Page 56 of Shining Knight
“I will go with you. You leave me no choice in the matter.”
She would be well and truly compromised if he went with her, unless they could keep it absolutely quiet.
“Will you escort me there and then return to convince Rowley to permit me this indulgence?”
“And what did you write to him?”
She sighed. They had already been standing outside the house too long. It was a wonder no one had discovered them. “I wrote that I needed a little time and that I was going somewhere safe. They could pretend I had a head cold until I returned. I told him you could explain.” She looked at him sheepishly, hoping he would agree.
“Why, thank you,” he answered, not disguising the sarcasm.
“Graham, are you going to let me go?” He now had a hand on either side of her, against the wall.
“Yes, yes. Let us go to my house so I may pack some necessaries. I will escort you to Bexley, but I am must leave the Duke my own note.”
“Thank you, Graham!” She reached up to kiss him on the cheek.
At the same moment, he turned quickly and their lips met again.
“You can stop doing that,” she said as he picked up her bag and they began walking.
“What if I want to?” he countered, not looking at her.
“Ifyouare wanting to kissme, then I am convinced the Thames has frozen over. I know you think of me as the obstreperous little sister. Or is it true that gentlemen really do not require feelings to… to…” She twirled her hand in the air, too embarrassed to say the word.
He chuckled. “Well, gentlemen are certainly less discriminating, I will grant you, but there are still some standards.”
“Why, thank you, I think,” she said, trying to decide if that was a compliment or not.
“Eugenia, I do not think of you as just the obstreperous little sister.”
She absorbed that statement for a few steps. “Then does that mean you want to… to…” She twirled her hand in the air again.
“It would certainly be one of the benefits to marriage.”
He had to be jesting with her. Surely, he could not think of her in that way? Nonetheless, a little voice in her own mind told her she was attracted to him. She had never thought anything might come of it because every woman in London was attracted to Graham. It was simply who he was. He liked women as well; that was also no secret.
“Does the thought of me scare you because of that, pet?”
She pursed her lips. “I do not think so. I did rather enjoy your kiss.”
He laughed. “Thank God for that!”
“But that is not reason enough to marry you. Every woman in London probably thinks that way of you.”
He was still laughing at her. “What is so funny, Graham?”
“You are completely without artifice. I will know you are never lying to me, at least.” He bent down and placed a kiss on her nose. “I think we will have one advantage that most marriages do not.”
“I have not agreed to this,” she reminded him shortly, despite feeling her head spin.
He ignored her remark. “We are the best of friends and I cannot think of any other lady whose company I enjoy more.”
What could she say to argue with that? He seemed sincere. “I will agree you are my best friend. But do you not comprehend that that is why I cannot bear to see you give up your chance of love—for me?
“But I do love you, Genie.”
Her heart jumped so hard it felt as if her chest would explode.
