Page 63 of Scandal’s Daughter

Chapter 26

“Wherein love is given a chance to hope ...”

Lord Falmouth looked up in surprise as she entered the breakfast room.

“I know, a ridiculous time of the day to be up,” she said by way of apology. “And I expect you were looking forward to a peaceful breakfast alone.”

He chuckled and shook his head, folding the paper he had been reading and putting it aside.

“Not at all,” he replied. “You know perfectly well I usually join Céleste at a later hour, but as it happens, she is feeling a trifle under the weather at the moment,” he replied, concern in his grey eyes. “Just a bit of a headache I understand. She’ll be up presently I’m sure.”

He gave her a rather searching look and she braced herself for his question.

“I take it you didn’t sleep well?”

“Not a wink,” she replied with a bleak smile as she poured herself a cup of chocolate. She was tired beyond measure, the whole night spent tossing and turning as variations of her possible futures paraded behind her eyelids and made sleep impossible.

“I am not the slightest bit surprised. I don’t envy you the choice.”

She laughed and shook her head. One of the things she had found rather intimidating about the man opposite her was his rather forthright nature, but she had come to appreciate it. You knew where you stood with a man like that.

“Well if it comes to that, neither do I!” she replied with some asperity.

He chuckled again and then gave her a more concerned glance. “Seriously now, have you any idea to accept either of them?”

“Yes, no ... I don’t know,” she replied with a grimace. “There you see my reasoning.”

“Hmmm,” he replied. “I’d be bound to say, I’d rather you accept Nibley. He’s a decent man, a kind one. He’d make you a good husband.”

“Yes,” she said, “I know that.”

“But ...” he added, and there was a glimmer in his eyes that made her believe he knew exactly her dilemma. Given the passionate nature she’d come to know his wife possessed, she found that wasn’t as embarrassing as it might have been.

“But,” she repeated nodding her head. “You have it in a nutshell.”

They ate their breakfast in companionable silence for a while, until he spoke again.

“I’m going to Hatchard’s this morning,” he said, surprising her. “My sister-in-law Henrietta is desperate for some new English titles, she lives in France you see. So, I promised to send a parcel to her, and I rather fancied a browse myself. I find it relaxing,” he added, smiling at her. “Would you like to accompany me?”

“What a wonderful idea,” she replied, grateful for anything that distracted her attention from her troubles for an hour or two.

“It also has the added attraction of being practically empty at this early hour as all the fashionable people are still abed.”

“Better and better, my lord,” she said, grinning at him.

He smiled and nodded at her. “My carriage will be ready in ten minutes, oh, and Georgiana?”

“Yes, my lord?”

“I think perhaps you might call me Alex.”

Georgiana spent a pleasant hour browsing the shelves and wandering around by herself. Alex had been quite correct. The place was deserted and was a wonderfully peaceful place to be.

She was walking along one of the upper levels. A thin balustrade overlooked the floor below and at the end of the long room was a beautiful arched window. Leaning against the frame of the window, a book held in his hands, stood a tall, dark figure that made Georgiana’s heart leap in her chest.

She carried on along the walkway, observing the look of concentration on his face. A slight frown furrowed his brow as though something didn’t make sense to him, though she was just as taken by the way the sunlight glinted on his deep brown hair, showing glints of chestnut and bronze.

From her lofty vantage point she could look down on him without being observed, and she leaned over the balcony a little, trying to observe what it was that was causing him such consternation. The title of the poem he was reading leapt out at her and made her catch her breath.