Page 33 of The Gentleman's Confession
He glanced at Jemma, who looked sheepish.
“I fear it would not be appropriate.” He dipped his head and retrieved his newspaper and hat from the end of the bench. “Good day to you both.”
He took a few steps before Jemma said, “Oh, Mr. Jackson. I have a message I need to relay to you from Mr. Manning.”
“Oh, certainly,” he said.
Jemma rushed to his side and stepped in pace with him just as Miss Hardwick realized she had been outed. They heard her huff behind them, but they didn’t stop.
“We did not get to our lesson,” Jemma whispered.
“What about Wednesday?” He glanced back, but Miss Hardwick had taken a seat on the bench, apparently choosing not to follow them. “I have an appointment at midday, so morning would work better.”
“But our spot has been compromised,” she hissed.
Our spot.He had called it the same, but it sounded so much better coming from her. “Can you manage to take your horse on a ride without company?”
She nodded without hesitation.
It was terribly un-vicar-like, but planning a clandestine appointment with the woman he was not supposed to be in lovewith was so perfectly satisfying. “If you can make it, I will be at the upper pond by eight o’clock.”
Her eyes sparkled. “I will find a way.”
Those words weren’t meant to give him hope, but somehow, they did.
Didn’t those discerning green eyes of hers see how well she worked with him? No topic was too grave or political. Ideas flowed and were freely discussed. He had offered to help her, but in the end, she had lingered to help him. They were so well matched. An hour in each other’s company would never be long enough.
“Then, so shall I,” he said, his courage rising. He would find a way—a way for her to see him in a different light. He couldn’t keep going like this and pretending that he felt nothing for her.
y
Jemma dropped her bonnet and gloves on the walnut side table in the Mannings’ entrance hall, still annoyed with Miss Hardwick’s interruption of her lesson. In truth, she had been so caught up in the idea of gathering funds for the Greek people that she’d forgotten the lesson altogether. But she’d been having a perfect afternoon until Miss Hardwick had arrived. How aggravating it must be to have so many women following one about.
A bouquet of fresh flowers in a vase beside her cast-off bonnet emanated a beautiful scent, a welcome distraction from her thoughts. She bent over to smell them right when the drawing room door opened.
Lisette stepped out. “I thought it must be you. What do you think of the flowers?”
“They smell divine. Did Aunt have them cut from the garden? I didn’t realize we had such a variety in bloom already.”
“Mr. Bentley brought them by.” Lisette crossed the entrance hall and touched the conical bloom of a syringa. “He hired someone to bring them all the way from the hot house in Leeds.”
“Leeds? What trouble it must have been. And it means he stopped by again while I was out.” Jemma groaned. “How do I keep missing him?”
Lisette leaned back against one end of the side table, careful not to disrupt the flowers. “He grew a little flustered when I reminded him of the hour of your daily walks. He must have been anxious to see you.”
Jemma reached for the exposed brass handle on the table drawer, running her finger around the lion head. “Please tell me you kept him company so his time was not completely wasted.”
Lisette’s smile appeared. “We had a lovely visit, talking all about you.”
“Good heavens.”
“I highlighted all your best features and talents.”
“Always the angel.” Jemma put her arm around Lisette and rested her head on her taller cousin’s shoulder.
“I find I enjoy thinking about you being married,” Lisette said. “We haven’t had many gentleman callers here in the last year. Not outside our Rebels friends. I’m all swept up in the idea of romance. It almost makes me believe it’s possible for me.”
“How could you say such things?” Jemma brought her head up. “Of course you will have romance. You know Miles has been busy establishing himself in the community, but it is only a matter of time.”
