Page 9 of The Inconvenient Heiress

“No gentlemen allowed,” Caroline said happily. “I should be delighted to embroider it on my reticule for the world to see.”

Caroline glanced around, then pulled her in for a kiss. Arabella’s toes curled inside her evening shoes and she wrapped her arms around her neck, wanting to hold her close forever. She hadn’t danced a step but her thighs trembled as if she had spent the whole night whirling across the assembly room. Caroline’s lips were soft but the hand on herlower back was firm and possessive, and it flooded her with warmth. She angled her head back as Caroline trailed a series of kisses across her lips and down to her jaw.

“That was a thank-you sort of kiss,” Caroline said after they pulled apart. “For services rendered.”

Arabella was delighted.

More kissing.

Suitressing had been the very best idea she had ever had.

Chapter Eleven

Their new townhouse probably wasn’t large by London standards, but to Caroline it felt cavernous. Everything was strange. There were new servants living in the attic, and more staff than she had ever had to manage before. There were new routines to get used to.

Dinnertime pouting, however, hadn’t seemed to change a whit with their new location.

Will scowled into his pudding. “It isn’t home,” he muttered, stabbing his spoon into his jam roly-poly. He always had a complaint about something when he was overtired, and it had been an exhausting month for all of them.

“It’s home now, darling,” she said.

But it didn’t feel like home to her, either. Where were the mended cloaks hanging from the hook in the hallway and billowing in the breeze of the open door? Now their cloaks were all shut away in cupboards without a patch to be seen. There was no sprawl of George’s toys, or errant bonnets on the side table, or a thousand other things that she never had the time to put away, but which had made the old house feel comfortable.

“I miss where we werebefore.” Will’s voice was plaintive.

“Tell me what you miss most about it, and I shall see if I can rectify it.”

Caroline had packed up his tin soldiers herself, and his favorite sticks for throwing in the sea, and his collection of seashells and stones from the sandy shores. What else could a boy of ten years be missing?

“I miss Shelley.” His lip jutted out. “And Byron.”

Truth be told, she missed them herself, much as she had always complained to Arabella about Shelley sneaking around on market day. “I could arrange for us to have a kitten.”

“Don’t want a kitten. I want Shelley and Byron!” His voice raised in a petulant whine.

“Let’s take a walk to town tomorrow and visit Bell. You know wherever she is, Byron at least is sure to follow.”

Arabella. That was whatshemissed most about the old house. Her constant presence, popping in as often as Shelley had.

The next day was sunny, and Caroline was happy to see the wood sign outside of Arabella’s house which meant that she was selling her paintings. A couple of visitors were gathered in her parlor, their dresses bright and fashionable, murmuring over Arabella’s array of watercolors.

Caroline stepped into the room, everything suddenly dim as her eyes adjusted from the bright sun, and she grinned at Arabella from across the room. Arabella’s answering smile filled her with joy.

“Hi, Bell,” Will announced as he streaked past her, doubtless in search of the big wooden swing with the hope that the cats were snoozing in the back garden.

The pair of visitors were occupied looking over the seascapes.

Caroline strolled over and peered at them too. “The colors are marvelous, are they not?”

“And the composition is most striking.” One of them started to flip through the paintings and stopped when they saw the widow’s gothic mansion. “How intriguing.”

“The house must be haunted,” Caroline said. “Look at those spires. Can you not imagine a ghost or two wandering around them in the moonlight?”

“Miss Reeve has a very active imagination.” Arabella glared at her.

“That does sound interesting,” one of them said. “I love it. It will look wonderful in my sitting room.” She paid for the painting and the pair left.

“You can’t just tell people the manor is haunted, you know.” Arabella started to tidy the pile of paintings, putting them back into order.

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