
“Everything we’ve been working on will start coming naturally, Georgie, I promise. Even the dancing. We’ll practice the quadrille again this afternoon.”
While Lady Wade discussed Enfield’s imminent—but minor—social calendar, Simon appeared almost too thoughtful. Louisa knew he was worried about Georgie being hurt again. She wanted to reassure him, but not in front of his sister.
Simon tried to concentrate on the delicate task of cutting his meat, but his thoughts wouldn’t leave the image of Georgie walking into a dinner party beside Louisa. God help him, he knew Louisa would never purposefully harm anyone, but just by being at Georgie’s side, harm might result. There were men with no scruples, who would lead on a naïve young woman, and have her alone before she realized what was happening. Had Louisa been such a victim?
In his mind he saw Louisa, beautiful, confident, unaware of the ugliness in some men’s minds when they looked at her. She would be crushed if she knew the truth.
But Georgie could lose the opportunity to attract her own callers. Simon considered accompanying them, but what good would he be to them? Georgie would feel like she had to take care of him, rather than giving herself the chance to be available to talk to future suitors. Simon would be forced to imagine what people were thinking or doing. It would be a terrible way to spend an evening, and with no redeeming value to Georgie at all.
Then he thought of Louisa, naïve in some ways about how she affected men. She, too, would be vulnerable. But Simon would have to rely on his grandmother, or maybe Paul, to tell him what happened.
His plan to guard Georgie from what Louisa might teach her hadn’t really worked yet—because so far there was nothing to guard against. Louisa was helping.
~oOo~
For several days, Louisa was busy, going on calls with Lady Wade and working with Georgie in the afternoons. Her life felt almost fulfilling—especially since she was watching her other “secret” student blossom. Simon was moving cautiously about the manor, and it lifted everyone’s spirits. Whenever Louisa had free time, she followed him just to see how he was doing—what he was doing. When she wasn’t with him, she was wondering about him. Once she saw him trip on the legs of a table that had been moved. She almost went to him, but stopped herself in time. He wouldn’t want her to know she’d witnessed what he probably thought was a humiliation. She only saw bravery and determination in everything he did.
This obsession with Simon wasn’t good for her, because the lingering temptation of him was only slumbering, waiting, feeding on itself and growing larger, so that at night she lay awake and ached for him. She played the kiss over and over in her mind, and imagined he’d come to talk to her again, this time of his own volition.
She kept reminding herself that he had virtually trapped himself in the house, that she was the only woman here not related to him. Of course he would be distracted by her.
The day after returning from the London dress fittings, Louisa and Georgie were practicing their quadrille in the afternoon when Lady Wade entered and sat down to watch them. Louisa was doing well in the man’s steps of the dance. When they were finished, they curtsied dramatically as Lady Wade clapped her enthusiasm.
“Oh, girls, that was marvelous,” the old woman said. “Georgie my child, with that lovely hairstyle and that beautiful gown and such grace, everyone will admire you.”
As Georgie blushed, Louisa looked at her with pride. She almost felt like a mother.
“But there’s someone to see you in the drawing room,” Lady Wade continued.
“Who?” Georgie asked. “Is Mr. Reyburn visiting?”
“Yes.”
