Page 72 of The Secret Love of a Gentleman
‘I will take you driving the day after tomorrow. I cannot wait until next week,’ he said. ‘But if we want to keep our affair private, I cannot spend too much time with you. We must appear friendly and nothing else. So I will not accompany you tomorrow, to wherever the family are going, but say I will see you the following afternoon.’
She nodded.
‘Do not tell anyone. I will call early to visit the children, spend the morning with them, then stay for luncheon and in the afternoon, I will propose a drive.’ He was using this moment to say as much as he could, because he could not speak before his family. ‘I hope it will seem unplanned. They know we are friends; I hope Drew will not think it odd. But when you come driving with me wear a broad-rimmed bonnet, so passing traffic cannot easily notice who you are.’
‘Because you are ashamed of being seen with me?’ she teased.
‘Because I do not want your reputation challenged. People will see you with a younger man and think you fast. I will not see more judgement heaped upon you.’
‘Thank you.’ She said the words, not really thankful; in this moment she did not care what others thought.
‘Did I say how beautiful you look?’ he said, as he spun her for several steps.
‘You did.’
‘You do not regret…’ he said then, his expression suddenly serious.
A desire to stop dancing and kiss away the concern in his eyesassaulted her, but all she could do was squeeze his shoulder gently. ‘I do not regret anything that happened between us, Rob.’
‘Good. Neither do I, though I can promise you nothing still, and I feel guilty because of that.’
‘You need not feel guilt. I told you I expect nothing.’
‘Then how do you see us progressing?’ His eyes searched hers for the answer.
‘I cannot say. I am only thinking of today.’
‘I am not in a position to offer you marriage, I have no living?—’
‘Rob, I do not expect it.’
The music slowed, and Rob turned her with a flourish. Then he leaned to her ear. ‘Well, you ought to expect it, you have my heart. You may know that now at least.’
‘And you have mine,’ she whispered back even though she knew that Albert still had a grip upon it. But in Rob’s arms she had not thought of Albert.
‘Will you wait until I am able to offer, then? Now you are here and I see you, I can only see what I long for.’
She had not expected this, but… ‘Yes.’ Heady with the emotions of dancing with him, the thought of marrying him appealed. It was more than she dared imagine.
Rob looked beyond her, his expression changing to a threatening glower.
She looked across her shoulder, following Rob’s gaze, and realised he was looking at Albert. She looked back. ‘Rob. Stop glowering at Albert, people will see?—’
‘Caro,’ he interrupted, smiling, ‘my entire family are glowering at him. I am not giving away any particular interest in you.’
He walked her back towards his family and she could see it was true. Every man in the group frowned towards Albert, and some of the women.
‘I wish they would not,’ Caro said, before they reached them. ‘It will only rile him, and it is none of their concern.’
‘You are their concern, because, as I have told you before, you are an honorary member of my family. Will you sit beside me to eat supper? It cannot be misconstrued, it is expected since we danced this last set.’
‘Yes. I would like that.’
It was not as enjoyable as she had imagined, though, as they sat among his family about a large table, with Drew taking the seat on her other side, which meant there was no further chance for private conversation.
Albert sat at a table on the other side of the room, beside the blonde woman. Every time Caro looked at him, he was looking at her. It was not a hostile stare, but one that said he wanted to know why she was here.
‘Is that his wife?’ she asked Drew quietly.
