chaperone," he said his tone amused, "but you have my word I shall not abscond with you."
Assuring herself there was no harm in accepting his offer of escort, Elizabeth said, "By all means, let us walk."
Strolling beside him down the path, her flounce dragging behind her, she cuddled Gadzooks in her arms and cast a surreptitious glance at her companion. Thank goodness she wasn't prone to heaving dreamy, romantic sighs, for this was certainly a man who could induce them. Thick ebony hair framed a strikingly handsome face made all the more intriguing by the play of shadows from the moonlight. His eyes were steady and intense, and when he'd gazed at her a moment ago her toes had involuntarily curled inside her slippers. High cheekbones, nose straight as a blade, and a full, firm mouth that she knew could quirk with amusement and she imagined would look fierce in anger.
In truth, everything about him was attractive. But there was no point in finding this stranger intriguing. As soon as he realized what a social disaster she was, he would surely rebuff her, just as so many others had.
"Tell me, Miss Matthews, with whom are you attending this ball?"
"I came with my aunt, Countess Penbroke."
Speculation filled his gaze. "Indeed? I knew her late husband, however I was not aware they had an American niece."
"My mother and Aunt Joanna were sisters. My mother settled in America when she married my father, an American physician." She shot him a sidelong glance. "My mother was born and raised in England. Thus, I am half English."
A smile touched his lips. "So you are, then, only half an Upstart."
She laughed. "Oh, no. I fear I'm still an Upstart through and through."
"Is this your first visit to England?"
"Yes." There was no point in telling him this was more than a visit—that she would never return to her hometown.
"And are you enjoying it?"
She hesitated, but decided to tell him the unvarnished truth. "I like your country, but I find English society and all its rules restricting. I grew up in a rural area and had much more freedom. It is not easy adjusting."
He glanced at her clothing. "Clearly you're experiencing difficulty giving up the American custom of crawling about in the bushes in your evening clothes."
A giggle erupted from between her lips. "Yes, it appears so."
The stables loomed ahead. As they approached, a tremendously plump cat emerged from the doorway and let out a loud meow.
The gentleman bent to stroke the animal. "Hello there, George. How's my girl tonight? Are you missing your baby?"
Elizabeth lowered Gadzooks to the ground and the kitten immediately pounced on George. "Gadzooks's mother is named George?"
He looked up at her from his crouched position and smiled. "Yes. As in 'By George, that cat must be a female because look there—she's having kittens!' My groom named her. Mortlin knows everything about horses, but little, I'm afraid, about cats."
Her answering smile faded as the significance of his words hit her. "Your groom? Are these your cats?"
Austin rose slowly to his feet, inwardly cursing his carelessness. His pleasant interlude was about to come to an end. "Yes, the cats are mine."
Her eyes widened. "Oh, dear. Then this is your home?"
Austin cast a quick glance toward the mansion in the distance. It was where he lived but it hadn't felt like a home in over a year.
"Yes, Bradford Hall belongs to me."
"Then you must be . . ." She swept downward into an awkward curtsy.
"Forgive me, your grace. I didn't realize who you were. You must think me incredibly rude."
He watched her arise from her curtsy, waiting to see her eyes narrow with speculation, flicker with avarice, sparkle with anticipation of how to best put her unexpected meeting with "England's Most Eligible Bachelor"
to her advantage.
He saw none of it. Instead, she seemed genuinely distressed. And anxious to get away from him. How very interesting.
"I'm so sorry I said I wasn't enjoying your party," she said, taking several
Assuring herself there was no harm in accepting his offer of escort, Elizabeth said, "By all means, let us walk."
Strolling beside him down the path, her flounce dragging behind her, she cuddled Gadzooks in her arms and cast a surreptitious glance at her companion. Thank goodness she wasn't prone to heaving dreamy, romantic sighs, for this was certainly a man who could induce them. Thick ebony hair framed a strikingly handsome face made all the more intriguing by the play of shadows from the moonlight. His eyes were steady and intense, and when he'd gazed at her a moment ago her toes had involuntarily curled inside her slippers. High cheekbones, nose straight as a blade, and a full, firm mouth that she knew could quirk with amusement and she imagined would look fierce in anger.
In truth, everything about him was attractive. But there was no point in finding this stranger intriguing. As soon as he realized what a social disaster she was, he would surely rebuff her, just as so many others had.
"Tell me, Miss Matthews, with whom are you attending this ball?"
"I came with my aunt, Countess Penbroke."
Speculation filled his gaze. "Indeed? I knew her late husband, however I was not aware they had an American niece."
"My mother and Aunt Joanna were sisters. My mother settled in America when she married my father, an American physician." She shot him a sidelong glance. "My mother was born and raised in England. Thus, I am half English."
A smile touched his lips. "So you are, then, only half an Upstart."
She laughed. "Oh, no. I fear I'm still an Upstart through and through."
"Is this your first visit to England?"
"Yes." There was no point in telling him this was more than a visit—that she would never return to her hometown.
"And are you enjoying it?"
She hesitated, but decided to tell him the unvarnished truth. "I like your country, but I find English society and all its rules restricting. I grew up in a rural area and had much more freedom. It is not easy adjusting."
He glanced at her clothing. "Clearly you're experiencing difficulty giving up the American custom of crawling about in the bushes in your evening clothes."
A giggle erupted from between her lips. "Yes, it appears so."
The stables loomed ahead. As they approached, a tremendously plump cat emerged from the doorway and let out a loud meow.
The gentleman bent to stroke the animal. "Hello there, George. How's my girl tonight? Are you missing your baby?"
Elizabeth lowered Gadzooks to the ground and the kitten immediately pounced on George. "Gadzooks's mother is named George?"
He looked up at her from his crouched position and smiled. "Yes. As in 'By George, that cat must be a female because look there—she's having kittens!' My groom named her. Mortlin knows everything about horses, but little, I'm afraid, about cats."
Her answering smile faded as the significance of his words hit her. "Your groom? Are these your cats?"
Austin rose slowly to his feet, inwardly cursing his carelessness. His pleasant interlude was about to come to an end. "Yes, the cats are mine."
Her eyes widened. "Oh, dear. Then this is your home?"
Austin cast a quick glance toward the mansion in the distance. It was where he lived but it hadn't felt like a home in over a year.
"Yes, Bradford Hall belongs to me."
"Then you must be . . ." She swept downward into an awkward curtsy.
"Forgive me, your grace. I didn't realize who you were. You must think me incredibly rude."
He watched her arise from her curtsy, waiting to see her eyes narrow with speculation, flicker with avarice, sparkle with anticipation of how to best put her unexpected meeting with "England's Most Eligible Bachelor"
to her advantage.
He saw none of it. Instead, she seemed genuinely distressed. And anxious to get away from him. How very interesting.
"I'm so sorry I said I wasn't enjoying your party," she said, taking several
Similar Books
Wildalone
Krassi Zourkova
The Perfect Murder
Jack Hitt
The Last Time I Saw You
Eleanor Moran
Trials (Rock Bottom)
Sarah Biermann
What Could Possibly Go Wrong. . .
Jeremy Clarkson
Joe Hill
Wallace Stegner
Balls
Julian Tepper, Julian
The Lost
Caridad Piñeiro
A Bend in the River of Life
Budh Aditya Roy
