Page 14 of A Wicked Earl's Widow
“It seems you must stay here a while longer,” he said as he met her on the bottom step. “I hope you are not too disappointed. I am on my way to the breakfast room. Would you like to join me?”
Panic flared in her eyes. His jaw clenched at being the cause of it. Was she not comfortable here or was there something else? He had the distinct feeling there was much more to this young widow than she let on. What secrets did she hide? He wished Gideon were still here for he could always figure a person out. Always knew if they spoke the truth, only part of it, or told a Banbury tale.
“Does your mother know that I-we are not leaving immediately?”
“Yes, I was with them when I read the letter from Sunderland.” He watched the relief brighten her eyes before they focused on her boots.
His mother could be intimidating, but supper last night had not been awkward. Except when Mother had spoken of her hope for grandchildren and asked if her parents doted on Althea. There had been an uncomfortable silence and then she’d mumbled about her father being busy and her mother disliking travel. Hannah covered the clumsy moment with an elaborate sneeze then changed the subject to the weather.
“A cup of tea does sound very good. I’m not sure if I could eat.”
“Let’s find out, shall we? Cook makes an excellent biscuit with a crispy top and fluffy middle. I’d have run away from home several times as a boy if it weren’t for those biscuits.” He warmed at the sound of her laughter. “Hannah cannot wait for Grace to arrive. We had a particularly wicked winter with little socializing. If she has her way, it will be a week-long house party.”
“Hannah is lovely. Why has she not had a season yet?” Nate’s pulse kicked up as she placed her hand on his arm. Moving down the hall, he considered how to answer that. How much did she know of his family’s history? “Mother insisted she wait until eighteen. She was in a hurry to lose her only daughter.”
“I can understand that,” Lady Eliza agreed softly. “Hannah will be snapped up at the first ball.”
“Not until I have interviewed and thoroughly terrified every suitor.” He winked. “Only the strongest and most eligible will survive.”
She gave a throaty chuckle as they entered the morning room. “How wonderful it must be to have an older brother.”
“Hmph! I beg to differ,” said Hannah from the dining table, brown eyes sparkling with mischief. “His motives aren’t as altruistic as you think. He’s afraid Mother will make him escort her to afternoon teas and join him when the neighboring ladies visit.”
Nate gave an exaggerated shudder. “Run me through now and save me from such a fate.”
“I’ll send you off to a worse one, you impudent boy.” Lady Pendleton waved a butter knife at him. “Lady Eliza, good morning to you. Please ignore my son’s waggling tongue. Men, as you know, never mature in some aspects.”
With a hand over his heart, Nate bowed. “I give in as I am outnumbered.”
He pulled out a chair for Lady Eliza and watched her backside settle on the embroidered cushion. Hannah smirked at him. Sending her a warning glare, he proceeded to the side table and filled his plate with a rasher of bacon, eggs, and several biscuits.
“Would you like to try one?” He offered her the plate of biscuits.
“After your marvelous recommendation, how could I not?” She took one and slathered one half with creamy white butter. “Oh, my. These are delicious.”
“Here, put some marmalade on it,” he said around a mouthful. “If these aren’t in heaven…” He stopped chewing as he watched her pile on the sweet preserves and lick off a chunk as it dropped onto her thumb. A throbbing began low in his belly.
What the hell is wrong with me?
“I wonder how Grace is coming on the repairs to the rest of the castle? The living quarters and main hall are so tastefully done.” Lady Pendleton poured more tea and added a dollop of cream. “The place was in shambles when they moved in. I don’t know how she did it.”
“My cousin is very organized and industrious.” Her lips turned up. “In other words, she can’t stand to be idle.”
“She always has a plan. Been that way since childhood. We never played a game or organized a party without a second scheme, in case something went awry.” Nate snorted.
“It’s saved our skins more than once. Remember the picnic by the stream?” asked Hannah. “The wind blew up a terrible storm, and we only had time to make it to that old woodcutter’s cabin.”
“On my property, and I didn’t even it know it existed,” continued Nate, “but there it was with blankets and a pile of wood and books!”
“Books?” Lady Pendleton stopped the last bite of biscuit midway to her mouth. “She’d stocked an old hut with books?”
“It seems Grace likes to read when she’s stranded somewhere. So I made a fire, we spread a dusty but dry blanket on the floor, and Hannah read to us. One of those terrible romance novels females seem to adore.” Nate rolled his eyes. “How can a flesh and blood male compare to the heroes in those books?”
“Quite impossible,” agreed Lady Eliza. “When I was a young girl, they were my only escape. I used to…” The smile faded from her lips along with her voice. She sipped her tea, suddenly fascinated with the lace pattern of the table cloth.
He studied her. What had caused that abrupt withdrawal? Yesterday an avenging angel and today a wounded doe. An unexpected urge to protect this woman rose in his chest. He hastened to cover the silence and his mother and sister’s curious looks. “Between the fictional gallants and her own father, Lord Boldon was surprised any man passed muster with his daughter.”
“Lord Sunderland is not just any man,” she almost whispered.
