Page 34 of Pining for Lord Lockhart
“I must hold my tongue until then. I realize I’ve neglected to move forward as you deserve. And now knowing that you could choose any man here, I only pray I’m not too late.”
She stepped closer, her face, inches from his, her hands resting on his arm and shoulder, and then her gaze went to his lips causing an intense burning to begin under her gaze, a warmth that spread to his chest. He wanted only to pull her close up against him, to wrap her in his arms forever as his lips covered hers.
She stood taller.
He forgot everything, her full mouth parting. Their breath mingled before someone coughed. And she jerked away.
He blinked twice and then cleared his head.Daft. “Apologies.”
She refused to look at him.
The Duke of York certainly was though.
He dipped his head.
The final chords played. He couldn’t let her go, not yet. “Miss Charity. Might I come tomorrow?”
“Yes.” She lifted her lashes and smiled. And he knew everything would be all right. He would come as early as possible, meet with the duke, ask permission to court her, and then he would be free to declare himself.
“I shall come at my earliest possible convenience.”
“I’d like that.” She turned away. Her hand was on his arm, but she seemed to wish to leave his presence as soon as possible.
He walked with her to the duke and duchess, one looking overly pleased and the other overly irritated.
Andrew cleared his throat. “Might I have a moment with you tomorrow morning?”
“I think you’d better.”
“Yes, very good, Your Grace.” Andrew bowed and then made his way out of the assembly room.
As his carriage approached the townhome he shared with his aunt, an unusual amount of lights flickered from inside their front parlor. Was his aunt still up? His feet were light as he stepped down from the carriage and leapt up to the front door.
Even though the whole of that evening was spent out of Charity’s company, even though he’d bungled their dance, almost kissed her in front of everyone, and their final conversation had been as awkward as any they’d had, Andrew could only feel pleased. He was at last going to declare himself to the duke. He would stare into her beautiful eyes and tell her what he’d been aching to say, that he loved her.
He loved Charity.
His whistle came unbidden as he stepped into his front entry hall but stopped dead in his throat at one voice he never could have expected.
“Miss Penny?”
Three ladies stood as he entered the room. His aunt, Mrs. Westchester and Miss Penny. They curtseyed together, and he responded with a bow. His dear aunt looked as though she’d fall over in exhaustion. The other two seemed perhaps travel-worn but otherwise awake. Miss Penny’s face had gone a bit white, but he imagined that might have been nerves.
Mrs. Westchester stepped forward, her arms out. “Come here, son.” The kindly face that welcomed him was the same face that had wiped scrapes, had soothed loneliness, had listened to him speak of plans for the future.
He instinctively moved toward her. As shocking as this visit was and portended nothing good for him, a wave of nostalgia, a wave of longing for a mother figure in his life, filled him, and he wrapped her in the hug of his youth. “It’s good to see you, Mrs. Westchester.”
“You too, my dear.” She patted him. She smelled the same, a mixture of cooking spices and vanilla. And her embrace felt the same, though perhaps a bit more wiry. As he stepped away, she turned. “Miss Penny and I have arrived this evening, and we know it isn’t done, but we are practically family so we have waited here for your return, not wanting to miss a moment.”
His aunt’s face was a blank. She likely wished them gone.
He was aghast at their treatment of her but vowed to make it up to her as soon as they left.
He turned at last to Miss Penny. She looked…older. She’d matured into a well-looking debutante. He was certain she’d be much sought after. He wished her success. But he felt none of the old familiarity. She seemed a stranger to him.
After the sparkle of Charity, this new Miss Penny seemed subdued, as if the light had been squelched. “Miss Penny.”
“Oh, Andrew. It’s been too long.”
