They parted at once, too abruptly, as if scorched.
Elspeth stumbled back a step, her hand rising instinctively to her throat, where her pulse thundered like a secret she could not hide. The kitchen returned to her all at once—the flour scattered across the table, the scent of sugar, the muffled voices of the boys outside—but she could scarcely gather her thoughts.
She grabbed a dish towel with trembling fingers and pressed it to the nape of her neck, hoping to cool the heat that flooded her skin. Yet the cloth did nothing to soothe the ache that lingered,the electric awareness of how near she had been to tasting him, to yielding utterly to the kiss she had longed for.
And though she willed her composure to return, her lips still tingled as though the kiss had already happened, imprinted upon her all the same.
“Lady Inverhall, please pardon the intrusion. There is a caller for you in the receiving room!” Mr. Channing, the butler, announced.
“I wasnae expectin’ Miss Caruthers from the orphanage for another two hours,” Elspeth said softly. “The lads are gettin’ some fresh air outside.”
“I’m afraid it’s not Miss Caruthers, My Lady. It is a Lord Middleby,” he clarified with a raised eyebrow as he looked at the scene. “Is everything quite all right in here?”
“Who is Lord Middleby?” Thomas asked, poking his head around the door behind the butler. “A suitor for you, Lady Inverhall?”
I will chastise the lad later for spyin’ on me.
Hugo stiffened, his head snapping up. He looked at her, his expression hardening. Elspeth, startled, pulled away and made for the door, a flush rising to her cheeks. She knew that look.
“Lord Middleby?” Hugo’s eyes darkened briefly. “I didn’t expect you to receive callers this afternoon, Lady Inverhall. With the orphanage in your charge, it seems hardly the most prudent moment. What prompted this?”
Elspeth, still flustered, quickly pulled back her shoulders and smoothed down her apron. She combed back the wisps of hair that had fallen loose with her fingers, trying to gather her thoughts.
If I am to succeed in this society, I must keep in mind everything the Dowager Duchess has taught me. Be polite and courteous, confident and poised, even if yer heart isnae in it. I could do worse than Lord Middleby.
“I… I suppose he is makin’ a social call, Yer Grace. I dinnae ken he would come, or else I would have…”
“Shall I tell him to come another time?” Mr. Channing suggested softly. “I could inform him that you are indisposed, My Lady. You do not have to entertain if that is not to your liking.”
I like this one.It would be better to receive Lord Middleby at a more appropriate time, if I must at all.
“You will do nothing of the sort, Channing,” Hugo interjected, his jaw tight. “Please see to it that Mrs. Whipple supervises the children until Lady Inverhall is done with hercaller.”
“Very well, Your Grace,” the butler said, before scurrying away.
Hugo led Elspeth out of the chaotic kitchen to a small receiving room off the main foyer, his hand pressed firmly against the small of her back.
“Let us go receive yourguest, Lady Inverhall.”
Chapter Eighteen
“Lady Inverhall,” Lord Middleby greeted, his gaze lingering on Elspeth’s flour-dusted gown as he rose from the settee. “I hope you do not mind the intrusion. I was passing by and thought to pay a call on you this fine summer day.”
Elspeth studied him, letting her gaze linger. Though they had met before, she had never trulylookedat him.
He was handsome in a plain, almost puppyish way, neatly dressed and groomed, a perfectly adequate lord on paper. He was younger than most lords she knew, and tall, but still a head shorter than Hugo. As for his smile, it seemed sincere, but it did not quicken her pulse.
“Perhaps a wee bit, Lord Middleby,” Elspeth replied, forcing a polite smile as she attempted to shake off the flour, which fell on the ornate oriental rug like snowflakes. “Just a bit of preparationfor the charity I am workin’ with. I was takin’ a short break, though, so yer timin’ is grand.”
“Ah, I see! How serendipitous! I wished to inquire after your well-being and offer my assistance with your charitable endeavors, which I have heard so much about,” Lord Middleby continued, his eyes flicking to Hugo, who stood beside Elspeth, his arms folded across his broad chest. “Please forgive me, but Lady Inverhall is so captivating, Your Grace. How are you this fine day?”
“Lady Inverhall is quite capable of managing her own affairs, Lord Middleby,” Hugo barked, his voice cold. “And she receives more than adequate assistance from my staff.”
“Naturally, Your Grace! I would never presume to offer anything but the utmost respect. And I dare say your staff is beyond reproach!”
“Beyond reproach?”
“Indeed! Though I must say, a lady’s delicate constitution can only endure so much. At least, that is my understanding. Perhaps a quiet drive through London, or a stroll in Hyde Park, might prove most restorative. One would scarcely wish to see such admirable efforts taxed unduly. What say you, Lady Inverhall?”
