Page 27 of The Earl and Miss Muffet
Anton put out his arm, and Elena accepted it. He motioned back with his head when they were out of earshot. “He is taking his wish very seriously.”
“I could say as much about you.”
He grinned. “Yes, you are right. But I think I finally know what I want.” His eyes met hers, and they seemed brighter than normal.
Why did she feel breathless beneath his gaze? “Is this a private wish like mine?”
“For now.” His hand came up and rested on top of hers, making her arms erupt in gooseflesh.
If only she could suspend time, then this moment would last forever. Tomorrow—and the end of her happiness—would never come.
Chapter 13
RainpeltedagainstAnton’sbedroom window as he dressed for the day. The weather had held long enough for them to enjoy their picnic the day before, but it had poured heavily all night long. Thoughts of the picnic made him think of his earlier frustration with Lord Templeton. His friend had found Elena to be an attractive, amiable young lady, and it bothered Anton a great deal.
Despite these feelings, he found his jealousy easier to conquer with Lord Templeton than he had with his brother. It had taken seeing Sophia again to realize she did not own his heart but had deeply wounded his pride. Lord Templeton’s attention toward Miss Muffet had accomplished something else entirely. It had helped Anton be sure of his plans for the future. He did want Elena in his life. He was infinitely happy to have her on his arm and sad and anxious when she stepped away. He had overcomplicated the idea of love and almost missed it when it was right in front of him. He had Lord Templeton to thank for that, so he couldn’t very well be angry with him.
Now he just needed to tell Elena. He bent over washstand in his room, adjusting the cravat his valet had tied for him. He took a deep breath and examined himself in the mirror. Looking presentable was one thing, but being collected inside was different. Having never done this, he wasn’t sure where to start. He practiced his speech in the mirror half a dozen times before he felt ready to face her.
He made his way down for breakfast, realizing he was much later than usual. He possessed more cowardice than he realized. Shaking his hands at his side to loosen his nerves, he stepped into the dining room. However, the image before him made him stop abruptly.
“I see you are as surprised as the rest of us,” Mother said, her posture anything but relaxed. She came and stood beside him. “You remember Mr. and Mrs. Muffet and their oldest daughter.”
Instead of focusing on Mr. Muffet’s stern expression or the way Elena’s sister batted her eyelashes in his direction, Anton’s eyes found Elena. His mouth went dry when he saw her at the end of the table, spectacles back on, her head bowed, and her gaze refusing to meet his.
He forced his attention back to his guests and bowed to the family. They passed the usual cordial greetings and sat back down to breakfast, along with Sophia and her parents, Terrance, and Mary. Their long oak table was quite crowded.
He was still processing what this would mean to his courting plans while he filled his plate at the sideboard with his breakfast. The sound of the conversation nearest him floated over to his ears.
“Do you have to leave right away?” Mother asked Mr. Muffet. “This storm is dreadful! You are welcome to break your journey here for a day or two.”
Mr. Muffet shook his head. “Bianca insisted on bringing her sister back home. I am afraid we weren’t prepared for such unfavorable weather.”
Mother seemed as disappointed as he was. “We wrote requesting to keep Elena longer. We are so sorry to see her go. Please, consider at least a night here so we might have a proper farewell.”
Anton turned in time to see Mr. Muffet look at his wife, who seemed to beg with her eyes for the same thing. Anton wondered if Mr. Muffet had the heart to listen to his wife. He had spent some time with the couple at Sophia’s house party and had not taken Mr. Muffet to be a very generous man.
Mr. Muffet seemed more annoyed than thrilled with the idea of staying. “Surely one night will allow the ground to soak up some of the torrents of water on the road. Do you have room for us? We were just discussing staying at the inn in town.”
“Yes, of course,” Anton said, joining the conversation.
Mother grinned. “Wonderful! I shall inform my staff as soon as you have eaten, and they shall prepare your rooms.”
Anton exhaled with relief and set his plate down in an empty seat next to his mother. He glanced down the table to see Mary trying to speak to Elena. Elena did not respond, and Mary’s countenance showed her frustration and disappointment. Anton’s chest tightened with apprehension. What was bothering her? This was the old Elena, not the one he had come to know. And blast the timing of all of this. He had just decided to tell Elena his feelings, and now she was going home.
When breakfast ended, Anton hoped to catch Elena, but her sister snagged her and carted her off. Anton couldn’t bear to make small talk with anyone, so he made his way to the library. Something very wrong was happening in his home and with Elena, but he couldn’t grasp what it was.
Elena reluctantly led the way to her bedroom under Bianca’s orders. When they reached the room, Bianca nudged her inside with a sharp poke of her elbow. The door swung shut behind them, and Elena faced her sister. A person wasn’t supposed to wake up to find themselves in a bad dream. What she wouldn’t give to crawl back into her bed and go back to yesterday when her arm was tucked safely in Anton’s. Surely, she would never get such an opportunity again—not if Bianca had her way.
“How dare you come here!” Bianca growled through gritted teeth.
“M—Mother planned it all.”
“So she says, but you must have given her the idea. All those books have fed your imagination. You schemed up this grand escape, didn’t you?” Bianca set her hands on her hips, scowling fiercely at her.
“I promise, I did no such thing.” Elena backed away a step. What would Bianca do to punish her? Her sister was never predictable, except that Elena would pay in some way.
Bianca sneered. “It doesn’t matter. We will be leaving, and you will regret ever coming here.”
