It would be so easy to grab her shoulders, spin her around, and bury his face in the crook of her neck, kissing the very spot he now sought to sooth. He could tunnel his fingers through her glorious red hair and lose himself in her mouth once he trailed a line of kisses there up from her neck.
Instead, he braced her frame on the left as the thumb of his other hand wandered down the edge of her shoulder blade and manipulated the overworked muscles. Alice—or Miss Pembroke, rather—did not assist in redirecting his thoughts to safer paths when she leaned into his touch while continuing to make delicious little sounds that were about to firmly drive Ethan from his self-control.
Feeling her muscles warm and begin to relax, he released his hand, knowing he was pushing the limits of propriety as well as himself. Getting caught up with Priscilla’s cousin, regardless of how enchanting she may be, was the worst possible idea. Ethan mentally ran through a list of why Alice was exactly the type of person whom he was trying to leave behind in coming to the Hampton estate. As a member of the Wrexham family, she was firmly ensconced within thetonand adhered to the aristocracy’s pompous beliefs of their own superiority. Further, she was only here because she believed landing a good match was paramount. And she was far too concerned with appearances rather than what was actually necessary.
All these reasons quickly fled his mind, though, when Alice made a tight turn and looked at him with gratitude shining in her velvety brown eyes, their faces mere centimeters apart. Thanking him, she extended the water canteen, returning the item.
To distract himself, Ethan grabbed the canister and took a swig, but moving too quickly in his unease, he was clumsy. Water dribbled down the side of the container and spilled on to his cheek.
This time it was Alice’s turn to lift her hand and smooth it across his face, cradling his cheek in her palm while her thumb ran across his lips, gathering up the moisture which had spilled there. The action perfectly mimicking how his own fingers had moved across her shoulder, her touch resonated throughout his entire body, stirring a reaction he did not need her to discern in their proximity.
Before he could make excuses and step away, Ethan noticed her eyes were transfixed on his lips and she had slightly parted her own. Her thumb now lazily moved back and forth over his bottom lip, though no water remained. He could feel that she desired a kiss, her breath quickening when she briefly glancedaway from his lips only to meet his eyes once more. If he took just a small step and closed the distance between them . . .
No. Ethan staggered back, almost tripping over Tobias in his haste.
“Be sure to drink several glasses of tea or water this evening, and have your lady’s maid prepare a warm compress for your shoulder.” His words came out more abrupt than he intended yet again, but he had to create distance between them before he did something unforgivably stupid.
“I will, thank you. I appreciate your assistance.”
Ethan gave a curt nod and ignored the bewildered look on her face before turning back toward the barn.
CHAPTER 14
Alice awoke to the feel of light tapping on her cheek. Still ascending through the fog of sleep, it took her a moment to register what was creating the sensation. When a bit of gentle claw was added at her failure to respond, Alice’s eyes sprang open, revealing fluffy ginger fur.
“Knightly,” she groaned, scooping the kitten up and placing him on her chest, “you woke me up,” she admonished, even as she couldn’t resist placing a kiss on his tiny forehead.
Languishing in bed, Alice thought of the events that had transpired over the last several days which led her to this moment with her new companion. Stroking Knightly’s soft fur as he settled onto her chest, his tiny body vibrated with a rumbling purr. Both the sound and the sensation were soothing, calming Alice’s heightened nerves.
Knightly had been a gift from Mr. Beaumont, taking her entirely by surprise.
She’d been in the library with Nathalie following dinner the previous evening when Ethan appeared holding the small, furry, ocher body close to his chest.
“I . . . ah,” he said, stopping to clear his throat. “I thought you might want this cat. His mother was killed by anotheranimal last night—we found her this morning.” He made another guttural sound, interrupting his words as he once again attempted to clear his throat before adding, “And given how taken you were with Tobias the other day, I thought you might like to care for him.”
Nathalie’s eyes widened as she observed her brother stumble through the offer of the kitten. Ethan’s face had turned a bit red, which was uncharacteristic of the usually composed gentleman. Unless he was upset with Alice, she reflected.
It was the first meaningful interaction the two of them had had since their moment outside the barn a few days prior. Even now, Alice heated to recall just how close she had been to rising to her toes and kissing him. He’d utterly confused her that afternoon, jumping from stern and exasperated to gentle and accommodating. Scolding her at one moment for showing love and affection for the sweet collie, but then once again tending to her when she was in discomfort.
Nevertheless, she could still feel the touch of his hands as they wandered across her skin. How it had felt so wonderful, but not just in the places where he stroked into her tender muscles, making her entire body feel alive to his touch.
Alice knew she should absolutely not be contemplating Mr. Beaumont in such a way. He was a distraction from the very reason she was here—to improve herself for the upcoming season and attract the best match possible. She couldn’t have her head turned by a man who would never meet her father’s exacting standards.
While Ethan was from the family of a marquess, Alice understood that alone would not be enough to make him a man worthy of attention in her father’s eyes. There were other factors that would lower Mr. Beaumont in his esteem even if they were traits that Alice herself had come to admire. There was the fact that the Beaumont family had not held the tile long, and it wascommon knowledge they had come into the designation only through purchasing the King’s favor. There was also the fact that he had chosen to come to the Hampton estate and work. Her father believed that a man of Ethan’s stature should act as a gentleman and have no need of an occupation, particularly manual labor of all things, as it would be lowering to do anything a laborer might.
Those ideas felt so out of place now. It had been several weeks since she had arrived here and it was amazing how much Alice’s understanding of things she had never questioned before were beginning to change. It was admirable to her that Ethan wanted to do something meaningful with his life and was working to better the estate which so many relied upon. Hecoulddo such work while also being a gentleman, which he proved each day through his very demeanor. Alice now believed that the true measure of a gentleman had less to do with his standing and more to do with the way he acted in his surroundings and treated others, regardless of the place he held within society.
There was a level of empathy and care in Mr. Beaumont that he tried to conceal, but she’d seen it shine through numerous times. Just the other day following their close encounter, Alice stumbled across him kneeling on the ground and talking with Tobias, the very dog he’d admonished her for showing affection to.
Alice had ducked into the nearest barn stall to observe the interaction unseen and was rewarded for her eavesdropping, which was so seldom the case. What she had witnessed was a compassionate man who couldn’t be gruff if he tried.
“I know I was harsh out there,” he said, giving the collie a good ruffle on the neck, “but if you are going to become the great herder I know you can be, you must learn to calm down and take commands.” Ethan sighed before placing a kiss on top ofTobias’s head. “But I know you are just a young and eager boy who wants love and I can’t fault you, or anyone, for that.”
Alice snuck away after that, but her heart had been full with the instinctual knowledge that Mr. Beaumont had been referring to more than just Tobias with his last statement.
And now, lying here this morning with her thoughtful gift purring away in contentment, Alice understood that Mr. Beaumont was as conflicted as she was, unsure how to handle whatever seemed to be blooming between them. His abrupt manner didn’t stem from frustration with her; rather, it was more directed at himself. If she had learned one thing from her weeks spent working alongside in the garden, it was that he loved to be in control. Thus, whatever he was feeling toward her was causing that control to slip away little by little.
Alice wasn’t faring any better, as her own control over her situation was in dangerous territory. Never before had she felt so drawn to a man. She had certainly wanted a man to kiss her a time or two, but that had mostly been out of curiosity. With Ethan, there had been more than one moment where the desire to be as close to him as possible had almost overwhelmed her into actions which would be disastrous.
