A Brilliant Match (The Earl's Sisters Book 1) by Jennie Goutet

Author:Jennie Goutet [Goutet, Jennie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Millefeuille Press
Published: 2023-11-20T18:30:00+00:00

Chapter 12

Dorothea was in perfect misery as she limped into the public garden at Mr. Shaw’s side. Her body had betrayed her. Her heart betrayed her. No matter how much she wished to wrestle into submission her reaction to seeing this man in keeping with the decision she had made for her life, her stomach would quiver, her heart would thump, her face would blush. And she was furious about it.

If she had not precisely been able to keep Mr. Shaw from her thoughts in recent days, she had at least convinced herself that it was all for the best. His absence would allow her to focus on her matrimonial goals. On her future.

Not that she was actually given time to do any of that, for Tilly had caught another cold, and this time had passed it on to Miss Cross. As for Evo, rather than listening to any of her remonstrations, he had only caused her more headaches. His latest devilry was to threaten not to return to school, stating that he knew his father had dropped his education early but that everyone liked him so much more than a bore like Mr. Sands. Then, Joanna had walked out alone on the streets of London without a maid as though she were a common scullery girl.

That last bit brought Dorothea back to the present. How ironic that she found herself in the same position for which she had taken her sister to task. Here. Alone with Mr. Shaw without a maid. She was now seated on a bench in an empty public garden, staring at his back.

He had turned, allowing her to untie her half boot and remove the offending pebble—how had a pebble made the leap into a laced half boot?—giving her the privacy her delicate situation required. She tried not to stare in front of her for too long, but one glimpse of his athletic set of thighs and she was reliving the memory of him leaping onto the runaway carriage. And her admiration took flight once again.

What if he sat on the bench next to her? What if he pulled her close? What if he put his arms around her and tilted his head down and touched his lips to hers—

“I am finished.”

He turned and held out his hand to assist her to rise, but for a brief instant she was too frozen to take it. The warmth of his proximity brought home the intimacy of the moment and how vulnerable it was to be in his presence. She looked up at him reluctantly, and he smiled, his eyes crinkling, oblivious to her warring internal thoughts.

She placed her hand in his and allowed him to help her up. He did so, pulling her with enough strength so that he had to place a hand on her arm to keep her from stumbling into his chest. She looked up at him, startled as he froze in place, his eyes wide.

“Thank you,” she said, turning to break the spell.

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