Page 19 of Her Daring Earl
And yet, he couldn’t help but be drawn to her.
He had all but avoided her at Greystone. He could do the same here as well.
Only, now, something had shifted. He had become aware of her, and he couldn’t be entirely certain of why. Perhaps it was because he had begun to consider marrying and knew that his time to appreciate a woman such as her was coming to an end. Perhaps it was from their dance. He had felt her body against his, and he had liked it far more than he would have preferred.
Or perhaps it was because, as much as he didn’t want to admit it, even to himself, he had spent enough time with her nowto know that he appreciated her sense of humor, her wit, her charm, the way she looked at life.
Her beauty didn’t help matters.
With all of this on his mind, he did the only thing he could think of to cool off his ardor. Taking a circuitous route through the house so that he could emerge outside through the terrace doors, he left the women to their needlepoint or tea or whatever it was they occupied themselves with and he marched through the gardens surrounding the house to seek out the one place that he could find both solace and respite.
The lake.
It was nestled away from the house, close enough that the water was in view from the windows of the upper story, but not so close that anyone might be able to see exactly what he was doing. There were enough trees surrounding the lake that he knew which parts of it provided enough coverage that he would be hidden from view – which was exactly what he needed at the moment.
He slipped through the trees, pushing away the branches that threatened to reach out and smack him in the face, somehow knowing he was being an idiot. But no mind.
Around the edges of the lake, wildflowers bloomed in vibrant colors, creating a picturesque scene. A gentle breeze rustled the tall reeds along the shore, the soothing sound calming his heart that was beating faster than it should have been, lush green trees that surrounded the lake reflecting off the surface of the calm water. The sky was somewhat grey today, and yet the colors of this respite in the middle of the chaos of his life were enough to bring him peace.
He didn’t hesitate as he stripped off his jacket, his carefully tied cravat, his waistcoat and his shirt, shucking his breeches without worry that anyone would see him unclothed. And if they did, well, he was proud of his appearance. Unless it was amember of his family happening upon him, they could take his fill.
Knowing where the deep parts of the lake began, Fitz perfectly executed a dive, then propelled himself forward, allowing the cool water to wash over him until he broke through the surface, coming up for air when he could hold his breath no longer.
He blinked, clearing the water from his eyes, whipping his head back and forth to clear his hair from his face.
Suddenly he stopped, sensing that he was no longer alone. He whipped his head from one side to the other until the figure came into view.
There, on the far bank, stood a woman. Lilac dress. Dark hair. A grin that he couldn’t see but just knew covered her face.
Eliza.
CHAPTER 7
Eliza had wondered if this was a bad idea.
But then she had seen Fitz standing there on the shore with nothing between him and the sun above them.
And had a feeling that this was one of the best ideas she had ever had.
She hadn’t meant to spy upon him without revealing herself. She had seen him leave the house despite his obvious attempts to do so surreptitiously. She had followed him, considering that now might be the only time she would be able to have this conversation with him.
Then, before she could catch up and announce herself, he had begun to strip, and she had stood there behind a tree, unable to move for fear that in doing so she would announce herself, and she had a feeling that he wouldn’t be pleased she had followed him here when he preferred solitude.
For he wouldn’t be able to swim naked alone in her presence.
At least, not yet.
She smiled wickedly as she took a seat on a large rock on the embankment. She could see what had drawn him to this area of the estate. It truly was beautiful here, the waters reflectingthe grey of the sky, melding with the green of the surrounding trees. She tapped her foot impatiently, wondering if now was the time to have this conversation, or if she should leave before he noticed her.
It took her too long to decide, however, for suddenly he broke through the surface, startling her, and she clenched her hands tightly together when he cast his eyes upon her.
“What are you doing here?” he called out, and she couldn’t tell whether or not there was anger in his tone. More shocked resignation, she decided.
“I came to speak to you,” she said, telling herself that she was not the type of woman to shirk from a man’s response. Especially a man who was never angry. This was Fitz. She was sure he would be happy once he learned just why she had come.
“Could you not have spoken to me at any moment in the house? When I was clothed?” he asked as he trod water. The lake must be rather deep there.
“I could have, but this is not a conversation that I wanted anyone to overhear.”
