Lady Out of Time by Caroline Hanson

Author:Caroline Hanson
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: romance, time travel romance, regency, fantasy, victorian, caroline hanson, historical, alternate future, time travel, urban fantasy

“So you’ve said.”

Helen took another breath, the scent of him lightly intoxicating. It was spicy, warm and expensive.

“Surely you know I wouldn’t risk my family’s future.”

“No, you wouldn’t,” she said, firmly. As if her conviction could convince him. “You’re a good man, Edward.”

There was silence for a long moment. “Do you know you’ve said something similar to me already? You know what kind of man I am,” he said, drawing out each word, a hint of steel edging into the vowels. “I can’t tell if you mean it to be offensive, or if it’s some strange compliment. And don’t call me Edward.”

Had she called him Edward? Helen blamed the dark intimacy of the carriage. “Does it help to know that I meant it as a compliment?”

He said nothing.

The carriage came to a stop and Edward stepped out, offering her a gloved hand. She could feel the heat of his fingers through their gloves, his grip firm but not too hard, and she blushed, thankful for the dark so that he wouldn’t see her ridiculous reaction. Having him help her down from the carriage, having to watch every step she took and lift her skirts out of the way cemented the I’m-a–blackmailing-princess feeling. She felt feminine in a way she never had before.

The shop was small but elegant, and the owner was waiting for them, exclaiming his pleasure at the Duke of Somervale’s presence. After several protracted compliments, the Duke interrupted him. “We’re looking for a necklace.”

The man swallowed, his head jerking down in agreement. “Very good, Your Grace. What type of stones did you have in mind?”

Edward turned to her and smiled, a brief flash of even white teeth. He made eye contact with her, maintaining it as he closed the distance between them. Helen didn’t know what to do besides stay still. She stopped breathing as he entered her personal space, one hand making a fist. If he were any other man, she would think he was being flirtatious.

Nah.

When he stopped before her, he was so close that he had to look down to see her face. He raised his hands slowly, touching her neck lightly, his hands brushing the thick velvet of her cloak as he undid the clasp. Okay, this is definitely confusing.

“You are looking at me very fiercely,” he said, and she took a shallow breath, concerned that anything that she did at this point would give away just how attractive she thought he was. If the eyes were the window to the soul, she was worried he would see the pornographic film going on inside of her.

She broke contact, looked to the side at the shopkeeper as if seeking help from the Duke’s magnetic attraction, but he was studiously examining the corner, looking at absolutely nothing as he gave them a pretend privacy. The nearness of him seared her, and she looked at his clean-shaven neck, her eyes drawn to the faint smallpox scars below his ear that disappeared into his dark hair at the nape of his neck.

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