AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“After you, My Lady,” Mr Radcliffe responded, gesturing with a sweep of his arm towards the library for her to lead the way. With a quick bow of her head, she slipped past him, all too aware of his scent that instantly began to wreath around her. It was musky yet sweet like vanilla and made her entire body tingle as it invaded her senses, making her want to move just a little closer. She fought the urge to breathe in deeply, hoping to take more of the scent into her nostrils.
“Thank you; you may leave us,” she said to the butler as she went, offering him a kind smile and one of gratitude before leading the way into the library. Much as she had expected, one of the maids was already awaiting them, but other than a short curtsey of acknowledgement, she barely gave any interaction.
It did not bother Daisy; in fact, she had rather come to like it. Though there was always someone there, always a chaperone, it was so often the maids, and they gave her just enough privacy to feel as though she could at least be herself with Mr Radcliffe.
Determined to try and keep things just as they always had been, Daisy plastered a happy smile upon her face and whipped around to face Mr Radcliffe the moment she reached the centre of the room. “So, Mr Radcliffe, what shall we be studying this morning?”
Still, the earl’s son continued to half-smile at her, a mysterious and mischievous smirk, and Daisy fought the urge to point it out. A part of her wondered whether he looked at all young women like that or was this expression reserved for only her. The latter thought made her entire body tingle with delight, and she could only hope that it was so.
“I thought perhaps that seeing as I am studying medicine, we could today study a few books on the human body,” Mr Radcliffe announced. For the first time, Daisy noticed the leather satchel he had been carrying, and she watched as he unbuckled it, taking out a couple of books. “I wasn’t sure whether you had these here, so I brought my own copies.”
Daisy’s heart raced still, and though she knew that his suggestion was entirely innocent, she couldn’t help feeling like he might have been insinuating something. Parts of her body grew heated, parts that she hadn’t evenrealisedcould heat, and she had to clench her thighs together in an attempt to ease the sensation off again. A lump formed in her throat, and her tongue grew awfully dry.
“That sounds wonderful,” she stammered to assure him with a brilliant smile. Suddenly angry with herself, she realised how foolish she was. She had sat through hour after hour of far less interesting things, hoping to get to these kinds of lessons, the ones that she truly wished to know about with all the gritty stuff.
Yet now that they were on the precipice of just such lessons, all she could think about was Mr Radcliffe and how she would have liked him to study her body.Stop it, Daisy!she scolded herself. The thoughts took her so off guard that she instinctively sucked in a breath.
“Lady Lockhart, are you well?” Mr Radcliffe asked when he looked up from where he had stopped to take out the books. Holding them in one hand, he stepped forward and gestured towards her with his free hand. “Don’t mind my saying, but you have gone awfully flushed.”
His words only caused Daisy’s cheeks to grow even hotter, and she quickly averted her gaze from his, trying to clear her throat.
“I … I am well,” she assured him, lifting a gloved hand to fan her face, hoping to ease the heat in her skin. “It is much warmer in here than I had anticipated. Would you mind my opening a window?”
“Of course, My Lady,” Mr Radcliffe said, and before she could say another word, he placed the books he was holding on the nearest side table and hurried over to the windows at the far end of the room. “Allow me.”
Even the maid looked slightly startled at his unlatching the window and pushing it open for her, but the woman quickly pursed her lips and looked away, returning to the book that she was half-reading in an attempt to give them some privacy.
“Thank you, My Lord,” Daisy told him as he returned to her, picking up the books he had left on the table. “Shall we?”
He held them up and gestured to the couch that had quickly become their usual seat. Daisy was relieved that she had been in little more
than half an hour ago to ensure that all was prepared for the earl’s son’s visit. Her paper, quills, and ink were ready and waiting upon the centre table beside the couch.
“Yes, thank you, My Lord.” She smiled at him, slipping past, holding her breath this time so she could not suck in his scent. The last thing she needed right now was for her head to start spinning all over again.
Almost immediately upon sitting in their usual seats, they settled into their usual routine of studying and sharing in playful conservation. Mr Radcliffe appeared to have quickly grown used to her constant need to question everything, and if Daisy had to guess, she might even say that he admired her for it. She could see it in the gleam of his eyes whenever he looked at her.
Although the maid was sitting just across the room and well within earshot, Daisy couldn’t help feeling as though she was alone with the nobleman. Their closeness and how easily they spoke together made Daisy feel more content than she had ever experienced in her life.
Only a few sessions earlier, upon their first meeting, Daisy had been adamant that she could not allow their tutoring. She constantly reminded herself that if she allowed such things to continue, her father would never agree to help her get into university. Yet, sitting there now, she couldn’t think of anywhere she would rather be.
What is wrong with me?she thought grimly even as she realised she was laughing almost hysterically at something Mr Radcliffe had said.Men do not make me act this way!
Bertha’s words were echoing in her ears for almost the entire session, and she couldn’t help thinking,what if there was some truth to her words?
Chapter 9
Lady Balfour was most unimpressed by what she witnessed in the library that morning. Unbeknownst to her stepdaughter and the earl's son, the duchess was lurking in the shadow of the trellis that crept up the side of the house, listening beside the window and peering in whenever she believed it was safe to do so.
The gentle voices and flirtatious laughter that came from the room were enough to turn her stomach, but when she peered in through the window and saw just how closely the two were sitting, she snatched her gaze to the maid, appalled at the fact the girl was more interested in her own book than what was going on across the room.Foolish girl!The duchess thought, glowering at the maid, hoping she would sense that she was being watched and do her duty.
Frustrated that she did not, Lady Balfour tightened her hands into fists. She would have liked to barge in and pull the two apart, though she knew all too well that would do no good for her other plans. Mr Radcliffe was too fine a nobleman for the likes of Lady Daisy Lockhart. He was handsome, intelligent, and well connected.
Although only the second son, he was in perfect standing for someone such as her own daughter.Poor Bertha has no chance with Daisy about,Lady Balfour thought, remembering earlier that morning when she had stumbled upon her daughter and her husband's daughter talking in the hallway.
Her blood had boiled the moment she heard Bertha practically encouraging her stepsister to look to Mr Radcliffe for marriage.You simple girl,she had thought,you ought to be thinking of your own prospects, not hers.
And when the earl's son had arrived, Lady Balfour had been in the perfect position, hidden in an alcove, to see her daughter's face light up in his presence. She had blushed and smiled like Lady Balfour had never seen before, and that had only instilled determination in the old woman. She would stop at nothing to ensure her daughter was safe and happy.
