Page 62 of Bargaining for the Barrister
He backed up against the wall. “I hardly think it would be appropriate.”
His reasoning might have been sound, but Louisa did not wait for him to finish. She lunged forward before he could recoil from her and latched on to his cravat with her free hand while the hand with the note landed on his chest. His eyes bulged, but her own eyes were likely wider. Ignoring the heat radiating from him, she shoved the small folded parchment under the lowest part of the lapel of his waistcoat. She started to tug her hand away but hesitated. What if the note slipped out and embarrassed her further? Her pulse bounced recklessly—her hold on him was not at all ladylike—but since she had already gone this far, she pushed the note farther down under the waistcoat near the pit of his arm.
Paul shrieked like a mouse being attacked by a hawk. But that made her the hawk, and she wasn’t trying to attack him—only thank him. She attempted to slide her hand out from his jacket, but he latched on to both of her wrists. “I hardly think my cravat is under there!” he said, pushing her away from his body.
She released her grasp on the note and his cravat at the same time. Paul slid past her, reaching the dining room door, his waistcoat pulled crooked and his hair in front falling forward instead of combed back as before.
She slumped against the wall in the space he’d just vacated. Had she really just done that? Her impulsive behavior had reverted far past the year before her parents’ death to that of a twelve-year-old girl. Her brother would lock her up in his house for the rest of eternity if he knew that, indeed, she had stuck her hand into Paul Sheldon’s waistcoat to deliver a useless, one-lined note.
“Wait,” he said, his hand on the door. “You’d better go back in first.”
Her cheeks blazed hot like they’d been burned by the sun. “You’re right.” She stood straight and neared him, causing Paul to back up several feet. She glanced at him as she opened the door. Wariness shone in his eyes. And for good reason. She had cornered him one too many times. “I... I’m afraid your cravat is far worse than before.” With a grimace, she reentered the dining room.
Chapter 27
Paul watched the door closeand then jumped up and down to shake the sensation of her hand beneath his jacket. Why was everything with this woman so unpredictable? He shivered and straightened his cravat the best he could. He waited as long as he could to reenter the dining room, and when a footman arrived with a heaping tray of food from the kitchen, Paul instinctively opened the door for him.
With a tight smile, he made his way back to his seat. Lisette sat on his left and she reached over and patted the table next to him—a familiar gesture over the years to show she wanted to reassure him but respected that he did not want her to touch him. He nodded a thanks and scooted his chair deeper beneath the table. He stole an imperceptible glance at Louisa, the woman who clearly had no boundaries at all considering his person, but the perplexing woman was engaged in a conversation with Ian.
Yes, Ian.
Those two were far more comfortable together than they had been, and something about it made Paul uneasy. Although, everything these days made him uneasy. His hand went to his chest as he replayed what had just happened in the corridor. Then, realizing what he must look like, he adjusted his waistcoat with a few firm tugs, dropped his hand, and dug into his dinner. What was wrong with him? He was normally calm and collected and... controlled. His life these days was anything but controlled.
Dinner ended, and Paul stalled while the other men seemed eager to rejoin the ladies in the drawing room. Once they’d exhausted politics and the weather, he followed the other men, ensuring he was the last. Holding back by the door, he watched as people gravitated to each other—the young together on one side and the older on the other. His eyes naturally fell again upon Louisa.
Ian stepped up to her and said something, making her laugh. Paul instinctively stepped toward them, only to force himself to hold his ground. Was he jealous? He shook his arms by his sides, trying to rid the sensation stealing over him. He’d fought his feelings desperately, but it seemed God willed his heart to want hers. Blowing out his breath, his legs began the slow walk to her side.
His circle of friends opened to him, and though he hadn’t wanted to put himself so near Louisa, he ended up directly beside her as they all took a seat. The others greeted him with cheery smiles. His gaze stole to Louisa, wondering if she appeared as affected as he felt. Her smile was unnatural to the point that the expression had to be uncomfortable. Good. She should feel awkward after attacking him in the corridor. She’d practically ruined his motivations for staying away from her.
“What is that sticking out of your waistcoat?” Jemma asked, pointing at his chest.
He looked down and frowned at the corner of a parchment sticking out near his cravat. A note? Ah! So that was why Louisa had dug her hand under his jacket. He must’ve dislodged the note when he’d straightened his attire.
He suddenly felt a small pinch on the back of his arm from Louisa. So this was an important note, was it? He’d read it as soon as he was alone. Never mind. The temptation was too great to resist. He’d read it now. He whipped out the note, pinching it between his fingers. A small squeak sounded from Louisa, but he quickly said, “Just something to do with one of my briefs. I had nearly forgotten it. Just a minute, if you please.” He stood, took a few steps away, and turned his back to the others. The letter was inarguably the smallest he’d ever received. He’d just made to open it when he felt a strong tug on his arm.
Louisa?
She glared at him. “You can see to your work later. This is a social event.” She snatched the note from his hands and, without any hesitation, tucked it back into his waistcoat. He stared at her, and with lowered brows, she stared right back. This petite woman hid her spirit behind her sweet smiles and soft voice, but he knew better. Louisa Cox was a force strong enough to knock the sense from a man and make him question all his life choices.
Ian laughed, dispensing the height of Paul’s shock. “I have never seen anyone put Paul in his place quite so nicely.”
Paul chuckled too, but more out of disbelief than amusement. There was nothing to amuse as he watched his friend warm to Louisa. Paul knew his jealousy was unfounded, but Ian was doing a marked good job showing his support to Paul by befriending her. If something developed between them... He tightened his jaw as he attempted to rid the thought from his mind. He would spend the rest of his life trying to return that support if it killed him.
The rest of the night passed uneventfully, with Paul doing his utter best to follow the line of conversation. He wanted, no needed, to read Louisa’s note. It wasn’t until the dinner party had ended and he was alone in his room later that night that he finally had the opportunity to do so. He broke the yellow wax seal and unfolded the strip of paper.
Thank you for everything.
Always your friend,
—Louisa
A rush of pleasure ran from his chest to his toes. He smoothed the paper, admiring her handwriting and, in turn, the beautiful woman behind the note. It was easy to guess why she was thanking him. He’d heard of Mr. Davies’s hasty departure and only regretted not acting sooner. But the note itself was what kept him bent over under the candlelight. A letter was an infinitely personal gesture, and the delivery had been rather reckless on her part.
Reckless. A favorite way of his to describe Louisa. But she was good and kind too, as proven by her desire to express her gratitude. A grin surfaced, followed by a deep sigh. His hand went to his chest again as he remembered how she’d twice put her hand on his waistcoat. Then his memory slid back to the powerful kiss they’d shared. He clutched the fabric over his heart. Suppressing his feelings was creating an ache inside him that was becoming ever more difficult to ignore.
Chapter 28
Louisa woke feeling rested andhappy... until she recalled the night before. She burrowed back under her covers with a moan. Paul must think her an absolute flirt. The idea mortified her. What had begun as a heroic gesture had evolved into a scene from a horror novel. It took a good half hour to coax herself from her covers to face the day.
