Page 12 of Claiming His Lost Duchess
It took a moment for her to realize he was there, and then she looked up, cheeks flushed, and she said,
“I apologize if she bothered you at all, sir. Thank you for looking after her for a-a moment.”
Her eyes met his, and he could have sworn he saw a flash of recognition in them. But it was gone rather quickly, as was the warmth and openness that had been on her face a mere handful of seconds ago.
“Mama, he chased a bee away!” the little girl — Sophia — mentioned, craning her neck to look back at Graham, whose heart tugged painfully at the precious action.
But her mother wouldn’t let her look at him, gently placing her hand over the child’s head to keep her facing the same direction as her mother’s back.
“Thank you again for caring for her. I appreciate it, sir,” she said, her tone void of any inflection or edge that might suggest that she knew him.
She bowed slightly and turned to leave, but Graham’s body moved before he even realized that he wanted it to. His hand wrapped around her wrist to hold her back, as he wondered why she would look at him with such an empty gaze.
What piqued his curiosity even more was how she stiffened in his grasp, her body tense she stared at him in mild confusion.
Was he truly wrong? Did he really mistake her for the woman of his dreams? Or was she pretending? If so, why?
Her eyes turned colder, and she pulled at his grip.
“You are being quite rude, sir. Let me go this instant.”
Graham did what she asked, feeling sad about offending her, noting how she let out a sigh of relief.
“My apologies. I thought — might I ask your name? Where are you from?” he asked.
She lowered her gaze and put a little bit of distance between them as she responded carefully.
“I do not believe I am obligated to answer your questions, sir. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must return home so my daughter can have her lunch —”
“Wait,” Graham stepped in her path quickly, horrified by the idea of letting this woman go before he knew for certain she was who he believed her to be. “I was only curious because I haven't seen you or your daughter in this park before.”
The woman was intent on avoiding his gaze at all cost, but she couldn’t hide the flush spreading across her cheeks and up the tips of her ears. He wanted to hold her again, wanted to ask her more questions, filled with a strange desperation he had never experienced. He was drawn to her, inexplicably so and his instincts told him that relenting would only lead to regret.
She kept her tone empty and her face blank as she questioned, “Do you make it a habit of studying mothers and their children in the neighboring area, sir?”
Graham tried not to groan in frustration. He was getting nowhere with his questions, and she was being difficult on purpose.
He almost tried to reach for her again, his desperation to keep her close growing more and more by the moment. He considered letting things be, but his instincts wouldn't back down, inspiring him to ask one more question.
“Where is your husband, madam? Surely he should’ve been close by, looking after your daughter in a park surrounded by flowers when she is deathly afraid of bees.”
Her eyes widened in what he surmised was panic, and she retorted bluntly,
“He is dead. Goodbye, sir.”
And then she scurried away.
Perhaps he should have been a tad disappointed at their quick parting, but all he felt was relief in his veins.
“Finally. I’ve found you,” he murmured under his breath, watching them go.
CHAPTER FIVE
“Georgina!”
Joan slammed the door shut behind her after she stepped into the house, unable to keep the panic out of her voice.
Even though they were now within the walls of their home and hopefully far away fromthatman, Joan couldn’t bring herself to lower Sophia onto her own two feet.
