Cormac had gone silent, which sent a dark wave of foreboding over her. They started riding back to the castle, but he struggled to keep his seat on the horse. She was careful to stay beside him, more afraid with every moment that he might fall off.
When at last they were nearly there, Cormac said quietly, “Emma, I’m going to need help getting to my room. I’m feeling even worse.”
“I’ll get a footman to help,” she said.
When they reached the gravel near the entrance, Emma stopped their horses and awkwardly dismounted first, not waiting for anyone to help her. She hurried to his side, but after he swung his leg over, he seemed unsteady.
“Cormac!” Emma called out, struggling to catch him when his knees buckled. “Help!”
But as he lost consciousness, she held him in her arms with the very real fear of losing him.
*
London
“This is aterrible idea,” Rachel warned Cedric. “I cannot take a male student in our school—especially not Sir Brian.”
“We have expenses and bills to pay,” he reminded her. “Taking him as a student will easily cover those. And since he is our only student, why does it matter?”
It mattered because she didn’t want to spend time alone with a man who had previously expressed interest in her. She’d already escaped a terrible marriage and had a thousand invisible scars to prove it. Nothing he could say or do would heal those wounds, and she’d already given up any thoughts of ever marrying again.
“I might assignyouto give him lessons,” she began.
Cedric ignored her and said, “I’ve already given him a room. He’s unpacking now, and I’ve asked him to come over for tea as soon as he’s finished. Treat him as you would any other student. Find out why he’s unmarried.”
I don’t want to,she thought. And yet, they did have more expenses they needed to cover. Emma Bartholomew’s father had been unable to pay the rest of her fees, and the school’s bill had apparently not been among those given to Lord Dunmeath as he settled the man’s debts. And the gowns they’d given Emma had been costly.
She didn’t harbor regret for it. Seeing Emma married to Lord Dunmeath had made it worthwhile. Although she would probably ask the earl to pay for the remainder and the gowns in due course, it would still take time for her letter to arrive. And Cedric had a point—they needed money now.
“Very well,” she said. “I will meet with Sir Brian in the drawing room for tea.” And in the meantime, she would begin creating his first lessons.
Rachel spent the next half hour making lists that made little sense to her. She needed to ask questions, to steel herself against the insecurities that rose up like a vicious wave. He was no different than any other student. It was best to remember that and to treat him the same as the young ladies she met with.
One of the footmen alerted her that Sir Brian was waiting, so she picked up her lists and tried to assume an air of calm. She walked into the drawing room, and the moment she did, the clean scent of his shaving soap allured her.
Do not be weak,she warned herself.He is like everyone else.
He stood and greeted her, “Good afternoon, Mrs. Harding.” Then he inclined his head and gestured for her to take a seat across from him where tea and refreshments were waiting.
“Good afternoon.” She took her place and studied him. His brown hair was slightly overlong, in need of a trim. But those blue eyes stared into hers as if he had missed her desperately. And the unexpected stare rattled her senses.
“Would you care for tea?” she asked.
“Yes, please.”
Before she could take the teapot, Sir Brian poured a cup for her. “Oh, you didn’t need to do that,” Rachel said. “Normally, the mistress of the household will pour the tea.”
“I thought I’d make myself useful,” he remarked. He held up the tongs and asked, “Milk or sugar?”
She nodded and reached for the creamer while he broke off a piece of sugar with the tongs and set it in her tea. She stirred it, trying not to be so conscious of his nearness. It was unnerving to be so close to Sir Brian again, especially since he continued to make no secret of his interest in her.
Despite her efforts to keep a distance between them, his kindness utterly disarmed her.
Rachel sipped the tea to help gather her thoughts and said, “I’ve begun making a list for your lessons. Before we begin, I usually assign my students a small task. I do not accept every student, and if you cannot complete this task, we will, of course, return your tuition.”
His eyes seemed to sparkle with interest. “What sort of task?”
She struggled to think and stalled a moment. “Before I tell you that, I would like to know how many balls you’ve attended this past Season.”
