Mia followed suit with her own curtsey.
Jacob bowed to them. “Good day, ladies. I’m pleased to see you both.”
Audrey had been hoping to talk to Lord Fletcher alone to gauge what his interesting news was before sharing it with her sisters. If it was bad news, she wanted to shield Grace and Mia from any devastating consequences. Now she’d have to try to mitigate the news as best she could. “Shall we all sit? Mrs. Culbert will bring in a tea tray shortly.”
Grace and Mia took the two chairs, leaving the sofa for her and Lord Fletcher.
“Ladies, I hope you’re all well since the last time I saw you,” he said.
Grace spoke first. “Lord Fletcher, we’re truly sorry for the vicious gossip in that scandal sheet last week.”
“Miss Grace, that was hardly your fault. It was truly mine for not realizing that everything I say would be scrutinized. I should have been more careful.”
“Yes. Unfortunately, Lady Whitestone is a notorious gossip, and she used your kindness against you.”
“Well, it’s in the past now. Please don’t spend any more time worrying about it. I’d like to talk to you allabout something else.”
Audrey’s stomach clenched. The time had come when Lord Fletcher would tell them he was returning to New York. She could hardly breathe as she waited for him to explain.
“I’ve decided to rent a house here in London, and I’d like to have you help me choose it. Would that be something you’d like to do?” Jacob asked, looking at her.
An explosive sigh escaped her lips before Audrey could control herself. Renting a house could only mean one thing—Lord Fletcher was staying in London, at least for now. She felt tears prick behind her eyes and blinked furiously to keep them at bay.
He picked up her hand, and she felt a lovely tingling travel up her arm. “Miss Parker, are you well?”
Audrey nodded. There was no way she’d admit that the mere touch of his hand had such a soothing effect on her. “Yes, I’m fine. Thank you.”
“You seem upset. Would you care to share what you’re thinking about?”
Audrey couldn’t take her eyes off him. She wore no gloves, and the longer they shared the skin-to-skin contact of their hands, the faster her heart galloped. She swallowed down the lump in her throat and tried to explain. “I thought you came today to tell us you were leaving London.”
Lord Fletcher raised her hand to his lips and gently kissed her knuckles. “I have no plans at the moment to leave. You don’t have to worry on that account. However,I would sincerely like your help in choosing a house to rent. I have no wish to stay at the hotel indefinitely.”
The feel of his soft lips on her knuckles made her yearn for him to press those very lips against her own. What was happening to her? She knew she shouldn’t allow herself to fall in love with him, but it was so difficult not to be swept away by his kindness and, of course, the smoldering look he gave her when he said he wasn’t leaving London. Was the impossible happening? Could he be developing feelings for her like she was for him?
She inwardly chastised herself for such thoughts. There was no way Lord Fletcher could be interested in her, especially with all the debutantes who’d be trying to catch his eye the moment he attended atonevent. She was a penniless baron’s daughter with no dowry and no income of her own. He could make a much better match, but that thought seemed to tear a hole in her heart.
Lord Fletcher held her hand for another few seconds before releasing her. “As you can imagine, I don’t know how to even begin a search. With your knowledge of London, I thought you could enlighten me on the best places to live.”
“Of course, Mayfair is the best neighborhood,” Mia chimed in.
“Mayfair is lovely, but quite expensive,” Grace added.
“Perhaps a neighborhood just outside of Mayfair would be better,” Lord Fletcher said. “I’d like you ladies to be comfortable in your new surroundings.”
“Us?” Audrey said, her eyes widening at his statement. “Why would it matter to us where you live, my lord?”
“You’ll be moving with me, of course. As your guardian, I wish to see you all protected, and living alone here may not be the best option, even though you have Beckwith looking out for you.”
“Lord Fletcher, we’ve lived on Gracechurch Street for a number of years with nothing untoward happening to us,” Audrey said.
“Be that as it may, I can’t say with any certainty if that was due to Beckwith watching over you ladies or just that you’ve been lucky thus far. As I said, I would feel more comfortable with you under my direct protection.”
This new development was something Audrey had never considered, and it made her like Lord Fletcher even more. He wasn’t trying to uproot them for no reason. His goal in renting a new house was to protect them better. She was now in real danger of falling in love with him. He wanted them to be safe, which was very chivalrous indeed, but what would happen if he decided to leave London and go back to New York City? There was no way they could ever afford the rent on such a house, the warring voices inside her head reminded her.
“Miss Parker, you don’t seem pleased by my idea. Is something amiss?”
Audrey didn’t want to put a damper on his idea, but her concerns were real. “And what of this house?”
