Page 15 of The Misfortunate Miss Farthington
Daphne laughed outright and linked their arms, nearly dragging Tessa toward Mr. Grant. “Come, we don’t have much time to waste.”
Considering Tessa was petite, and Daphne was even smaller than she, the girl’s force was nothing short of extraordinary as she hauled a suddenly nervous Tessa toward the handsome scholar.
Anthony and his wife hurried to keep up, and she heard them laughing and whispering. She glanced back. “One moment, Daphne,” she said.
She joined Anthony and Marian. “Did you know about this?”
“No,” Marian said promptly. “But I couldn’t be more pleased. The way you light up around him, and the way he turns to a foolish boy around you…” She grinned and shared a look with Anthony, who picked up where she left off.
“You deserve this kind of happiness, Tessa. We’re here to support you in any way we can.”
Marian took her by the shoulders and turned her back toward Mr. Grant, who couldn’t seem to tear his eyes off her. “For now, that means we are here to act as perfectly respectable chaperones, isn’t that right, Anthony?”
“Of course.” He puffed out his chest and adopted a formal tone. “We’re nothing if not proper.”
Tessa laughed at their teasing, for of course her breaking off their engagement and now parading around with the happy couple—well, it might not bescandalous,but they were sure to encounter whispers.
But none of that mattered when she met Mr. Grant’s steady gaze. She felt her cheeks burn as his gaze stayed on her. Thank goodness there was still a chill in the air. It cooled her heated skin…and kept the crowd to a minimum.
“Fancy meeting you here,” she murmured when Mr. Grant greeted her.
“Yes, I owe your cousin a debt of thanks for helping me to arrange another meeting.” He glanced around them as they fell into step together. “I’m heartened that this time I don’t have to seek out ways to speak to you.”
She smiled, her heart fluttering wildly and her hands trembling with excitement. What was it about this man that brought upon this rush of joy?
Her chaperones kept a nice distance, giving them privacy, and she too felt grateful that for once they could speak to one another without fear of being overheard or interrupted.
“Your parents don’t know you’re meeting me,” he started. It wasn’t a question, but she heard the wary edge to it.
“But I didn’t know I’d run into you here, so it’s hardly an issue,” she said quickly.
He slowed his pace. “It will be soon, if they don’t approve.”
So, they were diving straight into the matter then. She felt a smile tug at her lips, despite the not-so-pleasant topic. He was just as serious about her as she was about him, and for a moment she reveled in that knowledge.
She thought about how best to respond. Surely it would seem too eager if she were to state aloud that she cared not what her parents thought. And she did. Of course, she did.
But would she let their disapproval stop her…?
She still wasn’t certain, and that made her belly quiver with nerves. So instead, she focused on Mr. Grant and his hesitations.
“My father’s permission… Is that what worries you?” she asked. What she meant to say was,Is that why you never called on me? Is that why you’ve kept your distance?
He seemed to hear her thoughts because he leaned toward her and lowered his voice. “I’ve thought of nothing but you since the first moment we met, back at that salon at—”
“At Lady Dabney’s,” she finished breathlessly. “I remember.”
“I wish I had more to offer,” he said, his wince making her heart ache. “I’d never before minded being the third born or not having a fortune to my name…until I met you.”
She felt her insides melt. “Do you think that is all I care about?”
“No,” he said slowly. “I think it’s what you deserve.”
She had no notion of what to say to that. It was so sweet, and also so…foolish.
“Besides that, I’m older than you,” he started.
“Not by that much,” she protested.
