Clarissa grinned back, eyes sparkling, totally unabashed. Nicholas smiled at Miss Rowland. She walked up to the front of the room. She took a deep breath, visibly nervous. He felt his back tense, anxiety for her flooding through him, but then his heart burst with pride as she started to enact a title. She must be so shy, acting in front of total strangers, but she was willing to do it.
She put out her hand as if receiving money, then passed something to an imaginary person.
“A shopkeeper?” Clarissa guessed.
Miss Rowland nodded, tilting her head as if to indicate that the guess was almost right, but not quite. She repeated the action, then pointed out of the window, as Marcia had done.
“Shopkeeper...? It’sThe Merchant of Venice!” Mama called excitedly.
“Yes!” Miss Rowland grinned.
His mother had to go next. Henry guessed her charade almost instantly, and they gave him a forfeit, since he didn’t want to act either. He had to stand on the terrace in the cold for a minute. He came in, grinning, and settled down by the fire.
Nicholas chuckled and Mama laughed too, her eyes sparkling. He hadn’t seen his mother look so happy in a long while. For that matter, he hadn’t seen his entire family having such fun for a long time, either.
Miss Rowland stayed for another hour, and then she glanced up at the clock.
“Is it already ten o’ clock?” she asked, looking nervously at Mama.
“Yes. Must you return home?”
“I’m afraid so,” Miss Rowland said softly. “The coach will return to fetch me soon.”
“A pity,” Henry said with a grin.
“Yes,” Marcia added.
“We’re having such a nice evening,” Clarissa observed. “You have to come and visit again.”
Miss Rowland smiled. “Thank you, Clarissa. I would like that.”
She stood, thanking his mother and Henry for the dinner. Nicholas stood to escort her downstairs. She curtseyed and saidfarewell to his parents and his sisters begged her to visit again.
“We had such a diverting evening,” Marcia told Miss Rowland.
“Please come soon,” Clarissa implored.
Nicholas grinned. “I’m sure Miss Rowland will visit soon,” he promised. Miss Rowland smiled at them warmly.
“I had a lovely evening,” she told them, her voice low and warm.
He walked her down the stairs to the entrance foyer and then out onto the terrace. The Rothendale coach was already there waiting for her, and he felt a stab of disappointment. It was one thing sharing her with his family, but he’d been hoping for time to talk with her unobserved.
“Thank you,” Nicholas murmured as he took her hand. “Thank you for a lovely evening.” His voice was tight. Her touch was like fire.
“I had a lovely evening,” she said softly. “Thank you.”
Heat flooded through him at her smile. He ached to have her stay a little longer, to be able to thank her properly for the diverting evening. She smiled at him, and he beamed back.
“It was truly lovely to have you visit us,” Nicholas told her, wanting her to linger just a little longer with him. “I never saw my sisters enjoy themselves so much.”
“I thank you for a very enjoyable evening, Lord Blackburne.”
“Nicholas,” he corrected automatically. “Please, call me Nicholas?” It felt so wrong to have her address him formally. She’d touched his heart as no-one else ever had. She should at least use his first name.
“Nicholas,” she repeated. The sound of it was like music. “And please, call me Bernadette.” Her cheeks went bright red as she spoke.
“Bernadette,” he murmured, heart full of tenderness. She looked up into his eyes, her gaze wide and surprised and it was almost impossible to resist bending down and pressing his lips to her soft, pink mouth. He drew in a breath for courage and pressed his lips to the back of her hand instead. Her soft skin was like silk, the scent of lavender making his head dizzy. She gasped in surprise.
