For the Love of Lila Read Free Page B

her face. Though she had determined to close her trust, something about the plan worried her.
    “Without a dowry, you will greatly diminish your chances of marrying well,” he said quietly, aware she wouldn’t appreciate his counsel.
    “I shall not be getting married, Mr. Wyndam.” She pursed her lips, but one corner of her mouth tugged upward, giving her a look of satisfaction rather than petulance. “If nothing else, my age should make that apparent.”
    “Not at all.” He had to force his gaze from her pout, noting that his thoughts had taken yet a more personal turn. As he returned to her eyes, their depth struck him again. He glanced over her creamy complexion and hair the color and sheen of coal. She was among the class of beauty his mother would call an Incomparable , yet she thought herself unmarriageable. Perhaps her education had chased away a few would-be suitors. Men often felt threatened by intelligent women.
    “Is your birthday at the root of all this?” he asked. “Society has some daft notions about when a young woman ought to marry. Men are not expected to wed until their thirties. Why should a female consider herself past marriage any sooner?”
    She raised one eyebrow. “I commend you on your reasoning, sir, but you mistake mine. I don’t wish to marry. My decision is based on my principles, not my age.”
    “What principles?”
    Her lips parted, but for a moment she said nothing. When she did, she dropped her gaze. “I don’t believe I need discuss my private beliefs with a stranger.”
    “No, of course not.” His let out a long breath. He supposed he had no choice but to let her ruin her life. At such moments, he could hardly wait till the day when he would put the office of barrister behind him. When he attained a seat in Parliament, he would make laws, change laws, influence a society, not simply expedite the whims of a few. And not have to feel anguish for each individual who made a bad decision.
    He had just picked up his quill when his clerk knocked on the open door, ducking his head through the frame.
    “Beg pardon, Mr. Wyndam.” Humphries held up a handful of papers. “You still haven’t signed your traveling documents for Paris. If they aren’t processed this afternoon, you won’t be able to depart on time.”
    “Leave them on my desk, Mr. Humphries. I shall get to them in a moment.”
    The clerk set down the sheets and exited, and Tristan looked back to Miss Covington. She lifted her gaze from the traveling documents to his eyes and wet her lips as if about to say something. Instead, she looked back down into her lap.
    “What is it, Miss Covington?” he asked, hoping she would confide her misgivings—or at least tell him why she needed so much money.
    Her large eyes grew yet a trifle wider, the only hint that she felt any trepidation. “You are traveling to Paris?”
    He held back a sigh. After such a crescendo, nothing but idle chatter. “Yes, the day after tomorrow.”
    She stared down at her folded hands. “I myself am...on my way to Paris.”
    He watched her averted face with renewed curiosity. Perhaps she had a purpose to this speech, after all. “When do you leave?”
    “Well...I have not yet made the arrangements.” She met his gaze, her face still inclined so that she looked at him through long lashes. “I have limited experience with that sort of thing. I wonder if, perhaps, you might tell me how one goes about obtaining a passport and securing passage across the Channel. I also need to hire a companion, maybe a groom as well. I could use some guidance in all these areas.”
    He frowned. Did she truly believe an unmarried woman could travel abroad on her own? The idea was preposterous. But from what he’d observed of her so far, he had a feeling she wouldn’t want to be told so. He hesitated. “I begin to see why you want to close your trust. Such a journey will incur a great deal of expense.”
    “Yes. I confess I’d also welcome any suggestions