Sexual desire!
Oh, dear.
She glanced over at him suspiciously. Was he reading her mind?
“You never revealed your secret to me. The reason you went gallivanting around England earlier this spring and the cause of your fainting spells.” He looked just a little disapproving.
She needed to tell him everything tonight. She doubted she’d get a better opportunity. If she did not take him up on it, Rose would harangue her to no end.
Steering her expertly out through the same terrace doors she’d used before, Hugh took matters into his own hands.
The breeze was cooler now than it had been before. Spring had not arrived completely. Most of the flowers were reaching for the sky but few of them had opened yet.
A tremor ran through her. Hugh pulled her closer and they stepped off the formal terrace onto a flagstone path.
“Confession time, Miss Crone,” he said softly as they strolled. She was no longer clinging to his arm. For it had somehow found its way around her shoulders and the entire left side of her body was pressed up against his.
He was warm and solid and, in that moment, felt like a safe haven.
“Well…” she began.
They took several more steps.
“Well?” he prompted.
How should she do this? She’d worked this conversation out in her mind a thousand times but never really come up with any satisfactory script for herself.
“You know that I have never been one to hide my opinion of the institution of marriage?” She glanced up at him. His eyes sparkled, giving her cause to believe he was laughing inside. Was he laughing at her? She was in no mood to be laughed at. “Please don’t find jest in this.”
Her words brought about a more serious demeanor. “Of course not.”
She picked her way over a few of the large flat stones before continuing. “Well, I had thought that I could only marry if I were lucky enough to find a person who could be the mate to my soul and vice-versa. I had thought there was one person. I had thought that I could only marry this one person, but he was never, well, he proved to be… not.”
“You are speaking of Darlington, I take it. Ravensdale’s heir.”
Her head jerked up at his words. How did he know? Oh, this was mortifying.
“Pen, anyone who has ever known you has known you were infatuated with the Viscount.”
“No! Please! Oh, this is humiliating!” She’d thought she’d been so clever. She’d thought she’d hidden her emotions so well. She’d never told a soul—even Abigail, her cousin and dearest friend.
Of course, she had discussed him with Rose. But Rose. Well. Rose knew everything.
Penelope attempted to pull herself away from Hugh, but his grip merely tightened.
Throughout the evening, she’d begun to feel attractive, feminine, sought after even. No wonder Rome had flirted with her. He’d wanted to soothe his wounds and figured good old Penelope was always there.
“Tell me he was not aware, Hugh, please?”
Hugh grimaced and shifted his gaze away from her.
“Oh, no!” She could not face him ever again. Thank heavens she’d not flirted back with him this evening! She turned her head and banged it against Hugh’s shoulder.
They had stopped walking. Hugh turned and wrapped both arms around her waist.
“But I watched you with him tonight.”He’d watched her?“You were not as entranced with him as before.”
“Of course, I’m not, you fool!” The words escaped her before she could consider them more carefully.
