Page 13 of A Lady's Stardust Passion
“Lord Balwood,” she managed to squeak. “What a surprise. Please do sit.”
“Thank you.” He waited for her to sit, and then he sat across from her. “Thank you for seeing me.”
He smiled, and it only made him handsomer. Jane breathed slowly, trying to get herself to focus. She clasped and unclasped her hands in her lap, desperate for something to hold on to.
“Of course. My Aunt Sarah has called for tea.”
He nodded. “This is a fine house,” he said, looking around.
“Yes.” She smiled genuinely, feeling for once that someone commented on the house without judgment of her inheritance or a greedy look in their eye. “My father left it to me, and my aunt and uncle were kind enough to live with me here.”
When he turned his gaze back to her, his smile broadened. “That must be very nice for you.”
When the moment lengthened between them, he cleared his throat. “Lady Jane, you must be wondering why I’ve come to call upon you.”
“Well, I—” she was interrupted by Iris as well as a maid entering the room with a tray of tea.
“Tea, my lady,” the maid said, curtsying after she laid the tray.
Iris found a seat in a far corner and began to read, and trying not to tremble, Jane poured Lord Balwood a cup of tea and passed it to him. As she placed it into his hand, their fingers brushed, sending a fresh wave of electricity down her arm. She nearly dropped the cup, but he took it just in time. Quickly, she returned her hands back to her lap.
Lord Balwood took a sip, his eyes peering at her over the rim of his cup, and Jane felt like she couldn’t breathe. Never in her life had a man affected her so, and she had no idea what to say. Thankfully, Lord Balwood took up the reins again.
“I came by to ask if you might like to join me at the opera this evening. We have a private box, and I would be honored if you would accompany me. My mother and Emily will be with us, too.”
Jane straightened, a smile coming to her face unbidden. “That sounds lovely, my lord. My parents adored opera and taught me to love it as well. I have not been for some time.”
“Perfect. I’m sorry for the short notice.”
“Not at all. You are most kind to invite us.”
He smiled, and then he asked her a few other questions. Jane tried her best to answer, all the while her mind buzzing with what had happened in the dream. She couldn’t bring herself to look at his shoulders or his hands, or his mouth, fearful that what had occurred in her dream would show on her face. When it was time for him to go, she was rather relieved.
“Until this evening,” he said, standing in front of her and grasping her hand.
This time, there were no gloves between them, and she bit her lip as his grip tightened ever so slightly before he laid a soft kiss on her knuckles.
“Yes,” she uttered softly, and then he was gone.
When he left, she sank down onto the settee with a sigh, and it was only minutes later that Margaret appeared, looking far too smug.
“Ah, now, what do we have here?”
Chapter 11
In his carriage, Nathaniel breathed out as it drove away from the Earl of Claridge’s former house. He leaned his head back on the seat, and he felt like he hadn’t breathed in the past half hour.
What did I even say?
He couldn’t remember, for his mind had been muddled at the mere sight of her. In daylight, without the charm of twilight, Lady Jane Caldwell had appeared even more beautiful, more enchanting, and lovelier than his imagination had conjured after the ball. Her dark hair was worn simply, and two curls hung down to frame her face, and he found himself feeling jealous of them as they caressed each cheek when she spoke.
Her eyes, a brilliant blue, sparkled with intelligence, even though she had seemed a bit nervous at his arrival. He hoped and prayed that he hadn’t come off too intensely, or that his true motives hadn’t shone out through his eyes.
But those were becoming muddled as well. He needed the money, desperately, and he could see the strain on his mother’s face with each new day. But he hated the idea of marrying someone for their wealth, and yet deep down, he knew that was not the only reason that drew him to her.
When she spoke, each word was filled with such passion, and he couldn’t help but be mesmerized by it. Especially when she spoke of her parents or the stars, he could see the passion and fire right in her eyes, and he’d known from the first moment of their conversation that Lady Jane Caldwell was a far cry from any other marriageable young woman who had ever been thrown his way.
The one thing he could remember from their interaction was that he’d mentioned the opera to her.
