One Room at the Inn (The Lords of Eton Book 4) by Cheryl Bolen

Author:Cheryl Bolen [Bolen, Cheryl]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harper & Appleton
Published: 2020-05-31T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter 5

It wasn’t until she twisted away from him that Philip realized how depraved Mrs. Leeming must think him. He was as disappointed in himself as she must be in him. Grimacing with tightly shut eyes he croaked out a shaky, “Forgive me.”

Her back was to him. All he saw now were the tendrils of blonde hair on her graceful neck, the dainty shoulders hugged by the soft violet muslin of her gown, the forlorn, defeated shake of her head. One moment ago he’d soared with joy as he’d kissed this beautiful woman.

Now he felt like a predator.

“I have no right to ask your forgiveness when I’ve betrayed your trust, but I swear to you I’m a gentleman. I don’t know what came over me.”

Still, there was no response.

“Would it be too much to ask you to try to forget my unpardonable conduct?” he asked. “If you could forget, then we could go on as if it had never occurred, go back to where we were before. I thought we were all getting along jolly well.”

She slowly turned around to face him. God, she was lovely, so much so that she almost stole away his breath. Her cheeks were rosy, he suspected from embarrassment.

“I don’t think I shall be able to forget it,” she said, “but I should very much like to accept your apology with the hope that such an action not be repeated.”

He nodded. “Thank you.”

“Shall I ring for more hot water? Do you not think we need more tea?”

“An excellent idea.”

She crossed the room to ring for a servant.

He was still befuddled over his impetuous action. Even more befuddling, he’d never associated Mrs. Leeming with lust. Not last night when he’d noticed how extraordinarily beautiful she was. Not when he’d thought of wanting to lie in bed with her. Not when he’d told her she needed to love again. Not even when he’d kissed her.

This was not a woman one lusted after. This was a woman one married.

And Lord Philip Fenton had no intentions of marrying.

He supposed he had been too long away from well-brought-up women and loving families. Being around Mrs. Leeming and her delightful children awakened in him all those relationships of which he’d been deprived for the many years he was on the Peninsula.

True, she elicited in him a profound physical craving for intimacy. He wanted to touch this woman. He wanted to hold this woman. He wanted to kiss this woman.

After she ordered the water, she went back to sit at the table. He remained standing at the fire. An awkward silence followed.

“Until yesterday I still wore my husband’s wedding ring.”

“Even though it’s been more than a year?”

She nodded.

“Oh, dear God. You sold the ring yesterday?”

“Yes.”

“I believe it’s what your husband would have wanted.”

“Yes, I think so, too. That’s what I told myself. It would make him happy to know that ring he gave me was continuing to take care of us . . .” Her voice cracked. “After he was gone.”

“Does is

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