Page 33 of Pursued Beyond Treachery
Deciding to make the best of the last few moments, Johnathan offered his arm to Susannah who was surprisingly quiet. Was she as fatigued as Melior? He escorted her to the front entry where a footman retrieved their coats.
The group shifted toward the door, but Susannah held back, her grip on his arm keeping him there. He did not mind. It gave him a few more moments to enjoy her company.
“I forgot to thank you for retrieving my fan.”
She blinked in that odd way again, the one that made him wonder if she had something caught in her eye. He searched for a wayward eyelash but saw nothing. Even so, he did not mind her gaze on him. If only he could rein in his nerves enough to respond to her.
Several sentences formed in his mind, but all of them sounded ridiculous.
You're welcome. Retrieving fans from under lady’s dresses is my specialty. He cringed at the implication.It was my pleasurewas even worse, especially considering Lady Plum’s reaction to him.
He peered down into her doe-like eyes and the words slipped out. “It was nothing.”
“Perhaps to you, but it meant a lot to me.”
Instinctively he covered her hand. The blinking had stopped and she held his gaze with an intensity that made his knees week. She was so beautiful, especially with the candlelight dancing off her rosy cheeks and giving her hair an ethereal glow.
A throat cleared so close that he jerked back, not realizing he’d leaned toward Susannah.
Eddie’s unrepentant smile met his gaze. He held Susannah’s pelisse open and looked at them both expectantly.
Susannah blushed and stepped into her coat. “Thank you, Mr. Kendall.”
When all her outerwear was in place, she turned back to Johnathan. “I suppose we shall see you tomorrow at the Prince’s ball.”
He nodded, anticipation filling his gut and stealing words from his mind.
She reached a hand out to him and he bowed over it. “Good night, Lord Newhurst.”
“Good night…” he managed to choke out.
She took hold of Eddie’s arm and they turned to walk out the large double doors.
“Susannah,” he whispered before it closed behind them.
Chapter 11
Lady Stanford’s lady’s maid tucked tiny white blossoms in the twists at the crown of Susannah’s head. Like pearls in spun gold, they accented the white gown she had donned to perfection.
In an effort to add some color, she added her mother’s gold chain and matching bracelet. The maid finished her ministrations and Susannah stared at herself in the full-length mirror. Who was that woman staring back at her?
It had been years since she’d considered herself a child, but the person in the mirror was taller than she remembered, her curves more pronounced, and her cheeks less round.
Lady Stanford knocked on the door before entering. “Oh, Miss Wayland!” she exclaimed. “You look absolutely stunning. I am sure you will catch the attention of half the gentlemen in London.”
Susannah’s cheeks warmed. “Thank you, but I would settle for just one.” She peered down at her dress and whispered, “The right one, that is.”
“And who would that be?” A mischievous glint sparkled in Lady Stanford’s eyes.
“I do not know,” she lied. Was it truly a lie, though? She cared for John deeply, but what if fate was not on her side? What if she never won his regard?
The memory of the way he’d come to her over a week ago when Aunt Guthrie had been so condescending floated across her mind. He’d been so angry she’d worried he might give her aunt a thorough set down. In all the years she’d known John, he’d been the most even tempered, patient man of her acquaintance. She’d hardly known him in that moment, but it had warmed her heart to know he would jump to her defense.
That did not mean he had any regard for her, though. Brothers defended their sisters after all.
Lady Stanford patted her arm. “Well, when you find such a gentleman, I beg you will let me know. Perhaps there is something Nathaniel and I might do to bring him up to scratch.”
She followed her statement with a cheeky grin.
