He slowly took hold of her hand. “You really want to try for Sir—”
“He is a means to an end,” she said firmly. She stared at their joined hands for a moment before giving a wry laugh. “Although I doubt Sir Charles is interested. I tried to talk to him at breakfast, and he hardly replied.”
That is because you are wearing a day gown and he did not have as clear a view of your breasts as he did last night.
Rather than say something rude, Philip said, “Your father noticed, and has already inquired as to Sir Charles’s fortune. General Tilney shall see it all arranged for you, and you can be Lady Sudbury before the end of the summer.”
“Of course he did,” Eleanor muttered. “How dare anything on earth be brought forward if he does not interfere?”
Philip stroked his thumb across the top of her hand. His modest, poised, self-confident Eleanor rarely admitted to such things about her father. Philip gave his head a shake.NotmyEleanor.
He gave her hand a little squeeze. “I will do anything to see you happy. You will not ask me, but do you want me to help foster Sir Charles’s interest in you?”
“Philip! That, that would be cruel to ask you to—” She stopped suddenly and gave him a piercing look. “Tell me, do you thinkIam cruel? I do not want to hurt you. I am doing what I must to be free from—”
“No, you are not the cruel one.” It was the closest he could come to saying that her father was a cruel man, even if they both knew it was true. “I can talk with Sir Charles when our being in the same house throws us together and encourage him in the idea of matrimony. The rest shall be up to you.”
“I am still uncertain that he is interested, but I shall try.”
“He seemed interested in you last night,” he said cautiously.
“He seemed interested in looking at my chest.”
“Eleanor!” he cried with a shy laugh.
She laughed along with him. “And I would be a fool to presumethatmeans he would like to make me mistress of Colborne Park.”
“You could try wearing a different style of gown during the day and drop a great deal many things that you must slowly bend over to retrieve.”
“You are wicked!” She swatted his arm playfully with the back of her hand, still holding his hand with the other. “No, I dare not scandalise any discreet matrons or older gentlemen.” She gave him an earnest look. “I do not think I truly could make an exhibition of myself.”
“I know you would never, my dear.”
She gave him a soft look. “You treat me better than I deserve,” she said before giving his hand a fierce kiss.
Philip remembered the first time he had kissed Eleanor Tilney. It was a tentative, warm brush of lips to lips when she was seventeen; over time, they grew to kissing for a long while in stolen moments until her cheeks were flushed and her lips swollen. The embraces grew in intensity and frequency over the years, finally culminating last January in Northanger while they were snowed in together and her father was gone.
And when we accepted that General Tilney would never allow us to marry.
Philip kissed her hand and gently let it go. She gave him a sad look at first, and he watched understanding fill her eyes as she nodded knowingly and moved as far away as the sofa would allow.
At that moment, the door opened and General Tilney entered. Philip was grateful for their fortunate good timing as they both rose.
“Eleanor! What can you mean by being in here? Sir Charles has been looking for you.” He then gave Philip a cursory look and muttered, “Brampton.”
“I did not know I was wanted, sir. I only came in for a book to read on this wet day.”
“Is it a wet day? How can you say so? I am sure it stopped raining. Brampton, look out that window and tell me if you think the grounds are wet.”
Knowing that both his opinion and facts held little interest to the general, Philip only turned away to spare Eleanor from having an audience while her father oppressed her.
“Sir Charles and Longtown were talking about His Lordship’s orchard,” he went on, “and I told Sir Charles how fond you are of walking. Now, it is scarcely wet and not raining at all. You need only change your shoes, but you must accompany Sir Charles on a walk in the grounds now.”
“I fear I shall get very dirty. Can I not walk with him tomorrow?”
He did not see the look General Tilney gave Eleanor, but it must have been dreadful because she immediately agreed and he heard her moving to the door.
“No, Eleanor, leave the book. Sir Charles will not be interested in whatever it is you have there. Leave the book, change your shoes, and be in the hall in five minutes.”
