Page 30 of A Brooding Christmas Promise
The familiarity with which she spoke his name sent fire shooting up Samuel’s spine, though it was not a pleasant sensation. All the same, he did feel a little sympathy for the lady, but there was no stirring of his affections. “I shall always be cordial with you, Lady Grifford,” he stated, hoping that she would see the emphasis he placed on speaking her title correctly rather than with the familiarity that she had. “However, I do have many other matters which concern me at present. I am sorry to speak plainly but you must recognise that your considerations are no longer something that I think on.”
Her head lifted, her eyes fixing to his. “I am no longer of significance to you,” she said, a sadness in her voice which, much to Samuel’s frustration, aroused his sympathy. “I understand. Though, despite my rudeness and my thoughtless interruption, might you please come to call on me soon? I promise it will not be more than a few minutes of your time.”
Samuel took in a slow breath, studying her. He did not want to spend any time in her company; that he knew very well. Everything in him was pushing back from her, pushing away, so why should he want to linger in her company? But there was still something there between them, something that he could not ignore. Perhaps it was only sympathy and sympathy alone which called him to her, Samuel did not know. But he found himself spreading out his hands and promising that yes, he would call upon her very soon.
“Very soon?” Lady Grifford took a step closer to him, her hand reaching out though she did not touch his hand or arm. “When, Crestwood? In two days’ time? Three? Or will I be forced to wait sennight upon sennight, telling myself that there is going to come a day when you will remember what you have said andwillcome to call.”
A flickering annoyance pushed through Samuel’s heart but he kept his expression clear. “I will call upon you within the week,” he promised, seeing how her eyes cleared and how what seemed to his eyes to be relief, begin to flood her expression. “I give you my word.”
“Oh, I thank you.” This time, she did catch his hand in hers, did press his fingers and smile up at him – and inwardly, Samuel pulled back though he did not forcibly yank his hand out of hers. Instead, he merely let her release his hand and felt himself glad when she had done so, moving back slowly so that she would not think to do such a thing again.
“Within the week,” he said again, as Lady Grifford made for the door, hurrying towards it as though she could not now be eager enough to step away from him. “Good afternoon, Lady Grifford.”
She smiled, waved and then without a word, quit the room, leaving Samuel to close his eyes, blow out a breath and then shake his head as he looked to Lord Trenton. “Whatever was that about?”
Lord Trenton chuckled mirthlessly. “To my mind, that was Lady Grifford’s attempts to coerce you into calling upon her, which, unfortunately, she succeeded in.”
“Coerce?” Samuel shook his head. “Hardly.” Seeing his friend’s eyebrow lift, he winced and then shrugged. “I am afraid that there was nothing within mε willing to refuse her.”
“Because you care for her still?”
The harsh response which jumped to Samuel’s lips was held back solely by sheer effort. Taking a moment, he went to pour another measure of brandy for himself and another for Lord Trenton. “I can assure you, I felt no gladness, no happiness or the like.”
“Then what did you feel?”
Samuel took a sip of his brandy rather than speaking. Waiting for a few moments, he let out a slow breath and then shook his head. “I believe it was sympathy,” he said, as Lord Trenton’s eyebrows lifted. “We had a strong connection even though it was some years ago.”
“Or so you thought.”
Wincing, Samuel spread out both arms wide, one hand still gripping his glass of brandy. “We had a connection still! I do not believe that everything she ever said to me was false and we did share a great deal.” He let his arms go back to his sides. “I would not have come to care for her as I did had I not known her. Yes, she did not love me as I loved her but we were well acquainted. It is that which I feel still, I suppose.”
Lord Trenton clicked his tongue. “I would say that she is using that to her advantage. You must be careful, my friend.”
“Careful?” Samuel chuckled ruefully. “I can assure you, when it comes to Lady Grifford, there is no danger there for me whatsoever.”
Another lifted eyebrow.
“I do not even think of her any longer,” Samuel promised, speaking the truth wholeheartedly. “She is not in my thoughts, whether it be in a good or bad way. I spent years doing so and I can assure you, I do not permit her into my thoughts for even a moment.”
“I am surprised, I confess, though I am glad to hear it.” Lord Trenton smiled briefly. “I did think that, in seeing her again, you might find yourself a little… tangled.”
Without warning, Miss Millerton swept her way back into Samuel’s thoughts and he smiled without meaning to. Seeing his friend’s look of surprise growing, Samuel shook his head, dismissing the questions Lord Trenton might be about to ask. “I have had other things on my mind of late, that is all – includingthese invitations to the masquerade ball which I fear I shall never finish!”
“I see.” Lord Trenton rose to his feet and, finishing his brandy, set it down on the table. “Then I shall take my leave of you and permit you to complete them without further interruption.” Without smiling, he came closer to Samuel and, putting a hand on his shoulder, gazed at him steadily. “I do hope that you will take a great deal of care when it comes to Lady Grifford. I fear that she is just as deceptive as she was before.”
Samuel nodded, wanting to tell his friend that he had no need to concern himself but instead, simply accepting Lord Trenton’s warning. “I shall be.”
“Good.” With a nod, Lord Trenton stepped away. “I shall see you this evening.” He grinned over his shoulder. “Mayhap they shall have a kissing bough again this evening!”
“A kissing bough at a soiree?” Samuel scoffed, shaking his head. “I hardly think so.”
“Oh, but do you not know that our host, Lord Howden, has decided to make it a good deal grander than he first thought?” Lord Trenton’s grin grew all the wider. “There is an orchestra and the ballroom shall be adorned accordingly, as well as having the Christmas soiree in the other rooms of the house. There will be a feast and cards and all manner of entertainment – in short, I believe he is trying to outdo my own magnificent Christmas event!”
Samuel laughed as Lord Trenton opened the door. “And you are still to attend?”
“But of course. It sounds quite marvelous and I am determined not to miss it, even if he does prove himself to be a better host than I!” With another laugh, Lord Trenton quit the room and left Samuel to his own thoughts.
“A kissing bough,” Samuel murmured to himself, his smile slowly beginning to fade as he made his way back to his desk, theinvitations waiting for him still. The thought was a pleasant one, he had to confess, made all the pleasing by the thought of having Miss Millerton in his arms and stealing a kiss from her.
