Page 43 of Would I Lie to the Duke
“I am sending one of my servants to Wiltshire today on an errand, and they are to change horses and return immediately,” Jess said. “I could write to the soap makers and ask for more information from them directly, rather than rely on hearsay. It might be worth a closer look—and we’d have answers before the end of the Bazaar tomorrow.”
“A lot of trouble for you, isn’t it?” Baron Mentmore asked.
“It’s the work of but a moment,” she answered. “And, who knows, perhaps we’ll discover something worthwhile.”
She mentally exhaled when the others nodded their heads in agreement. Perhaps this mad venture could work, after all.
“Walditch,” Lady Haighe said, “what do you think of the proposal for the canal expansion?”
As conversation continued, Jess decided it was wisest to quit the field whilst things were still in her favor. She murmured something noncommittal and walked to where refreshments were laid out.
She sensed him beside her, and lost her taste for cakes.Histaste was what she wanted, spiced and rich and drugging.
“Tell me your plans for after the Bazaar,” he said.
“After tomorrow?”
“The Season’s still at its height, which means a surfeit of assemblies and social gatherings. They’re not tremendously exciting, unless you happen to enjoy middling punch and too many people attempting to be amusing. But there are other pleasures to be had in London. You’ll stay for those, surely.” He made a soft scoffing noise. “Listen to me. I’ve seen anglers in the River Spey fish with greater subtlety. But I don’t give a damn.” He stepped closer. “I just want you.”
Her face—her whole being—heated. Desire the likes of which she’d never known wrapped around her like enchanted vines, and she didn’t want to be freed from them.
But, as the stories said, all enchanted things had to come to an end.
“I am leaving the country,” she said softly. “Going to the Continent.”
He blinked. “Will you be there long?”
“I cannot say.” Pain radiated from her to speak the words. At the very least, they were the truth.
His brow furrowed. “Then there isn’t much time left. For you and I.”
“Not much at all,” she murmured.
She had to face the terrible truth—if she could not secure investors at the Bazaar, then McGale & McGale would cease to exist. The farm itself would be lost, her family fractured.
With an influx of funding, she could leave herposition as a hired companion and focus all of her attention and efforts on the business.
But if she could not save it, she would be a hired companion again.
In either case, there could be no Noel. She told herself that was how it had to be. She had to be a clear-eyed realist—this fantasy would end. But damn her if it would be over far too soon.
That evening, a dinner was held in Lord Trask’s home. Jess had just enough time to go home, bathe and change, and then return.
With a glass of cordial in her hand, she circled the parlor, where she and the other guests had gathered once the meal concluded. The mood was light, conversation flowed readily. Lord Trask beamed from his place by the fire, basking in the glow of a host who had created an exceptional evening.
It had been impossible not to stare at Noel throughout the course of the night. He’d sat in the position of honor at the dining table, with her a good distance away, separated by rank and importance.
Now, with the men and women reunited after dinner, he turned pages for Lady Farris as the countess played the pianoforte.
Tomorrow, she’d see him for the last time. She would dissolve back into her role of invisible companion, never to cross his path, let alone speak to him. Let alone kiss him.
He desired her. She desired him, yet her uncertainty kept her locked in place.
Damn it, this wasn’t like her. Decisions, action, conviction in her purpose—these elements made up her life, especially after her parents’ death. She saw what needed to be done, and by God, she did it.
Air. She needed air. Once she was alone, she could decide what to do about Noel.
Viscount Pickhill appeared beside her. “My lady, I would like your opinion on a question. There’s a manufacturer of textiles in India—”
