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Clive made a funny sneering noise from his throat, clearly spurning her answer. “Don’t be foolish, child. It is for you he comes every day to pay a visit.”
“No, Papa, it is for the Lady Evelina.”
He paused, a fleeting look of shame crossed his features before he quickly shook his head and balked loudly, “If you gave him half a chance, he will come to love you just as much.”
Evelina turned her head away. There was no sense arguing with her father. His opinion of her was biased. A father’s unconditional love. She knew he loved her probably more than her sisters, but she didn’t doubt some of that was born on guilt and pity.
After breakfast, they all dispensed into the drawing room where they took up their usual positions. Her sisters claimed the several chairs scattered throughout the room while Evelina occupied the two-seater settee in the alcove tucked into the back wall. It was her favorite spot to sit, as above it was a small built-in bookshelf. There weren’t many volumes of work in it, and she had read all of the titles at least twice, but she loved the smell of the books and the promise of tales and adventures far greater than any she would ever experience.
She picked up her needlepoint and continued from where she had left off from the previous day. Though she tried to concentrate, her eyes and ears kept wandering to the front entrance waiting for a knock that had arrived every morning prior. However, that morning there was none.
As the hours ticked slowly by, she forced herself to focus on the task at hand and when that was too difficult, she pulled down a book from the bookshelf and attempted to emerge herself into the pages of the story. However, even that could not distract her attention. Or her thoughts.
She should have been relieved he did not return. It was what she wanted. Yes, he was very handsome and a gentleman, but she could not marry someone who did not love her. And he surely could never love her if he knew the truth about Evelina. It was best she protect her heart before it could ever get broken.
But to her surprise, he did return. The very next day. She hadn’t prepared herself for his arrival, both mentally or physically, as she had concluded that he would not be coming back after his disappearance the day before. She had consoled herself to that realization but now her heart was fluttering rapidly beneath her chest as she heard his friendly baritone voice emerging from the front foyer.
“I’ve come to pay Evelina a visit.”
She heard Kathleen ask him inside and knew he would be in the drawing room any minute. Quickly, she straightened her skirt and ran her hands over her hair, ensuring every strand was in place.
He entered the room and offered her sisters a friendly smile and a friendly greeting, then turned to Evelina. His smile faltered as if he was forcing it to remain while its sincerity dimmed noticeably.
“Good morning, Lady Evelina.”
She cringed and narrowed her eyes. He was belittling her on purpose. And he had just walked in the door. She immediately knew how the r
emainder of his visit would go. The hint of excitement at his return along with the possibility he might inconceivably be interested in Evelina vanished promptly.
“What do we owe your wonderful presence to this morning, Mr. Colby?” she said with as much obvious scorn as she could muster. “I had thought we had seen the last of you.”
He produced an insincere grin. “I’m afraid not. I’m not so easily thwarted.”
“My mistake. I assumed you gave up.”
“’Fraid not.”
“Pity.”
His features grew taut as he fought to keep a light tone to his voice.
“May I sit?” He gestured to the empty spot next to her on the settee.
She frowned, not wishing to have him sit so close but couldn’t think up a plausible reason to object, so gave a sharp nod then buried her nose in her book.
“I never gave up. I simply realized I was courting you incorrectly.”
“How’s that?”
He withdrew a book from the inside of his coat. “I decided I would engage in your favorite activities instead. And since I’m not accomplished in the fine art of needlepoint, I went to the library yesterday and picked up a book instead.”
He proceeded to open the book and settle into the settee comfortably.
Evelina stared at him, frowning heavily, not sure what to think. Admittedly, she was slightly impressed with his perseverance. It said a lot about a character that never gave up. Even against the most hostile conditions.
Her gaze fell on the spine of his book and froze. Then without thought, she reached out and snatched the book out of his hand.
“Where did you find this?”
