I suppose I have no choice but to leave her at the door and bid her farewell. Not sure why that bothers me. I know nothing of her, after all. Pity. I should like to know more. Not likely, though, since I’m leaving tomorrow. Besides, she might already be—
“I am very grateful to you, sir.” Her voice broke into his thoughts once more. “I trust the detour has not been too much of an inconvenience.”
“Not an inconvenience at all, Miss Fairfax,” he replied, and finished his contemplation.She might already be spoken for.The possibility of it darkened his thoughts. Once again, he regarded the lady’s bonneted head, but drew on the vision of her face he’d committed to memory.
Not even an hour earlier, he’d gazed upon the naked form, albeit a portrayal, of the Duchess of Rothbury. Unquestionably, the mostbeautiful woman he’d ever seen. And he’d seen almost every inch of her. It had been a pleasurable experience, but he desired nothing more from it. Beyond admiring her physical assets, he had no real interest in the lady, no compulsion to learn about any hidden beauty she might possess.
Yet he longed to know more about the young woman still attached to his arm. Her beauty might not be as remarkable as that of the duchess, but, for Julian, it held far more appeal. He yearned to solve the allure and mystery of her. And he had no time left in which to do so.
“Well, here we are,” she said, with a touch of finality. “I must thank you again, sir.”
Halting, Julian regarded the polished brass number on the door.Of course! I could always—
“Sir?”
Julian blinked. “Forgive me, Miss Fairfax. It seems my mind also has a propensity to wander.” He cleared his throat. “I confess, I find myself unwilling to bid you a final farewell. That being so, and at the risk of being presumptuous, I wonder if you might be agreeable to an exchange of correspondence between us.”
Even as the words were spoken, he groaned inwardly.Bloody hell, Julian. Could you be any more pragmatic?
Those lovely eyes widened as they had earlier. “Oh, Mr. Northcott, I…” She released his arm, looked past him to where her maid stood in silence, and then regarded him once more. “I’m afraid it would not be appropriate, sir.” A smile, regretful rather than joyful, came and went. “You see, I am promised to another and due to be married in a fortnight.”
The response landed rather like a punch to his gut. “Ah.” Julian barely managed to summon up a smile of his own as he absorbed the news, unsure of what pained him more, disappointment or embarrassment. His cravat felt tight all of a sudden, and he suppressed an impulse to loosen it and to disappear, with all haste, back into the citystreets. Holding onto his smile, he inclined his head. “In that case, Miss Fairfax, I apologize for my temerity and offer you my very best wishes for your future. I must also excuse myself from your company and allow you to continue with your day.”
“Mr. Northcott, please.” Gloved fingers touched his arm once more. “I feel compelled to tell you that, if circumstances were different, I would consider it an honor and a privilege to correspond with you. As it is, please allow me to thank you, again, for your chivalry. I shall never forget it.”
Julian gazed into Annabelle Fairfax’s eyes and wondered if Josiah would be able to capture their beauty on canvas. A random thought. Utterly pointless.
“I’m happy to have been of service to you,” he replied, regarding both women as he tipped his hat. “I bid you both a good day.”
Then, feeling overly warm and rather deflated, he walked away, taking several good strides before allowing himself the luxury of a hefty, and heartfelt, sigh.
He needed a drink.
Chapter Three
Annie stepped intothe soothing coolness of the hallway, released a slow breath, and set her package down on an occasional chair. “You will say nothing to Papa of what happened today, Hattie,” she said, barely able to keep a quiver from her voice. “It would serve no purpose other than to agitate him, and I will not have that.” She pulled off her gloves and began to remove her bonnet, still seeing the image of Julian Northcott walking away from her. Why did she feel as though she’d made a terrible mistake by denying him? She could not have done otherwise, after all. She was engaged to Leo, had been since childhood, and they were soon to be married. Yet she had the strangest feeling she’d just been offered something of extraordinary value and had refused it. The impression still lingered, though it made little sense.
“My lips are sealed.” Hattie closed the front door using her derriere, and set her armful of packages on the console table. “Besides, there is really nothing of import to tell, now, is there?”
“Nothing at all.” Annie ignored the penetrative undertones of the maid’s voice and picked up her package from the chair. “I shall be with Papa in the parlor. Would you ask Bridget to send some tea, please? I’m quite parched.”
There followed a telling silence that dragged on for several seconds. Annie bit back a sigh and regarded the woman who had been a part of her life for sixteen years. A maid officially, but the relationshiphad long since evolved into something more. The woman was the closest thing to a mother Annie had ever known. “Is there something you want to say to me, Hattie?”
“Oh, hum, no, not really.” Hattie sniffed and tugged down on her sleeve cuffs. “I was only thinking that Mr. Northcott seemed like a very nice young man.”
Annie gasped. “Then it appears you’ve had a change of opinion, since I had the distinct impression you didn’t approve of him at all. In fact, I thought you were unnecessarily curt to him.”
Hattie shrugged. “Perhaps a little at first, but I was simply being cautious. Can’t trust anyone these days. Men especially. Soon became apparent to me that he was a gentleman, though. A decent man. Treated you very kindly, he did.”
Annie looked down and fiddled with a corner of the package. “Yes, he did.”
Hattie sniffed. “It’s a pity, really.”
“What is?” Annie, already at odds with herself, felt her patience unraveling and glared at the woman. “Please get to the point, Hattie. I’m not in the mood for guessing games.”
“That you had to refuse the gentleman’s offer of correspondence.”
Annie scoffed. “Well, it would hardly have been appropriate to accept, now, would it? I’m to be married in a fortnight.”
