Not Quite a Duchess: A Sweet Victorian Gothic Historical Romance (The Boston Heiresses Book 1) by Ava Rose

Author:Ava Rose [Rose, Ava]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Flourish Books
Published: 2020-10-18T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER ELEVEN

When Pen pulled away, Anna silently screamed at the bereavement. He stared into her eyes for a long moment, unblinking. It was as though he’d seen something fearful, and the icy tentacles of insecurity snaked up to grab her senses. Unable to bear his regard any longer, she closed her eyes and turned away, scooting to the other end of the seat.

Her movement seemed to pull him out of his daze and he blinked several times before clearing his throat. “Forgive me,” he said hoarsely. “I shouldn’t have done that. I shouldn’t have taken such liberties.”

Anna had never been more embarrassed in her life. Here she had thought he was starting to feel something for her. But just like last time, he seemed to be filled with regret. What was worse, was that she had fallen off the edge and into the unknown. Whether or not she examined her true feelings, her heart was already breaking and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

She failed to understand why he would initiate that sort of intimacy only to snuff out the light. Was she so very repulsive? Or was he that cold-hearted?

Rapidly blinking her tears away, she reached into her purse and retrieved Libby’s diary. It was the only book she had with her and she was in desperate want of employment. Something to divert her mind from matters of her own heart.

Her trembling fingers found a page and she willed her eyes to look and her mind to read. It appeared to be an entry Anna had not seen before. Libby wrote about her mother’s desire to have a grandchild, detailing the list of gentlemen she had her sights on for Libby, and those ladies who might be suitable for Penforth. Her own name was not on the latter list.

Anna snapped the small volume shut and let out a long slow breath. She could feel Pen’s enigmatic gaze on her and she disliked it. She disliked a lot of things right now, especially being confined in this space.

“Stop the carriage, “ she said stiffly.

“Why? Are you all right?”

“Just stop. Please.”

He rapped on the carriage roof to signal the driver and a short stint later, they slowed to a halt. Before he could move, she swung the door open and hopped down, not even waiting for the small set of steps to be unfolded. She gathered her heavy skirts and began stalking toward Pelham’s carriage which had stopped a short distance away.

“Anna!” Pen called, catching up to her. “What is the matter?”

“I should be asking you that,” she ground out, not slowing her pace.

Taking hold of her arm, he forced her to stop and when she almost lost her balance, he caught her in his arms. She pried herself from his grip and gathered up her skirts again. The light rain was beginning to increase.

“Let’s get back inside the carriage and you can tell me what is wrong,” he said.

“I don’t want to talk to you,” she half-snapped. “And I don’t want to ride in your carriage.

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