Page 20 of Somewhere I'll Find You
“If she finds out, will it cause a problem for you?”
“She has no claim on me.”
“Oh, yes…your ‘understanding’ with her…” Julia winced as a bit of gravel slipped inside her silk shoe. She paused and removed the shoe, shaking it to remove the unwanted bit of stone. “Does Lady Ashton entertain hopes of marrying you, my lord?”
“You're asking very personal questions, Mrs. Wentworth.”
“I'm certain she does,” Julia said in answer to her own query. “You're quite an eligible man…aren't you?”
Savage took the shoe from her and bent to replace it on her foot. “I have no intention of marrying Lady Ashton.”
Hopping a step or two, Julia reached for his shoulder to steady herself, making the discovery that there was no padding in his coat. His muscles felt like oak beneath her palm. “Why not?” she asked, looking down at the seallike gleam of his hair in the moonlight. “Doesn't she suit your high standards?” Her breath caught as she felt his fingers on her ankle, gently guiding her foot back into the shoe.
His voice was slightly muffled as he replied. “I intend to marry for love.”
A pang of empathy mingled with Julia's surprise. So underneath his practical, self-controlled exterior there was a private dream, the same dream that had been stolen from each of them. “I wouldn't have expected such a romantic notion from a man like you, my lord.”
“What would you expect of me?”
“That you would marry for convenience and search for love elsewhere.”
“That's precisely what my father did. I'm certain my mother, being a sensible woman, expected nothing else of him, but I believe it hurt her all the same. I swore to myself that I would have something different.”
“That isn't always possible, though.”
“It will be for me.”
How would it be possible? He must have an annulment in mind. He would have to be rid of her before he could consider marriage, unless he thought there was nothing wrong with bigamy.
“How can you be certain?” she asked. “You have no guarantee that you'll find your soul mate.”
“No guarantee,” he agreed, releasing her ankle. “Only hope.”
He stood until he gazed down at her from his full height. His head was above hers, his face cast in shadow. Julia should have let go of his shoulders, but she felt peculiarly off-balance, as if that would mean releasing her hold on the only solid thing in the world.
“We've met before, you know,” he said softly.
The words sent a chill of alarm through her. “You're mistaken.”
“I've never forgotten that night.” His hands were firm on her waist, holding her steady as he stared into her upturned face. “It was three years ago in Warwickshire. I had walked from the castle to watch the village May Day celebration. I saw you dancing.” He was silent then, watching as her expression changed from bewilderment to recognition.
“Oh,” Julia said faintly. “I didn't realize…” At first she had thought he was referring to their marriage. Good Lord, so he was the stranger who had kissed her that night! She lowered her gaze to the center of his chest, remembering how the kiss had haunted her for months afterward. It was incredible that fate had drawn them together yet again. “I asked you that evening if you were one of the Savages, and you denied it. Why didn't you tell me who you were?”
“I had no way of knowing how you would react. You might have assumed I would try to take advantage of you.”
“You did—you kissed me against my will.”
A reluctant smile crossed his face. “I couldn't help it. You were the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. You still are.”
Julia tried to pull away, but he kept her anchored against him. “What do you want from me?” she asked unsteadily.
“I want to see you again.”
She shook her head vehemently. “You can't buy another evening with me, even if you purchase the entire Capital Theatre.”
“Why not? Because your husband would object?”
“I've told you I won't discuss him.”
