She lifted her face up toward his, her green eyes luminous and irresistible. She licked her lips.
He was not strong enough to haul her up from her knees and into his lap—admittedly, a terrible idea—but if they both leaned forward a few inches, their mouths would be close enough to touch.
An equally terrible idea, he reminded himself firmly.
And yet he was locked in place by the war raging inside him. The desire to embrace her, to comfort her, to forget everything else with a kiss. He had never wanted anything so badly.
He had to force himself not to reach for her. The sensation was both intoxicating and alarming. Theo had never experienced desire toward Lady Beatrice. He had always intended to beget the requisite heir and spare and then leave her alone. Passion was not why they would wed. He had convinced himself it was not something he would notice lacking from his marriage.
But with Virginia… Good God. He was drawn to everything. Wanted more. He could barely look at her without his heart racing at the temptation to cover her mouth with his.
Friends, he reminded himself. He could not allow an infatuation. Or anything more.
He could not let Virginia sense his attraction. Future marquesses did what they must, not what they wished.
She sprang to her feet. “I’m all right. I’ll return tomorrow. Don’t worry, we’ll have you back to your betrothed in no time.”
“She is not my betrothed,” his traitorous mouth blurted. “I’ve made no such promise.”
Virginia scooped up her basket. “You will as soon as you’re on your feet.”
She had him there.
“Yes,” he admitted. “She will be, once I’m on my feet. What about you? Have you an intended?”
Her eyes rounded as though he had asked whether she fancied a nice dive into a pool filled with spiders. “I’ll never marry.”
He couldn’t imagine that. “You haven’t found someone who interests you? Or—”
“I don’t want to,” she said quickly. “And don’t worry. I’ve no interest in marrying you.”
She disappeared around the folding screen. Moments later, the sound of the front door indicated her departure.
I’ve no interest in marrying you.
He glanced down at his useless leg, touched his hand to the uneven contours of his face. Of course she wouldn’t be interested.
A warm homecoming might not await him in London, either.
Chapter 6
In the week since the carolers had forced Virginia to bare a few of her secrets, she had taken great care to treat Theodore with utmost professionalism and not expose any more of her flaws.
A difficult task, at times.
She ran her fingers along the mahogany shelves of the castle library. This was where she always came when she didn’t know where else to go. Quiet, cozy, and out of the way, the library was filled with an abundance of books and no other distractions.
Shelves like these had taught her almost everything she knew. Her favorites were the tomes on nature. If a book pertained to flora or fauna, Virginia had read it countless times. Should the situation come up, she would know exactly what to do if she came across a wild hog, or wished to start an orchid garden, or wondered if a mushroom would be delicious or deadly.
Unfortunately, no such instructional manuals existed on the subject of pleasing one’s family. Not making a fool of oneself in public situations. Attracting suitors or rebuffing rakes. How to be the only unmarried woman in one’s circle of friends. What to do when one found oneself left behind. How to comport oneself with one’s patient, when all one secretly wished to do was press her lips to his in a decidedly unprofessional kiss.
She would not, of course. Not unless she was certain that he wanted to kiss her, too.
She slumped her shoulders against the closest shelf. That was the problem, was it not? All she ever had were doubts. What did he think? What did he feel? What did he want? She clenched her fingers. How was anybody supposed to tell?
Her eyes focused on a row of nature journals before her. Theodore had asked her about birds. Was he interested in ornithology? She slid the small volume from its spot on the shelf and slipped it into her reticule. Enough dillydallying. It was time to visit her patient.
But as she navigated the stands of books, another spine caught her attention.Debrett’s Peerage & Baronetage. A compendium containing the names of the nobility and everyone who mattered. She ignored it, as she did every other time its spine screamed at her from the shelves. She did not need to know anything it contained. She would not be returning to London or hobnobbing with titled folk. When she bidadieuto Theodore, her life would return to normal.
