Page 51 of The Heiress in Disguise
She felt herself blush. “I don’t think that matters,” she said quickly. “It makes no difference whether I like him or not, does it? What matters is that he’s a mystery, and I won’t deny that he’s one I would like solved. I wish I knew who he was, that’s all.”
“I don’t know who he is,” Philip said slowly. “But Ihavespoken with him.”
“Have you?” That was a surprise. “When?”
“He was speaking to Lord Cambridge when I came to escort him home,” Philip said. “That’s how it is that I know who you’re talking about. Lord Cambridge was also intrigued by his secrecy. But tell me—are you interested in seeing him again?”
“Me?” Angelique frowned. “I’m sure he wouldn’t care to seemeagain.”
“I don’t think that’s true. Didn’t you just say that he took an interest in you?”
“Even if he had… I don’t know who he is, Philip, but I know that he’s a gentleman. He might have had a passing interest in me, but he couldn’t possibly desire further contact with a servant.”
She didn’t want to mention that the mysterious gentleman had known that she wasn’t actually a servant at all. First and foremost, Philip didn’t know that, and if he were to find out, it would surely come between the two of them. She had never felt more desire than she did in this moment to protect her identity as Ella. Ella was able to speak to Philip. Ella and Philip could be friends with one another. That was something Angelique could never do.
But by the same token, only Angelique could hope to befriend the mysterious stranger—he would have never taken an interest in her if he had truly thought she was nothing more than a servant. If she had really been just Ella, he wouldn’t have noticed her at all. He had been kind, but he wasn’t the kind of person who would cross the lines society had set out for him—at least, she didn’t think he was.
“He might like to speak with you,” Philip said. “I saw him with you in the garden.”
Angelique gasped. “What?”
“I had words with him, actually. Don’t worry—nothing too harsh. But I did tell him he shouldn’t be taking liberties with a young woman.”
“You’re not going to tell anybody, are you?” Panic filled her.
“Of course I won’t,” he said. “Not unless you wish it. If he made you uncomfortable, I wouldn’t like him to get away with that.”
“No, he didn’t make me uncomfortable,” she admitted. “I know he shouldn’t have done what he did. But it was kindly meant, and he did protect me from sleeping alone in the garden that night. That would have been dangerous. I’m… I’m grateful,” she admitted.
“Then you would like to see him again?”
“I suppose I would, but how can I?”
“I’m a decent tracker, if I say so myself. I might be able to discover his identity and whereabouts for you.”
Angelique felt deeply strange, talking about the masked stranger with Philip. It almost felt as if she wasbetrayingPhilip by admitting her interest in someone else. It made no sense to think that way. She had no relationship with Philip.
They were only friends, and barely that. Still, looking at him made her deeply aware of her admiration for him and the fact that she wanted nothing more in this moment than to spend time with him. It was hard to imagine wanting to see the masked stranger again, even though she knew deep down that she wanted that very much.
How could she feel so strongly for both of them? That shouldn’t even be possible. Surely, she ought to at least feel a preference for one of them over the other?
But she didn’t.
The idea of never seeing Philip again was heartbreaking. She knew that it was something that would happen eventually. Before long, they would leave London, and she would no longer be able to come down to the river any time she hoped to encounter him. There would be no chance of their coming face to face again after that.
Even if they did come back to London again someday, what were the odds that the Earl of Cambridge would be here too? What were the odds that Philip would still be a member of his household? That was the problem with living the life of a servant—you simply had no control over anything.
No matter how much Angelique and Philip might have liked to prolong their friendship or arrange to see one another again, they couldn’t choose for themselves. And that thought was crushing to Angelique. No hope of getting to know more about the masked stranger could assuage that pain.
At the same time, and just as passionately, shedidwant to know the masked stranger better. She wanted to know who he was and why he knew so much about her—why hecaredso much about her, for there was no denying that he did. Were her feelings about him simply a desire to solve the mystery? Or was it something more?
“Will you be free tomorrow?” Philip asked her.
“I might be able to get away.” She wouldn’t befree, not by any means. But she would have moments of less supervision, and she thought it would be easy enough to sneak out of doors, just as she had today. “Will you be here by the river?”
“I thought, if you were willing, that perhaps we could meet in the woods.” He pointed.
“The woods?” She was surprised. “Why would you want to meet there?”
