The Lyon and The Bluestocking: The Lyon's Den Connected World by E.L. Johnson

Author:E.L. Johnson [Johnson, E.L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, romance, Historical
Publisher: Dragonblade Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2023-09-26T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Five

She reeled back from him. “Mr. James, what on earth?”

He blushed and stepped back. “I am sorry. My… judgment ran away from me. Do excuse me.” He turned on his heel and left.

She stared after him; her mouth hung open. She closed it like a trap and touched her lips, feeling the traces of what had lasted for a split second. His lips had been warm and inviting and had taken her completely by surprise.

They had kissed. How could she look at him now?

She stood alone in the stairwell, wondering what had just happened.

The next evening she stood patiently, listening to her mother’s chatter whilst her maid helped choose a dress for their evening dinner. “It was so kind of Mr. Lewis to invite us. Aren’t you excited?”

Elizabeth shrugged. “I suppose. But Mama, it is only dinner.”

“Yes, but he’s inviting us to his home. We will no doubt meet his family and they will like you. Believe me, my dear, this is just the start.”

Elizabeth smiled and allowed her mother and maidservant to dress her, fix her hair, and add a necklace to her rose-pink gown. But she could not get Mr. James out of her head.

“Elizabeth, why do you keep touching your lips? Are they dry?”

“No, I’m fine.” She put her hand down.

Once they were dressed and stood in the foyer to put on their cloaks, there was a knock at the front door. A footman opened it and received a note, which he handed to Mrs. Denham.

Mrs. Denham opened the letter and pouted. “Oh, pooh.” She handed the letter to Elizabeth.

It read:

My dear Miss Denham,

I must cancel our plans this evening. Some food I ate at luncheon turned my stomach and I am unwell.

Yours,

C. Lewis

“Cancel the carriage, Macdonald. We won’t be needing it after all,” Mrs. Denham said.

Elizabeth frowned as she and her mother removed their cloaks. “We will be joining Mr. Denham and Miss Annabelle for dinner after all,” her mother said.

“Very good, madam.” The footman left for the kitchens.

Her mother looked at her. “Well, never mind. I hope the young man is all right. What a shame we are to miss dinner. And it’s too late to join Mr. James at the theater now, too.” She let out a sigh and walked away.

Elizabeth agreed but couldn’t shake a funny feeling in her mind. This felt wrong, somehow.

She ate a quiet dinner with her family. Her mother noticed and said, “I know you’re in low spirits, Elizabeth. Why don’t we visit Mrs. Dove-Lyon?”

“All right.” After dinner she and her mother took the family carriage to Cleveland Row, and were admitted via the ladies’ entrance. In no time at all they stood by the observation gallery, overlooking the main hall where men and women chatted and laughed together.

Elizabeth accepted a glass of wine from a servant, and drank as she gazed over the crowd of people there, looking for a certain gentleman.

“My word,” her mother said. “What do you make of that?”

“What?” Elizabeth asked.

“Why it’s Mr. Lewis. Look, down there.

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