Earl Interrupted by Amanda Forester

Author:Amanda Forester
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Published: 2017-10-31T04:00:00+00:00

Twenty-four

Emma ate her supper off a tray in her room by herself. She was not sure what was happening between her and Dare, if anything. Were they…flirting? No, he was not the sort. But perhaps, if she was honest, she was. But what did he mean by seeing her later tonight?

She opened the door to her room and tiptoed out into the darkened, empty hall. She felt like a guilty child sneaking out of her room to do mischief. But what mischief did she want to do with Lord Darington?

Unfortunately for her peace of mind, the question brought the image of Dare in his glorious state of undress. He had chiseled features, with the tanned face of a man who had spent much of his life out of doors. He was not handsome in the same way as Lord Wynbrook, but his strong features and utter sincerity drew her to him with a force stronger than anything she had ever experienced.

She reached the landing and wondered where she should go. Should she even be doing this? It was growing dark, and there was no chaperone. Still, she continued to tread softly toward the drawing room. Maybe she could ask to check his stitches again, just once more…

“Miss St. James.”

Emma turned to find Dare walking slowly down the stairs. Her heart tripped over itself at the sight of him and she had to remind herself that he could not possibly have known what she was thinking. “I…er… Lord Darington.”

“I have taken the liberty of collecting your wrap.” He held out her scarlet, fur-lined pelisse.

“Are we going somewhere?” she asked, putting on her coat.

“Yes. As you requested.” He pulled on his own greatcoat. “This way, please.”

She followed his direction toward the front door, utterly baffled. When had she requested to leave the house? “I fear you have me at a disadvantage,” she said as he opened the door. “Where are we going?”

“This way,” said Dare and walked away from the house toward the edge of the cliff. It was a barren landscape, dotted with occasional scraggly trees, gnarled from the almost constant wind.

He produced a walking stick and leaned heavily on it. Though he walked relatively slowly due to his injury, his long legs kept him at a good pace. Unlike most men, he did not offer his arm or wait to see if she followed. Still, she suspected he was not being rude, just oblivious, and took pity on him, following him along a narrow dirt path.

“Where are we going?” asked Emma.

Dare turned to look back at her, his head tilted ever so slightly as if confused by the question. “You said you wanted to learn to use the sextant.”

“A sextant?”

“To navigate.”

“Yes, I suppose I did say that.” Emma wrapped her red pelisse tighter around her against the bitter wind.

“You need to see the horizon.”

“Oh. I did not know that.” Emma stepped closer and reached out a hand. He took the strong hint and offered his arm. They continued to walk toward the cliff, and Emma instinctively drew close.

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