“Well, I wanted some new dresses, did I not? And my modiste is often too busy for house calls.”
There was a brief silence while Stephen gathered this thoughts, until Amelia spoke again.
“I didnotbreak into your house,” she repeated, this time more vehemently.
Letitia regarded her with interest, glancing between her and her grandson. A hint of delight briefly crossed her face, tinged with a good deal of mischief.
That was hardly a good sign. As a woman who had once ruled Society with an iron fist, Letitia had not adjusted well to the infirmities and boredom of old age.
She’s bored.I should have known better than to smuggle a woman into our house under her nose. Of course, she would want to get involved.
“Grandmother,” he said, choosing his words as carefully as he could, “I would like a word alone with Miss Holt.”
Amelia eyed him with a mix of trepidation and wariness.
“What if I say no?” she asked, watching him closely.
“Are you going to say no?” he shot back.
There was a long silence, and then Amelia glanced over at Letitia. “I don’t mind speaking to him,” she mumbled, half-apologetically.
Letitia nodded, rising unsteadily to her feet and leaning on her cane. “Very well. I shall stand right outside with the door open, as a distant chaperone to protect your reputation. My companion must be protected, after all.”
Amelia gave a bitter laugh, her gaze sliding away.
“You needn’t worry about that. I’m not a member of the ton, after all. Nobody cares about what happens to my reputation. Or to me in general,” she added, and there was a bitterness in her voice that gave Stephen pause.
There was no way his grandmother could have missed it, but she only smiled faintly, hobbling toward the door.
“As I said, Amelia,” she responded, glancing carefully at him. “I shall leave the door open. You’ll be under my protection, and that still counts for something, I think!”
She gave them a wink, then retreated, leaving the door slightly ajar, as promised.
Letting out a long sigh, Stephen turned to face his reluctant guest.
CHAPTER 6
Amelia rose warily to her feet, eyeing the man standing across from her. As promised, Letitia left the door open a few inches. Still, they were very much alone in the room.
That was certainly a new feeling. Amongst the ton, Amelia knew that it wasn’t proper for a lady to be alone with a gentleman under any circumstances. She could be ruined by it.
Amelia was not a proper lady, and so her reputation would not be under as much scrutiny, but still. If a woman diverged from the strict paths that society had laid out for her, she faced harsh and immediate consequences. Sometimes it was simply best to obey.
Had she been alone with a gentleman before? Not in the modiste’s shop, for sure. Gentlemen rarely visited, and if they did, they were in a tizzy of awkwardness, trying to buy gloves or ribbons or something for a woman of their acquaintance.
Stay calm. This is the closest you’ve come to freedom all day. Embrace the opportunity.
She could still taste the over-sweetened flavor of Letitia’s tea, the sweetness clinging to the insides of her teeth. At home, they never put sugar in their tea. Tea was expensive enough, and while sugar would have helped disguise the taste of their over-stewed, reused tea leaves, it was simply too expensive to waste on tea.
Amelia swallowed hard, trying to work some moisture into her mouth to wash away the taste, and waited for Stephen to speak first.
He stared straight back at her. A faint line appeared between his brows, his tall, broad body tight and stiff.
He’s uncomfortable,she realized in surprise.As uncomfortable as I am.
“Should I call you Stephen or Orion?” she heard herself say, voice quavering. “Or would you preferYour Grace?”
He gave a thin smile. “My grandmother has taken a liking to you,” he said, ignoring her question.
