The Beastly Bluestocking by Audrey Harrison

The Beastly Bluestocking by Audrey Harrison

Author:Audrey Harrison [Harrison, Audrey]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-07-02T00:00:00+00:00


Chapter 13

Why did he care so much? Whatever the answer, it felt as if his heart was being ripped out as he had stood there, first to see them embrace and then to witness the way Philip had moved next to her in a clear claim of ownership. That he had wanted to wipe the triumphant smirk off Philip’s face might not have done him any good in Arabella’s eyes, but it might have made him feel better.

He should have turned on his heel and left her to her life with the coxcomb who had ruined her life and broken her heart once before, but he had faltered like the idiot he was. He needed to convince himself that she wanted such a nodcock’s advances, though it hurt like hell to see her remain at his side.

Willing her to come to him, to reject Philip, had been a foolish hope at best, and he cursed himself for being so needy. He had received no encouragement except for that moment when she had asked him to come back and then seemed concerned that he would travel on the stage. At the end of the day, those were the words of a considerate mistress, and he could not deny that she was becoming one, even if she had not been when he first arrived.

Sullivan and Mrs Johnson had begged him not to leave, and it had been hard not to acquiesce to their request, for he did not want to abandon her, though he had decided to try and persuade Mr Betez that he could be employed somewhere else.

“She needs all the support she can get,” Mrs Johnson said, kneading dough as if she wanted to inflict real damage to it. Michael had the suspicion she was pretending it was Philip. “You see far more than we do. When he starts to take advantage of her, you need to be there to help her through her disappointment, for it will hit her hard. She has never done anything but put her heart and soul into everything she takes on.”

Michael thought back to their kisses; it had felt that she had put her all into them, but then she had acted as if it had been a horrible mistake. He knew without doubt that he could never feel like that about something so special. “I think we are already too late in that regard. They seemed very cosy when I interrupted them.” There was bitterness in his voice, but he could not hide it.

“She is forgetting what he did last time,” Sullivan said. “A man like him does not change when there is an heiress around, especially one as isolated as Miss Arabella is. He must have been delighted when his wife died, and he found out that Miss Arabella was still unwed.”

“Her uncle needs to know what is going on,” Mrs Johnson chipped in.

“No. If that happens, it will push her into his arms,” Sullivan cautioned. “You know how those two clash over everything.



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