Page 25 of For a Lady's Lust

“You ... you do?” Louisa asked. As she said that, Isaac could practically see a small corner of her mask peeling back and the true Louisa coming through.

“How could I not? That price was fair when your father was not going through a health crisis, and as circumstances have now changed, so must the price. I would be happy to draw you and your family up a new estimate for what I feel is fair now, but I would also not mind if you were to simply name the price. I trust you and your family implicitly and know that you would only ask for what is fair.” Isaac considered that he might be laying on the compliments too thick, but when Louisa was obviously having a difficult day, he thought, why not?

Louisa simply blinked at him in disbelief. “You’re that willing to change your price?” she asked.

Isaac nodded. “Yes. Here, I shall write what I believe to be an appropriate amount down on this paper, and you can tell me how you feel about it.” He grabbed a piece of parchment and a writing utensil from nearby, pondered what he thought would be a good price as well as what Louisa would accept in assistance now that her father was not employed for the foreseeable future, and then wrote down a number. He folded the paper in half and placed it in front of Louisa.

“There we have it. Tell me what you think about that number,” Isaac suggested. He was so happy that Louisa was actually asking for financial assistance from him, even if she was doing it through the sale of her house. He wanted to give her as much money as he could but knew that she would accept no charity and so was worried he had given her a number that was too low.

When he saw the look on Louisa’s face as she opened the folded paper, however, he then feared the opposite. “Mr Quince – Isaac – this is too ...” Louisa began to say, keeping her eyes glued to the number as if when she looked away momentarily, it would disappear.

“I hope that such an offering does not offend you,” Isaac checked. But when Louisa said nothing in return, he was still not sure if she was happy or miserable with the number that he had given her. And so, without thinking very much, he suddenly blurted out, “Perhaps we could discuss this matter over dinner here tomorrow night.”

Louisa’s head jerked up to look at him, and she very nearly dropped the slip of paper. Instantly, however, Isaac realized he had misspoken.You just invited a single young woman to dinner at your house!Isaac screamed inwardly.You cannot reveal your feelings so outwardly like that, you must invite a chaperone. But who ... I cannot think of anyone ... although perhaps ...“With your mother,” Isaac tacked on awkwardly. “Dinner here tomorrow night with ... your mother.”

Isaac was so embarrassed by his behaviour and how he had spoken to Louisa that he wanted to run from the room and never speak of this incident again. However, it seemed that his awkwardness had not driven Louisa away. She simply gave him a polite smile and said, “That would be lovely, Mr Quince. I shall bring her, and we can all discuss ... the cost of the house.”

Isaac nodded gratefully. “Yes! Yes, of course, the cost of the house is indeed what we shall keep the topic of conversation centred upon. Shall we say ... six p.m. for dinner? Does that leave you enough time to ... get ready?”

Stop talking, stop talking, stop TALKING!Isaac ordered himself.She does not need you to think about her getting ready, for you have already made the grave error of inviting a young lady to your home without a chaperone. If you do one more foolish thing tonight, you might ruin your relationship with her entirely!

“Yes, I do believe that should allow me enough time to get ready,” Louisa said with a hint of mockery in her voice. But surprisingly, Isaac didn’t mind her teasing him one bit, because it seemed to make her just the tiniest bit happier.

“I am very glad to hear that, Miss Louisa,” Isaac responded cordially. “Then shall I walk you to your carriage so that you and Miss Flaherty can go home before the storm arrives?”

“Before the ... the storm?” Louisa asked, rising from her chair to look out the window. “Oh my, I had not realized how dark it had become. Yes, that is a most excellent idea, thank you, Mr Quince.”

When Louisa turned back from the window, Isaac didn’t realize how close he had got to her. She took two steps and then practically ran right into him. She did stop just in time, however, and so stood agonizingly closely to Isaac for the briefest instant.

She was so close that Isaac could feel her sharp intake of breath against his neck when she nearly collided with him. He could see the way the light glinted off of her dark hair, which he thought was rather miraculous, considering how black hair typically consumed any light that shone in its direction.

And finally, when she slowly moved her head up to look him in the eyes, he was left speechless by the delicate nature of her face and the way her lips seemed to draw him in towards her. Isaac couldn’t help himself. He raised one hand and gently placed it upon her cheek, and when their skin touched, it was as though he had been struck by lightning.

The hairs on the back of his neck stood up, and goosebumps rose on his arms and then all over his body. Louisa was looking at his lips as well and giving him all the signs that perhaps she wanted him to kiss her ...

Right then, of course, Sophie barged into the room with another servant, and Isaac and Louisa broke apart immediately. “Sorry to interrupt you, sir,” Isaac’s servant, Mr Heath, said, “but I’m afraid there’s a rather urgent matter to attend to in the kitchen. I would explain it, but ... I do not wish to shock the ladies.”

Judging by the nonchalant manner in which Mr Heath had begun talking, he did not see what position Louisa and Isaac had been in when he entered the room ... but Sophie certainly had. She was currently staring at Louisa with a wide-open mouth, unable to move. Isaac’s head was still so foggy from his almost-kiss with Louisa that he couldn’t even form a sentence in response to Mr Heath.

Louisa, on the other hand, jumped right into action. “Then Miss Flaherty and I shall leave you to that important business, Mr Quince,” Louisa said, striding forward and taking the still-stunned Sophie by the hand and leading her out of the room. “Thank you for your time, and I shall see you here tomorrow with my mother,” she called after them.

As Isaac watched the two young women walk away, he could have cursed Mr Heath.I was so close,he thought.And I hope to high heavens that Louisa tells Sophie to keep her mouth shut about what she saw ... otherwise, it would mean a big problem for all three of us.

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