Page 97 of The Truth Serum
Did he? Yes, he supposed he did.
“You’re one to talk,” he muttered. He’d been witness to a few of her and Ras’s kisses. They were no better. But of course, they were engaged. And he was…he had no idea what with Becca. But he wanted it all.
Kynthea’s cheeks colored pink, but Becca looked lush. Her eyes were heavy lidded, her lips swollen, and if they were in private, he knew he could not have held back. But Kynthea put a hand out to stop him.
“Did you make the arrangements for the Penrose ball?”
He nodded, doing his best to wrench his thoughts away from Becca.
“I did, but…” God, he hated sending Becca back home.
Then the woman stopped his thoughts. Becca took hold of his face with both hands. She didn’t even have to apply pressure for him to turn to her. He would always turn to her.
“Trust me,” she said. “I have been managing my family since before we met. I will be safe.”
Belief echoed in her words. Whatever the truth, she was confident in her abilities. And damn it, he had no other choice.
“Very well,” he said. Then he looked at Kynthea. “But you and Ras will be by her side throughout the ball. And do you think you could stay with her until then? Wedding preparations or something like that?”
Becca immediately brightened. “Oh, I should love that above all things! I like you so much. Even in Cornwall, there’s no one whom I like quite so much as you.”
Kynthea smiled. “I think I like this potion,” she said to Kynthea, her voice a bare whisper. “Since I feel exactly the same about you.”
And so it was done. Nate spent the rest of the afternoon with them. As more time passed, Becca was steadier on her feet and absolutely delighted with the idea of shopping. Since Kynthea had a million shops to visit in preparation for her wedding, they fell into step with one another. Nate carried the packages and spoke entertaining nonsense. And he gloried in seeing Becca blossom at the happy tasks.
By the time it was all over, she and Kynthea had cemented their friendship. But what would become of him? As delighted as Becca seemed, she had not expressed interest in marrying him. Indeed, she had laughed straight in his face at the very idea.
Desperate for one last moment with her, he touched her elbow before she climbed into the carriage with Kynthea. “Go to the Carre ball tonight,” he pressed. They had a couple days yet before the Penrose ball. He would use that time before he put her life at risk.
She frowned at him. “Tonight? Why?”
“I want to dance with you. A waltz.” He couldn’t ask for more without tipping his hand or further upsetting Fletcher. But one dance could be easily explained away as being polite. One dance when he could hold her in public and he could court her as he’d always longed to do.
“One waltz,” she said. “I’d like that.”
Then his expression fell as his logical side reasserted itself. “Actually, I should ask, and you should refuse me. That would reassure Fletcher.”
“But I wouldn’t!”
He grinned. “Or we could make a scene.”
He heard a very loud groan from inside the carriage. It was Kynthea as she grabbed hold of Becca and dragged her inside.
“Stop it,” she hissed in an undertone. “There will be no scene tonight, and no more looking at each other like that in public. Not until all is resolved.” Then she very pointedly glared at Nate and said, “Go away!”
His eyes widened at how angry she sounded. It was forceful enough that he backed up a step. And then his peripheral vision showed him exactly what Kynthea must have noticed. Several members of thetonwere nearby. Several who would now take tales of a loud altercation rather than a heartfelt goodbye.
Very well, he could play the part.
“You are becoming quite shrewish, Miss Petrelli,” he retorted. “I believe Lady Rebecca is having a terrible influence upon your nature.”
And with that, he spun on his heel and left. While inside, he mourned. He couldn’t dance with her now. Not after that display.
Unless he thought of something very clever.
Chapter Twenty-Six
By the timeRebecca made it home, Fletcher was waiting. He was furious she had spent the day shopping, but he could hardly lambast her when Kynthea stood beside her gleefully talking about what a marvelous time they’d had and how she’d love to have Rebecca and her mother over after the wedding.
