“No hope?” He ached for the pain he saw in her. “There is always hope.”
Her expression dimpled her cheek. “Well, come to think of it, hope may be all I have left.”
The response struck him.
They might as well be talking about him.
He’d thought all hopes for happiness had died with Elizabeth, but slowly, surely, another truth was emerging. He studied the manner in which Cassandra’s hair was parted at the side, how her otherwise straight nose turned up ever so slightly, how she bit her lower lip in times of uncertainty. How, in this short period of time, this entrancing young woman had touched many parts of his life. A stranger just weeks ago, she was now a part of everything.
Oh, he needed to be careful. For she was sweet. Beautiful. Endearing. And now he could feel a tug he’d not felt in years—the desire to be in someone’s company and not leave her side.
He was not prepared to deal with these feelings again—to come to terms with the idea that another woman might be working her way into his thoughts and his mind.
He stepped toward the door to increase the distance from her, for his muscles ached to reach out and take her in his arms, and his heart longed to connect to hers.
This interaction had already gone too far, and she had to know it too. In that moment he was certain—she could not possibly have feelings for North. Not with the way she was looking at James now. They were in a dangerous situation, and if he allowed it to continue, there could be no turning back.
He cleared his throat. “It’s getting late. With your permission I’d be happy to write to some of my contacts in London and see if I can find out anything more about Longham. Perhaps he has a partner or business associates who might have information regarding his clients. It’s worth a try.”
She nodded, wide-eyed, the hesitation of which suggested that she, too, was struggling to make sense of the strange, invisible pull between them. She gave a hasty curtsy and was out of the chamber within seconds, leaving him alone with only his thoughts and the sounds of the fire popping in the grate.
Mrs. Towler’s warning echoed in his mind.
He had no idea how this would all work out, but he would not send Miss Hale away. That, he could not do.
***
Rose pressed her small face against the window in the nursery and looked out to the front garden. “May we go outside today?”
Cassandra stacked the books on the table. “No, dearest. Your papa wishes us to stay inside. Besides, it is far too cold.”
Rose slumped to the chair, a pout curving her lips. “But it’s sunny out. We always go outside when it’s sunny.”
“Come now. Let’s practice letters.” She reached out her hand to the girl.
With a toss of her long, golden braid, the girl reluctantly sulked to the table and lifted her book, and Cassandra listened as the girl read the letters aloud.
She tried to focus on the task at hand, but like her young charges, her mind kept drifting. She was haunted by the previous day’s events, and she supposed she always would be, but it was her conversation with Mr. Warrington that lurked in the corners of her mind.
She’d always considered Mr. Warrington a gentle, if not somewhat aloof, man. But any thought she had about his indifference toward her and her plight had been squelched by their last interaction.
Never had a man looked at her with such sincerity, concern, and even affection before—not even Frederick.
It frightened her.
It excited her.
In a different world, under different circumstances, Mr. Warrington would be everything she could ever desire. He was gentle, strong. And so very handsome.
And yet as these thoughts threaded through her, they were met with a darker thought.
Her mother had been in service in this very house. Perhaps this very chamber. She had been seduced, or taken advantage of, by the master.
Could this simply be a matter of history repeating itself? Mr. Warrington seemed kind. But all men couldseemkind. His intentions could be another factor altogether. Could she be allowing herself to imagine a future that could never actually be?
Too many things were occurring all at once. Too many questions that needed to be answered. She needed to keep her focus firmly on her goal of learning the truth, at any cost. She had no idea where things would go from here. Mr. Warrington had said he would make inquiries on her behalf. But without Mr. Longham’s guidance and without proper documentation, what hope did she have? She needed to either find out who took the paperwork or find someone else who knew the truth.
Chapter 32
