Page 84 of To Bed the Bride
He didn’t stay to hear her answer. Instead, he strode from the room, leaving the door open behind him. Bruce remained at her side.
How could he have said such a thing? After a moment she realized why. He thought she was still going to marry Michael. She hadn’t told him any different. By not informing Logan of her decision, she’d given him the impression that not only was she disloyal, but that she was incapable of her own sense of honor.
She could race after him and tell him what she’d decided. What would he think of her then? Would he believe that she expected a declaration of some sort from him? Or think he was obligated to her in some way? She didn’t want to leave with him thinking the worst of her, yet she didn’t know what else to do.
If she was going to return to Scotland and live her life alone, she should begin right now.
Logan knew he’d been a fool and he wasn’t given to being foolish. Despite what the newspapers called him, he couldn’t adequately represent his constituents if he was truly a firebrand. No, he wasn’t normally rash. However, whenever he was around Eleanor he was given to acting unlike himself, almost as if he reverted to being a boy.
He should never have seduced her, if that was the correct word for it. It was more like a mutual seduction. Any words he’d uttered in caution had been buried beneath passion. Eleanor hadn’t been the least reluctant. Nor had he. In fact, he couldn’t remember ever being as overwhelmed by desire. He could only thank Providence that it was the servants’ day off.
There was always one maid who rotated with the others. She remained here in case he needed something. Hopefully she hadn’t come looking for him in the past hour.
All of his servants were Scottish and each one of them was loyal. No gossip would reach anyone about Eleanor. He couldn’t guarantee the same when she returned to the Richardses’ house. He could always ride out the storm of controversy. She, less so. Society always blamed a woman in a situation like this. His own reputation might be enhanced by a hint of scandal. For the last two years, ever since he’d become a member of Parliament, he’d been the brunt of teasing from various contemporaries for his lack of romantic entanglements. Even Disraeli had made a comment about his bachelor life.
He shouldn’t have said what he did to Eleanor. Yet he couldn’t bear the idea of her still marrying Herridge. She’d said she had a choice, but she hadn’t indicated that she was going to end her engagement. They needed to have that conversation again or discuss her circumstances more fully. It was his business now. What he felt for her gave him the right to argue against marriage to Herridge.
What would he do if she insisted on going through with the wedding? What if becoming a countess was more important to her than anything else? The woman he’d come to know wouldn’t care about a title, hadn’t cared about one.
Letting her leave was a mistake. Letting her leave as she had was even worse. His words had spread a pall over an otherwise unforgettable afternoon.
He would make a point of being here on Wednesday when she came to visit Bruce. Would she come? If she didn’t, he’d get his answer then. She regretted their afternoon of passion.
Chapter Thirty-Two
To her surprise, Liam didn’t leave his driver’s perch to open the carriage door for her. He glanced at her, then pointed toward the carriage. She couldn’t understand what he was mouthing to her, but before she had a chance to ask, the door opened on its own.
Michael sat there, his arms folded and his face empty of any expression.
Eleanor hesitated, then continued descending the steps.
The last thing she wanted was to confront Michael right now. However, it needed to be done. The sooner this difficult encounter was over, the better.
Did he know that she wasn’t fully dressed? She fervently hoped that he couldn’t tell she wasn’t wearing stockings, or that they were tucked into her reticule. Although he couldn’t know what had transpired in the drawing room, he did know that she’d been in Logan’s home. That fact alone was enough to label her as shocking since she’d broken several rules about comportment and propriety.
Perhaps he’d be so incensed with her that he’d break their engagement, thereby sparing her the necessity of doing so.
There was nothing else to do but join him and she did so, entering the carriage, and settling herself opposite Michael.
“What are you doing here?”
“It’s a question I might ask of you, Eleanor.”
She sat back against the seat. “Evidently you browbeat my driver to allow you into my carriage.”
Michael gave the command to Liam and they began to move.
“Don’t be ridiculous, Eleanor. I don’t have to browbeat anyone. They all know who I am.”
Michael had always had a high opinion of himself.
“You’ve been a very busy woman today. First the hotel and now McKnight’s residence.”
She stared at him. “How did you know I went to the hotel?”
“I’ve had you followed for a considerable time.”
“What do you mean, you’ve had me followed?”
