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“Just as long as you call me North in return.” He held out an arm. “There’s nothing wrong with being informal when we’re alone, is there?”
“Not that I know of.” Ellie took his arm, feeling his muscles bunch under her fingers. “Just as long as we don’t forget in company. I don’t want people to scold me for calling you something I shouldn’t.”
North chuckled. “Given you’re going around pretending to be someone you’re not, I think you calling me by an informal name is the least of your worries.”
He did have a point.
Chapter 8
Derrick was relieved that he hadn’t lost his nerve. He had gotten a lot of strange looks as he bought the yellow carnations, and again when he entered the house. Regina Drummond was certainly staring at them like she had seen a ghost. She must have thought her sister was getting a rejection.
It was far from that. Derrick just wanted to make Ellie smile because she’d received something she liked.
Ellie. That fit her better than Eleanora, although that was a beautiful name.
They stepped off the terrace and across the grass. They were in full sight of the house, so even if they didn’t have someone following them, there would be someone possibly watching from the window. Being out in the open seemed to have made Ellie relax a little, as well. Derrick liked it. She looked more comfortable in her own skin.
Not for the first time, he found himself glad that he was able to see past the disguise and encounter the actual person.
“May I ask you something?” he queried when they were halfway across the lawn.
“It depends on what you’re going to ask.”
“Why did you dress up like you were a spinster? Why would you do that?”
Ellie sighed. “I thought we went over this before.”
“Did we? Maybe you should explain it to me again.”
“Why?”
Derrick grinned. “So I can laugh again about how ingenious it was and how daft the three of you are when you’re together?”
Ellie frowned at him. “You do realise that insulting me is not the way to flirt, my lord?”
“I thought you were going to call me North.”
“Don’t be rude, and I’ll consider it.” Ellie shook her head. “It’s simple. My cousin was going to escort us, but Lady Manford made sure she was not going to be free. Regina and Dorothea would have been going whether or not there was a chaperone, so we decided to dress me up as a spinster so I could go and make sure they kept out of trouble. Since then… let’s just say it’s carried on from them.”
“Again… why?”
“I just told you, didn’t I?”
“You explained what happened, but there’s something underneath it all. A reason why you chose to do it in this way.” Derrick peered at her. “I’m sure there’s a reason between the lines.”
“I’m not sure if that actually makes any sense.”
“But you understand where I’m coming from, don’t you?”
“I think I do.” Ellie glanced back at the house before turning back to him. She looked resigned. “The truth is, all three of us are supposed to find husbands.”
“All of you?”
“Yes. But I haven’t really got a desire to marry anyone, if I’m honest. At least, not until my sisters have found husbands and they’ve settled down. And the two of them will find husbands rather quickly. As you can see from our house, there is no shortage of admirers.”
“I noticed the flowers, and the smell was quite strong.”
“The two of them are far prettier than I am. They’ve got a better chance of finding someone who wants to marry them. Me, on the other hand,” she gestured at herself, “I’m not as pretty as them, and having an older sister who is unmarried does become a bit of a hindrance. That might make things a little harder, but if I take myself out of the competition, then they have a better chance at finding someone.”
