Page 15 of The Heiress in Disguise
“No,” she said, cursing herself for having let her guard down. “I have no family.”
“I see.”
He didn’t ask her any further questions, but Angelique was still furious with herself. Her aunt would look for any excuse to get rid of Peter and Molly. She would love to do it and say that it was punishment for Angelique forgetting her place and revealing something she shouldn’t have to the neighbors.
They’d reached the kitchen. “Stand here,” Angelique told Philip. “I’ll get a basket together.”
“Can I help you?”
“No, there isn’t any need.” She would have liked to accept his help, actually—it might have been fun to work on this together—but it was clear to her that she was having too much trouble controlling her tongue around him for him to be allowed to linger.
She turned away from him and began to search for some cold meats and cheese—things that would be fine enough to present to the earl. Though her aunt had given no specific instructions, she would certainly be angry if Angelique were to get this task wrong in any way.
The door swung open. Angelique didn’t turn to see who had come in, but after a moment, she heard a familiar voice. “Oh, forgive me, sir. Good afternoon.”
It was Molly. Immediately, Angelique felt herself relax. Molly’s presence was always so soothing.
“Nothing to apologize for,” Philip said genially. “My name is Philip, and I work next door. I came here to deliver a basket to Lady Leicester, and she’s kindly asked Ella here to send something back to the earl. I’ll be out of your way very shortly, have no fear.”
“You’re not in our way at all,” Molly said. “How long have you served the earl?”
“Oh—not very long.” Angelique thought he seemed rather flustered by the question. She couldn’t imagine why such a simple query would trouble him, but apparently it had.
“And before that?”
“I’m sorry?”
“I wondered where you were working prior to your employment by the earl.”
“Oh—not in London,” he said vaguely.
“In England?”
“Yes—in the country.” He turned to Angelique, and she thought it was obvious that he was trying to forestall any further questions. “Say—Ella, I wonder if you’d like to come next door with me to deliver that basket, the way I delivered the basket here. You could get a look at the estate. I think you might like it, and I’d like to show it to you if you’d be willing.”
Of course, Angelique knew full well she couldn’t go with him. Aunt Wilhelmina would never allow it—she had made it abundantly clear that Angelique wasn’t to leave the grounds as long as they were in London. She certainly wouldn’t approve ofanything that might put Angelique in proximity to the earl she hoped to win for her own daughter.
“I don’t think I’d better,” she said. “I’m sure Lady Gwyneth would like to carry it over—maybe I’ll ask her to do it?”
Philip’s face fell slightly, which made Angelique’s heart beat faster. So he had really wanted to spend more time with her. That was an intriguing thought. It made her sad that she couldn’t take him up on his offer, because she would have liked to spend more time with him as well. But she just couldn’t risk provoking her aunt’s wrath. It wasn’t worth it.
“Perhaps you’d walk me back to the foyer, at least, and you and I can say goodbye to one another there?”
“I can certainly do that,” Angelique said with a smile.
The walk back to the sitting room led them past a few windows. Philip gazed out, pausing momentarily. “Is that a creek I see down there?” he asked.
“It is indeed,” Angelique said.
“I do love the water.”
“As do I.” Angelique smiled. “I used to spend a lot of time by the water when I was young. I’d catch small fish and roast them over a fire.”
He gave her an odd look. “Did you really?”
“I suppose you think that’s an unladylike pursuit,” she said with a laugh. “Of course, I’m not a lady, so it hardly matters.”
“That’s not what I was thinking,” he said. “I was recalling that I used to do something very similar when I was young.” He was looking at her as if seeing her for the first time. Angelique wondered why.
