Page 81 of Leap of Faith
However, she knew she would be devastated were she to lose his friendship, so she was determined not to let his attentions go to her head.
He called on the sisters late into the morning and found them in the small parlour that had been set aside for them. Hope and Grace were reading while Patience was sewing.
“Good morning, ladies,” he said as he bowed on the threshold. “’Tis quite a picture you paint, all in repose.”
“Good morning,” they all replied.
“I think everyone is a little weary,” Faith said.
“The Season can be wearisome in many ways.” He smiled boyishly. “Are you too fatigued to take a turn about the garden with me, Miss Whitford?” he asked. “If I am not disturbing you, that is?”
“Oh, no indeed, sir. I was only writing to Joy about Vauxhall.” She stood and smoothed down her skirts before following him from the room. Suddenly, she felt nervous about being alone with him.
It was a warm spring morning and the daffodils were giving way to fresh blooms of tulips.
“I wanted to apprise you that I do not think Sir Julian will be troubling you again.”
“Did something happen?”
“You could say that. Last night, I was able to confront him.”
Faith narrowed her eyes. “After you left here, sir?”
“Indeed. My brother and his friends happened upon him and…kept him occupied, shall we say…until I could speak with him.”
“You did more than speak, however, did you not?”
“I did not break any promises to you. I neither called him out nor killed him.”
She considered him for a moment. “What, precisely, did you do, my lord?” Did she imagine the sheepish twist of his lips before he answered?
“Very little, as he was an exceptionally reluctant opponent.”
“Did you hurt him?”
“Do you mean hurt as in maimed for life, or hurt as in I caused him pain?”
“Are those rhetorical questions? Did you engage in fisticuffs with him?”
“Engaged is not the precise word I would choose.”
Faith was becoming exasperated with his evasiveness. “Did you fight?”
“A few hits were made.”
She stepped forward, concerned. There were no noticeable cuts or bruises on his face.
“Is everything to your satisfaction?” He looked down at her with amusement.
Not entirely, she answered him silently. If he was hurt, he was hiding it well. She longed to run her hands over his face to see or remove his gloves and examine his hands. He was so close…she stepped back, appalled at her thoughts. “How are you convinced he will leave me alone?”
“The confrontation was rather public. He as good as confessed to his falsehoods, and I made it very clear that you will be protected by me.”
She raised her brows at him. “What, precisely, does that mean?”
“Simply that he was not worthy of a duel, and he was made to pay for slandering you. And, hopefully, no one else will attempt any such sort of wager involving you or your sisters or they will also answer to me…and that you need not marry Carew.” The last was so quiet she barely made it out.
“I should think you would be delighted to have me off your hands.” She was deliberately poking the beast, but she could not help herself. She wanted him to want her as much as she did him.
