“I promise you, it is no hardship when I have such delightful company.”
Despite her best intentions, Alice burst out laughing.
Mr Seymour looked at her in surprise. “Did I say something funny?”
“No,” she spluttered, shaking her head. “B-But you’re so… so very perfect.”
To her amusement, he looked rather affronted by this suggestion. “Whatever do you mean?”
Alice bit her lip, sensing she might have offended him. “I meant no insult, I promise you. I… I am only unused to the attentions of such a polite gentleman. You are like the heroes one reads about in books. It’s only that I never expected to meet such a creature.”
He pulled a face, looking rather disgusted by the notion. “If common decency is a rare quality in your life, then I can only say you should reconsider your friends.”
“I have not much experience of friends,” she admitted, and then could have bitten her own tongue off. What on earth had provoked into saying such a thing? The first rule she, and Lill, and most certainly Alfie, lived by was to give away as little information as possible. Yet she’d done it now and he was looking expectantly at her, waiting for her to elaborate. “It’s just been me and Alfie and Lill since forever. Until we came here.”
“Lill?”
“Our housekeeper, though to tell the truth she’s more like family. She’s mother and sister and aunt and governess, depending on our state of affairs,” she said, wishing he were not so easy to talk to. She’d be telling him about how Alfie had crept into his uncle’s house and swiped a fortune in diamonds next.
“But things have changed since you’ve been here?” he asked, and there was a gentleness to the question, a genuine sense of concern that she believed in despite her inclination for cynicism.
“They have. Since I joined the Venturesome Ladies Club. I’ve met some wonderful women who have welcomed me with more warmth than I believed existed in the world. It’s a place where grand ladies like your grandmother can mix with serving girls and everyone feels seen and valued, and I’ve never experienced that before. My next endeavour is to get Lill to come too, but she’s shy of such gatherings, which you’d never believe if you spoke to her,” she said with a fond smile.
They carried on in silence for a moment until Alice could not resist the urge to look up at him again. His expression was troubled as he met her eyes.
“Life has not been kind to you, I think?”
Alice experienced an odd sensation in her chest, a strange aching tenderness where there had been none before. Her first reaction to it was one of irritation. Who was this man who thought he could poke his nose into her life and act like he cared, who made her believe he cared? Yet he did care. She could read the troubled expression on his face as clearly as if he’d written the words in black and white. He wanted to help her, to save her, no doubt. The poor fool.
“Nonsense. Everyone has trials to overcome. I faced mine and I’m still here. Now I have a comfortable home and more security than I would once have believed possible. I amexceedingly fortunate and I do not know why you should believe otherwise.”
The words were terse, despite her best attempt to moderate them, but it unnerved her how easily he read her. He might be an open book, but Alice Marwick was not. She was about as open as the Sphinx and twice as inscrutable. He couldnottell her mother had died beside her in the workhouse, could not tell she had lived on the streets and scrabbled for survival. He did not know. Wouldneverknow. Her pride burned with indignation.
“I beg your pardon. I did not mean to imply—”
Alice waved away his apology, eager to be rid of him now. He unsettled her, rousing thoughts of the kind that had never troubled her before. “Forget it. I am a bad-tempered termagant, which is one of the reasons I’ve no great experience with friends. Please do not go apologising every time I take a pet, or we’ll never finish a conversation. Now, then, here we are. I live just around the corner, along the front. There is no need to see me to my door. I understand there are smugglers in Little Valentine, but I have never heard of highwaymen. I shall be quite safe.”
She turned briskly, letting go of his arm with mingled relief and regret. To her surprise, instead of annoyance or irritation, he was smiling at her.
“You know your own mind and have a strength of character I can only admire. I hope I shall have the chance to further our acquaintance. Little Valentine is a small place and whilst I am happy to remain for my grandmother’s sake, I should welcome the distraction of new friends. I hope you will allow me to include you in that description.”
Tell him no, shrieked a little voice in Alice’s head. It was a voice she usually heeded, unlike Alfie, who would be more likely to tell it to go to the devil. Yet she did not wish to tell him no,even if it were the sensible, the safe thing to do. What was the point of being safe if one died of boredom? Besides, he had the brooch, surely, he would be on his way now.
“You may,” she said, even as her stomach tied itself into a knot. “But I assumed you would leave now that you have the brooch back.”
He smiled and shook his head. “Grandmama was in alt at having us stay through January and February. She finds them such dreary months, and so I don’t have the heart to change our plans again. No, we shall stay until March at the earliest. Vinnie and Della are thick as thieves and seem content to remain so there is no urgency to leave.”
She nodded, anxiety gnawing at her gut. “I see.”
“Were you hoping you’d be rid of me, Miss Marwick?” he asked, a teasing note to the question that did odd things to her pulse.
Was that flirting? Not having had much experience with it, she was uncertain. A flurry of disquieting sensations erupted, further unsettling her equilibrium. That thick curl of auburn hair had slid over his temple again and her fingers itched with the desire to push it back.Good Lord. What nonsense!The realisation that she would go home and ready herself to see him as Alfie only made her heart leap with anticipation. He was less guarded with Alfie, not having to worry about minding his manners. He was entirely himself, and that was horribly enticing. Lord above. She had to get a grip on herself. Perhaps Alfie should cancel? It might be safer.
Damned if I will, Alfie’s voice flitted through her mind, and Alice found to her chagrin that she echoed the sentiment.
Alice put up her chin, belatedly realising she had not answered his question and was still gazing at him like a besottedidiot. “Certainly not. Whether you stay or go is none of my affair,” she replied coolly, yet his eyes glittered with amusement, suggesting that he did not believe a word of it.
Taking her hand in his, he removed his hat and gave her a formal bow, his eyes never leaving hers. Her stupid heart gave an erratic thump.
