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He lifted her hand to his lips. “You think I wish to place you in such a position?” he asked. “That by funding Henry’s education I seek a claim on you?” Disappointment and hurt shone in his expression. “I value you too highly to treat you as a commodity to be purchased.”
The sincerity in his voice almost disarmed her.
“May I think on it?” she asked.
“Of course,” he said. “Shall I ring the bell for tea? Or do you wish to settle in first? I thought perhaps I might show you the walled gardens. The roses there are not as unusual as those that grow at the front of the house, but nevertheless, Mr. Wood is proud of them, and I’m sure he won’t object to our procuring some with which to adorn your chamber.”
“I am a little hungry.”
“Then we’d better make haste,” he replied, moving toward the bellpull. He gave it a tug. “If I know Mrs. Davis, she’ll have filled Henry with currant buns fit to burst, and I would be a poor host if I didn’t ensure there was at least one remaining for you to try.”
His eagerness to please belied the rakish exterior—a man who had no need to tempt a woman into his bed. The arrogant seducer she’d thought him to be on their first encounter had turned into a man of genuine affection and friendship. He made her pulse race and her heart flutter.
If she were not careful, Sophia was in very great danger of falling in love.
