Page 46 of Scandalous Heiress
“No.I’ve always enjoyed my privacy.”He still held her hand.
She slid it away.“How do you know Pierce?”
“Correspondence.We’ve written to each other for two years now.Your brother is an expert in design and operation of metropolitan gas and electricity.And I sit on the Shanghai Municipal Council that controls all such utilities in the city.”
“You have much in common.How wonderful.”
“I think so, yes.It allows me to contribute to the general well being of those who live in the city.”
Camille joined them and pelted him with questions about life in a Chinese city.Grateful to her for the diversion, Ada carried on, though she knew not how well.He was here, and she was thrilled being near him but if he came here tonight into her home to rekindle his declarations from the ballroom, she would not have it.She hadn’t changed her mind.
Could a woman ever desire a man enough to leave civilization and a host of those she adored?Some did.Could she?
Yet this exciting, desperate, nervous longing she endured for Victor scared her.While others in her family had fallen in love and faced challenges, none had expressed the reluctance she harbored.Was she childish or just skittish?Or meant to become a spinster?And all the while she asked herself those things, she admired this soft-spoken, congenial, achingly attractive man.He’d come to town to conduct his business.Had he also come to see her again?Despite her rejection of him.
The conflict set her nerves ajitter.Yet she managed to smile and comment and speak like an intelligent woman through supper.Thankfully, with ten guests and eight family plus her and Victor, the conversation was lively even though she was paired with him.He was the perfect gentleman and kept the topics light.
Had her train trip home been comfortable?
It had.
How was Madame Chaumont?She had not appeared well for much of his parents’ house party.
“She’s recuperating from a debilitating cough.”
“She’s seen a doctor?”
“Yes, he came to call yesterday.He gave her a cough syrup for the pain.”
“Do you approve of the syrup?”he asked and when she hesitated, he clarified.“When we talked about remedies the other day, you seemed not to approve of most because of the opium dose.”
She paused, her fork mid-air.“I do approve of this particular one.Good of you to remember my assessment of drugs.”
“I remember everything you said to me.”His turquoise eyes turned dark blue with the heat of his words.
Her mouth watered.Silly.Attention on herblancmange, she had to change the subject.“Did you bring Vivienne and Deirdre to London too?”
“They stayed at Brentwood.My mother is delighted to have them.”
“And they to be with her, I’m certain.”She ventured to ask about Ezzie.“And Miss Moore?Did she enjoy herself?”
“She did.”He finished his dessert and allowed a footman to serve him coffee.“Sir James is very fond of her.I think they will continue their relationship on more intimate terms.And soon.”
“Oh, that’s very good news.I hadn’t heard from Ezzie today and wondered how she fared.”
“From what I saw of them that last day, they are close.I do believe Sir James will ask for her.”
Ada put down her fork.“That is superb news.”
“My brother saw that Miss Moore seemed well taken care of.He returned to his own home north of London.”
“Oh, I wondered if he’d come to London.”She had no desire to see him again or fight off his advances.
“You may yet see him.He has a house on Green Park not far from your sister and brother-in-law, the Setons.”
That Ada had not known.The knowledge troubled her.Green Park was in easy walking distance from here.If Richard was in London, would he call for her here at her parents’ home?
Victor leaned close.“I doubt he’ll call.He has been properly dressed down by me as well as my mother and father.He left in a fit.But he deserved every word.He must get on with doing his duty and take care of his reputation better than he has.”
