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It sounded as if she tried to convince herself. As undecided as he was about the matter, Ethan weighing in by remaining silent. There. That should communicate his ambivalence. She glared at him, and he smiled.
“You are painfully bored and unsatisfied with life, aren’t you?”
* * *
Charity gave a breathless,astonished laugh before she sobered and stared at the earl. In her experience, people satisfied with how the world appeared, hardly looked any deeper or farther than they deemed necessary. Yet Lord Ralston had looked beneath her surface and for a moment clearly saw her in a way no one else saw her. It was a simple question, yet she stood there tongue-tied, mortified that she had been caught acting like a pea goose and that he had discerned the reason for it.
Boredom. “You must think me silly.”
He was absolutely still again, and his expression was disconcerting. “Nothing of the sort. I spoke the truth earlier. I find you incredibly interesting.”
With the small light from the wick, she tried to see his face. Charity couldn’t at all see his expression, but she did not think he mocked her.
“Come with me,” he said in a voice calculated to intrigue.
Her heart skipped painfully. “Where do we go?”
“I thought I might satisfy your need for adventure.”
“An adventure?”
“Yes. You must, however, put on some slippers and grab your coat. Meet me by the front door in a few minutes.”
Charity almost burned him when she pushed the lantern closer to see his face.
“Woman…” he began warningly.
She flushed. “You do not jest.”
“Ten minutes. If I do not see you, I will take it to mean that your good sense won the argument in this battle.”
He turned away and headed back down the stairs. Curiosity warring with astonishment, she hurried to her bedchamber, grabbed a pelisse, and put it on, then slipped her feet into her boots. Where was he taking her, and why would he do it?
Ten minutes later, she met the earl who awaited her with a long telescope in his hand. There it was again. An odd, wistful longing rose inside whenever she saw the man. Lord Ralston held his hand out to her, and Charity slipped her hand between his allowing him to lead her outside. He did not have a lantern, but the full moon was perfect for whatever light they needed.
“You did not wear gloves.”
“I…” She wrinkled her nose in a small self-deprecating grimace.
“Do not worry, I will warm you.”
What did that mean? As they walked toward the back of the large manor, she sensed the restless energy thrumming through his muscles. They paused at a rather long ladder, and she lifted her head.
“Do you mean for us to climb to the roof?”
His eyes glinted with laughter in the shadows. “Yes. There are stairs on the inside, however it might disturb the servants who sleeps in the attic.”
Excitement sang in her veins. “Challenge accepted.”
“Take care not to break your neck,” he said with gruff amusement, deftly managing the telescope while he climbed.
It took several minutes, but then they were on the roof. Charity unexpectedly found herself scared to look down. They seemed rather far up.
“Come, let’s go to this side where it is flat.”
Careful not to look down, she followed him and waited as he fiddled with a rather large telescope. She realized then that this was a place he must visit often, and he had brought her here. Her pulse tapped sharply, and she released a swift breath. She glanced around and noted the two garden chairs on the roof, and a large rug spread on a flat surface. The night breeze tossed her hair from her nape, and she tilted her face to the sky.
“It is a magical place, isn’t it?”
