She didn’t want to care, and yet she did.Curses!
“Collette.” Of course, he easily caught up with her, not even out of breath.
Two dogs trotted along at his heels. Zeus, and Hera, she had no doubt.
A sideways glance confirmed that he was not at all happy. She could tell by the small ticking along his jaw.
“Are you angry with me?” she asked.
He deserved to be, just as she deserved to be angry with him. But Collette wouldn’t be so easily fooled into fighting with him over something his mother had done.
“I’m angry with myself,” he growled as he slowed his steps to match hers. “I never should have put you, nor your family, in that position.” He ran a hand through his hair in obvious frustration. “I mistakenly assumed my mother would defer to my wishes. God, she was horrible. I should have known...”
“You are not responsible for her actions.” Collette exhaled. “But tonight, it’s shown me more than ever that you and I—”
“Don’t say it.” He tensed beside her, noticing that the other couple on the street was staring outright by now. “This way. I want to show you the house Rowan’s building. We can talk without interruption there.”
Addison glanced around and then sighed at the two dogs who were staring up at him panting, tails wagging back and forth in adoration.
“What are you two doing here?” He lowered himself to rub the larger dog’s back.
“Zeus and Hera?” Collette dropped down beside him, welcoming any distraction from the turmoil that had been dinner.
On her haunches, Collette folded her hands in front of her and watched him. Addison was even more adorable with his dogs.
This wasn’t at all fair.
“Hello, sweethearts.” She smiled at the smaller, Hera. “Aren’t you beautiful?”
Addison slid his glance her way. “I have a thing for beautiful women.”
Not fair at all.
“Go on home, Zeus, Hera.” He rubbed each of their heads. “I need to talk with Collette. Go on.” He rose and gestured back toward the house. “Home.” The dogs obeyed but not without a few sorrowful glances back at him.
“I think I’m in love.” She laughed. “They followed you.”
“And I followed you.” But his stare could hardly have been more somber.
Addison assisted her to her feet, and they resumed walking. With a destination in mind, now, he all but dragged her past the almost identical facades of homes that belonged to London’s elite.
This was one of the most exclusive neighborhoods in all the world, and yet, she—an illegitimate woman, with a mother some accused of being a whore—also considered Mayfair her home. The peace of the darkening sky calmed her.
She belonged and yet she didn’t. She was good enough, and yet she wasn’t.
“This isn’t going to work, Addison. Your mother is right.”
“She’s wrong,” he answered.
“But I can’t—”
“You can,” he growled. How had she not realized how stubborn he could be?
The paved walks felt hard beneath her slippered feet as the two of them strode along in silence. Just when she was ready to draw him to a halt, they turned a corner and a partially built manor, all but hidden by scaffolding, appeared.
Mr. Stewart’s house. It must be.
Despite it only being partially completed, the structure had more personality than she had expected. Featuring two turrets and several niches, one might think it fussy or overly ornate, but it was neither of those things.
