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The answer was plain, but the reason behind it was all muddled and confused. She wanted her old friend to acknowledge her as an adult, of course, to see her as an equal. But her mind would not let it rest there. Is that the only reason? Why should his opinion matter to me so much?
Eleanor’s middle tightened for a moment before logic asserted itself. Because if he sees me as an adult, so will my cousin. Maybe then Charles will stop all this nonsense about marrying me off.
The tension in her midsection eased. Laughing at herself, she hung the gown back in the wardrobe and dismissed her foolish worries.
Dismounting almost before his horse had come to a full stop, Sorin handed the reins over to a lad and climbed the familiar steps of Holbrook. The anticipation of seeing Eleanor again had been almost more than he could stand. Upon entering, he handed his hat and coat to the waiting servant.
“You’re early.”
Looking up, he saw Caroline coming down the stairs. “My apologies,” he said with a short bow.
“Oh, there is no need to apologize,” she said with a sultry smile. “You are practically one of the family here.”
“I’m a very fortunate man when it comes to my friends.”
Turning to the servant, the girl dismissed him. “I’ll see to our guest. You can go.”
“I presume everyone else is already in the drawing room?” Sorin asked as the man disappeared.
Caroline shook her head so that her curls bounced, and then proceeded to narrow the gap between them. “Eleanor is still upstairs making ready. I don’t know the whereabouts of Lord and Lady Ashford.” She drifted a bit closer, far more so than was proper. “But I would be happy to accompany you to the drawing room to await them.”
The look in her eyes was positively predatory. He resisted an urge to back away. “Ah. Perhaps I’d better wait h—”
“Lord Wincanton,” said a blessedly familiar voice from above. “How good of you to join us this evening.”
For a moment Sorin nearly forgot how to breathe. A vision in swirls of starlight and sea foam, Eleanor glided down the stairs like a goddess descending from the clouds. Her caramel hair was swept up in a crown of curls with wisps about her temples and forehead, and her creamy skin glowed in the candlelight. The curve of her cheek lifted in a soft, welcoming smile as she gazed down at him.
The thought of coming home to such a sight every day was almost enough to make him drop knee on the spot. Instead he bowed deeply. “Lady Eleanor, a pleasure as always.”
Her returning curtsy was elegant perfection. “The pleasure is ours.” As she moved to take his arm, her friend had no choice but to defer and step aside, which she did with ill-concealed rancor.
The girl was instantly forgotten as Eleanor drew near. The gown she wore—or rather what it revealed—turned his mouth into a veritable desert. Its wide neckline revealed an expanse of décolletage to tempt the most hardened misogynist, which he was most definitely not. The shallow bodice was gathered tightly beneath her breasts by a band of silver mesh from which fell layers of diaphanous aqua silk embroidered with silver flowers and tiny pearls. Each step she took revealed a tempting suggestion of shapely legs and hips.
God help me… Hers was the lush form of a woman built for carnal pleasures, a fact that had heretofore been for the most part concealed by lace fichus and high necklines. “I’m afraid I’ve arrived a bit early,” he said, praying no one noticed the sudden, urgent stirring in his breeches. “Please accept my apologies for any inconvenience.”
“I should never be so unwelcoming as to chastise you for gracing us with your presence a few minutes ahead of schedule. Come. Charles and Rowena will join us in a moment or two. Caroline?” she inquired over her shoulder as they turned away.
“I’m coming,” muttered her sulky friend.
Sorin hid a smile. He really couldn’t say he felt sorry for the girl. Eleanor’s warning about her mercenary designs was certainly no lie, and he sincerely hoped her attentions would be directed elsewhere once they were in London. The fewer distractions he had to deal with, the better.
“I hope you brought your appetite with you,” said Eleanor with a mischievous glance that made his mouth go dry again. “Cook has been busy since before dawn preparing a feast worthy of the king himself, and I’ve been told there is to be entertainment afterward.”
“I’ll be spoiled by such lavish treatment,” he said, laughing. “But in truth, I need no entertainment save that of conversation with good friends.” He silently cursed himself for using the “f” word. The last thing he wanted was her thinking of him as a friend, damn it all! But it was too late now.
“You are too kind,” she replied. “Somerset must seem interminably dull compared to the sights you’ve seen in your travels.”
“On the contrary. I take great interest in the goings-on here. I always have.” He smiled at her dubious look. “I never wanted to leave, you know. By the time I returned to England’s shores, my longing for home was a sickness. I was never so happy as when I rounded the turn to see Holly Hall awaiting me with her green lawns and solid walls. For me, the beauty of home far outstrips that of any other place on earth.”
“Well, you are here now and you are most welcome indeed,” said Eleanor, her voice suspiciously thick.
“I suppose absence does make the heart grow fond,” said Caroline from behind, her voice tinged with sarcasm.
The tender moment was gone. “Indeed it does, Miss Caroline,” he tossed back, trying not to sound irritated.
“Such sentiments will likely fade after you’ve been home awhile,” the girl continued with an exaggerated sigh. “I’ve heard it said that anyone who has been away for more than a year can never get the wanderlust out of their blood.”
