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Saunton’s distinctive green eyes blazed. “So, I am to call on you tomorrow? And we will talk? I mean … talk openly?”
Sophia inclined her head. “We are well beyond propriety, are we not?”
Saunton’s face broke into the warm expression from the night of their last dance, his delight palpable as he gracefully led her through the steps of the waltz. Sophia’s heart skipped a beat as her gaze narrowed on his sculpted lips and she wondered … what would it feel like to kiss such a handsome rogue? Saunton must have read her thoughts because his gaze grew heated, falling to her own lips in response.
Nervous, she flicked the tip of her tongue to moisten them, and was taken aback to hear a low growl emitted by the earl while his eyes riveted to the path her tongue followed. It would appear the gentleman fostered a sincere interest in her as a woman. The knowledge caused a tingling response to shoot through her body, her nipples tightening uncomfortably at the thought of his mouth on hers.
Sophia was quickly becoming accustomed to the idea of this man taking on the role of her protector, now that she accepted it was a credible escape from her dilemma.
CHAPTER4
The following morning, Sophia walked into the drawing room with Nancy in tow. Saunton’s eyes flicked toward the elderly maid as he bowed to greet her. “Miss Hayward, I was thinking we might take a drive through the park.”
As Sophia curtsied, she smiled and shook her head. “Nay, Lord Saunton, I arranged for us to talk in private, as you indicated we had intimate matters to discuss today.”
Lord Saunton narrowed his eyes in confusion as he stared pointedly at the old woman beside her.
“Nancy is hard of hearing, aren’t you, Nancy?” Sophia directed her question to the short maid with the full head of gray hair pinned under her mob cap in disarray.
“Too fancy? I don’t think so, miss. I think you look like a perfect young lady!” Nancy responded with a perplexed expression.
“Nancy was my uncle’s nursemaid when he was a boy, and he is very attached to her. Fortunately for us, she does not wish to retire, so the household accommodates her limited communication abilities,” Sophia explained before raising her voice. “NANCY, WHY NOT SIT HERE AND WORK ON YOUR MENDING?”
“Bending? I don’t really do much bending anymore, miss.”
Sophia blinked, her head beginning to ache at the strain of talking to the beloved but exasperating maid she had sought out thirty minutes earlier to attempt to explain that she would chaperone a visit.
Nancy blinked back, and several seconds of silence ensued before she said, “I think I shall sit here in this chair by the door and do some mending.”
Sophia beamed her approval, nodding enthusiastically before any further conversation was encouraged. Turning back to Saunton, she saw his handsome countenance relax into a relieved expression. He stepped forward to hand her a bouquet of hothouse flowers with a bow. She smiled in pleasure at the gesture, thanking him warmly. He gestured to the seating area. “Shall we, Miss Hayward?”
Accepting his invitation, she strode forward to take a seat on the hard, silk-covered sofa and primly folded her hands into her lap—the picture of maidenly modesty. She had no intention of being proper this morning, but if Nancy looked up, she would not find any cause for alarm.
As Saunton flicked the tails of his wine-colored tailcoat to take his seat, Sophia could not help but notice that the infamous rake boasted a masculine form that was near perfect, with a flat stomach and powerful thighs encased in buckskin breeches. His black and brown Hessians were polished, his shoulders broad, and his silky, curling hair brushed his white stock. She had heard him compared to Lord Byron, but she personally thought Saunton had a friendlier and more approachable demeanor than the arrogant poet she had heard tales about.
“Tell me about your crusade of amends, my lord.”
“I have been meeting with the women of my past to apologize and make reparations. It has been unexpectedly uplifting to do so.” Sophia was uncertain what else to ask on this subject, so she moved on.
“Are there any children from these past encounters?”
Saunton grimaced. “So far, I have been fortunate. The precautions I took were effective.”
Sophia wondered what precautions one could take to prevent children, but she refrained from asking, not wanting to reveal her ignorance.
“And you are seeking to court me with a view to marry?”
Saunton’s eyes glowed with a fierce hunger. “I am.”
“Are you sure … I mean, about me? You barely know me. How do I know you won’t lose interest next week when you meet another woman?”
He frowned at this. “Never. I have only been interested in marrying one woman before you, and I have been seeking a wife for some years now. You are not like anyone I have met before, and now that I have started on this road, I will not be turning back. Once I make up my mind about something, very little will dissuade me from a course that I have chosen for myself, and you … you fascinate me.”
Sophia felt her cheeks warm with pleasure. To be the single-minded focus of such an attractive man … it was overpowering. She fidgeted in her seat as heat pooled in the region of her lower belly. “We do not have much time, so tell me why I should accept you?”
Saunton leaned forward in his seat, his face earnest. “I will allow you your freedom. As my countess, you may do anything you want and I will support you, as long as you are at my side.”
“Anything? What if I do not want to host balls?”
