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Eager to appease her, Simeon’s smile deepened. “It is really no different to what you have just done. It will just be a longer journey that’s all.” When she still hesitated he mentally swore but persisted. “Maybe you would let me take you for a drive tomorrow? Before you talk yourself out of it and regret missing such a wonderful opportunit
y.”
Georgiana would. She studied the group of people at the end of the road going about their business.
They are doing what they want to do. Why shouldn’t I do the same?
“Alright, I will,” she replied with a firm nod. “Thank you. It is very generous of you.”
“I have to take my turn cleaning the church tomorrow,” Ruth replied without even a hint of apology. “But I am sure you will enjoy yourselves nonetheless.”
“Don’t worry about the gossips,” Simeon assured them as he glared down the street. “They daren’t pass around scandal about my family.”
Georgiana studied him. There was a hint of menace in his eyes as he studied the small group of elderly women that brought a shiver down her spine. She drew her shawl tighter around her shoulders and tried to shake off the lingering disquiet but it refused to leave her. Did she know him, really? Was he all that reputable after all? Were the rumours true about his uncle?
It is too late to back out now, she sighed. Not without upsetting someone else in any case.
With that she took her leave of Simeon and hurried toward the house.
“I will call by at eleven,” he called after her before he clambered aboard his curricle and turned it back around.
Georgiana was too busy in the hallway and didn’t see him suddenly pull to a stop alongside the group of ladies.
Will watched the man drive away from the gossips, who suddenly scattered to the four winds. The urge to saddle his horse and go after him to warn him to stay away from Georgiana was strong, but he knew that by the time he had saddled his mount the man would have gone back to whatever cave he crawled out of. Instead, Will slammed into the tavern and stomped up to his room to contemplate what he should do about the lecherous fop who had spent most of the morning fawning all over Georgiana.
The following morning, Georgiana sighed in delight as the sunshine bathed her in warmth. The gentle breezed teased loose tendrils of hair about her face which danced and bobbed happily about her, eliciting a small smile of happiness when they tickled her cheeks.
“You seem happy,” Simeon declared with a smile.
“This is wonderful,” she enthused.
“Worth ruining your reputation for?” he teased.
Georgiana threw him a mock-dark glare. “Well worth it. I will have you know that my aunt was most concerned that the villagers were scandalised by my shocking behaviour yesterday. You made quite a display of us.”
“Me? What did I do?” Simeon cried in mock outrage.
“You put your arm around me you bounder,” Georgiana teased. “Right up here for the world to see. You not only rode alone with me, I was high atop a curricle which, according to people around these parts, is the most shockingly scandalous behaviour.”
“Phah! The fools around here live in the dark ages.” The contempt in Simeon’s voice was strong but something Georgiana could relate to given the gossiping and whispers she had been subjected to. Unfortunately, the risk of added scandal made this morning’s excursion all the more daring. “I drove a curricle with a single man, unchaperoned, who sat with his arm around me. It is hardly the correct behaviour required of a lady of my age.”
Simeon smiled. “I was there, remember?”
“You don’t have to sound so blazé about it,” she scolded.
“I am not,” Simeon protested. “I just don’t care what the gossips say.”
Her gasp was loud.
“You cad!” She whacked him in the shoulder with a playful fist, eliciting a loud and unrepentant boom of laughter. “You don’t care do you?”
“Of course I do, but I saw the only beautiful woman in that graveyard yesterday. I had to make a move on you before someone else did. So I swept you away in front of them. Ladies like you don’t come into this village every day. You are a veritable gift from the Gods. So I decided to make your acquaintance. Alas, you spent most of the time studying my curricle, and barely noticed me. What is a man supposed to do?”
“Suggest a venture such as this?” Georgiana teased.
“It worked, didn’t it?” Simeon replied, making no attempt to deny the accusation.
“I must confess that I was disappointed the journey ended so quickly yesterday,” she admitted ruefully.
