Climbing from my bed covers, I moved to the window and pulled back the blue velvet drapes. Sunlight poured into the room, bathing my face with perceived warmth. After the theater last night, I imagined the whole house had slept in. I could have used a few more hours myself, but I was too excited to fall back asleep. While I had yet to discover the best way to alter our living situation, I knew exactly what to do with my time this morning.
And it had to be done before Estelle awakened.
Chapter 30
Estelle
Iwoke to Nora fussing with a vase of flowers next to my bed.
“Nora?” I blinked. She normally did not come to my room until I rang for her. “Is something the matter?”
“Ye tell me, miss.” She pointed to the large bouquet of colorful roses.
“They’re beautiful.”
“I ‘ave to agree. Lord Camden cut ‘em ‘imself. Though, his skills at arrangin’ are a bit lackin’.” She lifted a shorter pink rose from the center and placed it in front.
I sat up in bed, my mind not fully awake. “Did you say Lord Camden made this . . . for me?”
“I did.”
In a rush, a memory of last night ran through my mind. Lord Camden’s arms around me, his breath on my cheek, his lips devouring mine. Heat rushed to my face, and I threw my hand over my mouth. “Mercy!”
“I daresay,” Nora mumbled, leaving my roses and moving to pull open the curtains. I blinked against the bright sunlight and reached over to stroke a silky petal—immediately thinking of how my thumb had stroked Atlas’s cheek in nearly the same fashion. And to think he cared about me.
“What would yer mother say with the both of ye living in the same ‘ouse?”
I ignored Nora, my mind only capable of happy thoughts. I stroked another petal and another. It was then that I noticed the small card shoved between two flowers. I plucked it from its hiding place and opened it.
Will you, Estelle Lewis, allow me the pleasure of courting you?
-A
A thrill stole up my middle. I hugged the card to my chest. A man did not court a woman unless he had the intention of marrying her. He had said that he was committing to me, but this made it all the more real.
“Nora, he says he wants to court me!”
“As well ‘e should after them flowers,” she said, opening my closet.
The kind-hearted, handsome Lord Camden wanted me. Me! What would it be like to feel loved again? To feel cherished? It was too surreal. After all, I was a companion, a runaway, a liar . . .
I jumped from the bed, my chest heaving. “Nora!”
She startled and threw her hand to her throat. “What is it, miss?”
I lifted my chin. “I have to tell Lord Camden who I am.”
Her eyes widened.
“I must, Nora. He deserves to know. And . . . and . . . I love him.”
Nora reached for the chair by my dressing table and nearly missed it on her way down. She sat hard and stared at me. “But miss, what will ye do?”
I clutched my nightgown by my waist. “Whatever I do, I cannot continue to deceive him. Do you think he will despise me?”
“I don’t rightly know. But what about yer brother? Yer life back home?”
I bit my lip and started pacing. “I will have to have Reginald’s permission if we marry, won’t I?”
