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‘Coward!’ she called in disgust to her aunt.
Contrarily, Norma threw her a smug look from the landing but promptly disappeared without saying anything leaving Sissy to reluctantly answer the door.
CHAPTER FOUR
‘Sir.’ Heart pounding, Sissy immediately dipped into a curtsey and demurely lowered her gaze to the floor. She was sure that if their eyes met, he would be able to see her guilt and know that she was about to lie to him.
Morgan bowed politely and eyed the empty room. ‘Is everything all right?’
Sissy warned herself not to do it. She tried to think of some way she could absolutely avoid it, but she eventually had no choice and lifted her gaze off the floorboards beneath his boots. The second she looked into his eyes her stomach dropped to her toes and she began to feel that awfully familiar feeling burgeon to life deep within her chest.
Dressed in his finery, Morgan was the epitome of handsomeness. His pristine appearance and striking good looks were captivating. Sissy struggled not to stare at him. Not least because when standing in her somewhat humble abode he seemed so out of place she wanted to cringe from the embarrassment of it. His entire demeanour bespoke of a wealth that far exceeded hers. He was indeed a million miles away from her on every level.
I must remember that. No matter how handsome he is, Morgan doesn’t belong in my world.
‘Please, do come in,’ she murmured quietly as she stepped back to allow him inside. She was somewhat embarrassed at how plain and dowdy she appeared beside him.
The room seemed to shrink in size when Morgan entered. At well over six feet in height, he had to duck his head to get into the room and seemed to make the room shrink in size. Sissy closed the door but was struck with an overwhelming need to step away from his overwhelming presence. It wasn’t that he posed any threat to her physically, but her peace of mind was in tatters.
He does this to me every time I see him.
While that sentiment ran through the back of Sissy’s thoughts, she couldn’t help but look at him again. She knew why he was there and owed him an apology.
The sooner he has it the sooner he will leave and I can spend the rest of my evening even more miserable than I am now.
‘I am sorry for our awful lapse in manners,’ she began for want of anything else to say that would stop him staring at her. It was if he was trying to decide whether he should talk to her or not. ‘My aunt is not well, you see.’
Morgan’s entire demeanour changed in an instant. In the place of the arrogant lord who had just entered, he became gentle and concerned. ‘Oh? What’s wrong? Would you like me to fetch the doctor?’
Please, God, no. Now that would take some explaining, to the doctor if not Morgan.
‘No. She just needs to stay in bed. I am afraid she went outside and sat in the garden a little too long this afternoon and caught a chill. She will be fine. She just isn’t well enough to attend a ball right now,’ Sissy assured him.
When she looked up, their gazes collided. Her heart began to pound. Sissy’s entire world shifted on its axis and left her struggling to know what to do or say. Most of the time, whenever she could get away with it, Sissy tried not to sound like a babbling idiot by retreating into silence people mistook for shyness. Tonight, she had to talk to him.
Thank you, Aunt Norma.
Sissy mentally cursed her aunt for leaving her to face the man alone. Despite the hurt Morgan’s presence caused her, Sissy used it as a reminder that she had to remember her station in life. It was so far beneath his she had to wonder why he bothered with them at all.
‘I am sorry that I haven’t notified your mother before now, but we have only just made the decision that Norma wasn’t well enough to attend,’ Sissy murmured quietly. ‘She was so looking forward to it as well.’
‘I am sure Mariette will understand,’ Moran murmured unconcernedly.
It was telling that Norma didn’t make an appearance even though he was alone with Sissy. Unfortunately, Sissy looked about to run and hide although he couldn’t understand why. He hadn’t done anything to worry her or said anything that would offend her. In fact he was there to make sure she was all right. There was no need for her to be afraid of him, or nervous in his presence.
But she is. She clearly is uncomfortable being around me.
Morgan tried not to stare at her but even in a worn day dress, Sissy Finchley looked stunning – to him at least. He doubted some men in society would consider her wholesome good looks beautiful enough or worthy o
f note, but he did. He doubted many would be able to overlook her impoverished situation, but he didn’t care about any of that either.
But unfortunately Sissy and others do care about both. It matters a lot to them, and that is one major hurdle not even I can overcome.
‘Well, if you are sure that she doesn’t need to see a doctor,’ Morgan murmured gently.
He smiled when Sissy looked at him. In that moment that their eyes met, a connection formed. It didn’t slowly transform out of the heady atmosphere between them, it appeared instantly as if it had been hovering between them for a long time just waiting to be acknowledged. It charged the air and made them both move warily from one foot to the other. While their gazes slid away, they didn’t stay separated for long. A molten awareness began to build which made the atmosphere between them crackle with a soft tension; an acute sense of feeling that made everything more tangible. He felt more. Sensed more. Noticed more.
Worried more.
