Page 16 of Courting the Earl
After returning home for the night, she fell into bed with one goal in mind. To fall asleep and leave thoughts of Lord Hargrove and his perplexing behavior behind her.
She woke bright and early the next morning, long before the other members of the household. Her quiet mornings suited her just fine. She enjoyed her private pursuits when her aunt and cousin weren’t making demands on her time. And later she would be visiting Hatchards circulating library where she’d take advantage of the subscription she’d purchased with some of her pin money.
She asked for breakfast to be sent up to her room and then turned her attention to working on her latest drawing. Mornings were the only opportunity she’d had to sketch since coming to London. Of late she’d been working on perfecting her skills at drawing people.
She had several drawings of her aunt and uncle, and of course Lydia was a favorite model. She’d even tried her hand at drawing herself. But today she had another model in mind. Lord Hargrove.
She hesitated only a moment before giving in to the temptation. She sketched quickly from memory, her pencil moving over the page with smooth strokes as she tried to capture the man. She told herself she could give it to Lydia as a gift if the two did decide to proceed with their betrothal. And if she didn’t, he wouldn’t be the first man she’d drawn. She often drew pictures of neighbors and family friends, both male and female.
She’d intended it to be a quick sketch with just enough details to make it clear who the subject was. It wasn’t until she found herself trying to capture the glint she’d seen in his eyes when they were waltzing that she realized this drawing was more detailed than she’d planned.
She frowned at the image, considering whether she should stop. But no, she was gripped with the need to finish it.
An hour passed before she stared down at the image with a critical eye. She’d drawn him as he’d appeared yesterday, sitting on the bench seat of the carriage opposite her and Lydia. But in the drawing he wasn’t smiling at her cousin, that infernal twinkle in his eyes, but at her.
With a sigh, she put down her pencil. She couldn’t just sit here all day, staring at the man’s image. She took care to place it in the middle of the small stack of her other drawings.
Voices in the hallway told her that the rest of the household was now up. She glanced at the mantel clock and saw it was almost noon. She’d have to hurry before it was too late for her to carry out her other errand for the day.
She had her aunt’s permission to visit Hatchards bookshop. Several men had indicated their desire to call on Lydia this afternoon, and Aunt Helen would be overseeing those visits. Eleanor’s attendance wasn’t required.
She made her way to Lydia’s room to see how her cousin was faring. But she needn’t have worried. Many of the new dresses they’d ordered had arrived, and Lydia’s maid was already pinning up her hair. Her cousin was in her element, chatting about whom she hoped would call later that afternoon. She didn’t even mention Lord Hargrove.
After listening to her cousin’s musings for several minutes, Eleanor said her goodbyes. One of the maids, a young woman who was new to the staff, would be accompanying her to Hatchards, which was only a twenty-minute walk from Grosvenor Square.
At first Eleanor tried to engage the young woman in conversation. But when the maid looked horrified at the idea of having to converse with her, Eleanor made a comment about the weather and then let the matter drop. She didn’t miss the way the young woman’s shoulders seemed to sag with relief.
Eleanor turned to the maid when they reached the bookshop. “Will you be coming in with me?”
The maid shook her head. “Cook has a few items she wants me to buy, but if you need me, I can make those purchases later.”
Eleanor waved off her concern. “It’s a bookshop. I’m sure I’ll be fine.”
They made arrangements to meet outside the store in one hour’s time, and then Eleanor stepped through the front doors. She took a moment to close her eyes and inhale deeply. There was something special about being in a bookstore that had all her senses tingling with excitement.
She smiled at another woman who gave her a little wave before turning back to the book she was leafing through. Eleanor had seen her the last time she was here, when she’d been allowed exactly five minutes to dash inside and purchase her subscription. There hadn’t been time to do more than that because they were newly arrived in London and on their way to Bond Street to visit the modiste.
But today there were no restrictions placed on her time. As long as she was home early enough to prepare for the evening’s entertainment—she couldn’t remember whether they’d be seeing a play tonight or going to a rout—her absence from home wouldn’t be missed.
She moved farther into the store, almost at a loss as to where she should begin. It seemed unfair that she could only borrow two books. How would she ever choose?
The murmur of voices from the reading room tucked into the back of the shop indicated that a group was having a discussion about a book they’d all read. She felt a wistful pang. Perhaps one day she could join in on one of those discussions. But today she wasn’t brave enough to wander into the room to see which book held their interest.
She turned and made her way to the section of the store that held the newest editions. A number of books were displayed on a table. She began on one side, determined to look through each one before making her choices. Half an hour passed in this fashion. At the end of that time, she found herself staring down at the five books in her hand, trying to decide which ones to put back.
A masculine voice sounded close behind her. “Miss Pearson.”
She hadn’t expected to see anyone she knew here. She turned and came face-to-face with Lord Hargrove. Something about the way his blue eyes moved down her body before returning to her face unsettled her.
“What are you doing here?”
He raised one brow, and she chastised herself for her abrupt tone.
“Excuse me, but I was surprised to see you here. I expected that you’d be calling on Lydia this afternoon.”
His head tilted to one side as he examined her. She wished he would stop staring at her with that unsettling gaze.
“I’m sure your cousin won’t be lacking for visitors today. I doubt she’ll miss me.”
