Norah snuck a glance up at him now. He was laughing at something Charles had said, and one might never know that he’d just squired her over to the Territorial Prison, against every single one of her father’s wishes. Stuart had sat here at her family’s table so many times, and yet he somehow looked different this time. She tilted her head as she chewed, trying to figure it out.
He was no taller than he’d been two or three or even five years ago. He’d always been clean-shaven, eschewing the current fashion that most men sported. His eyes were no different, nor was his laugh.
Then what was it?
She couldn’t nail down a single change, and yet his presence herefeltdifferent. It was as ifshewere seeing him differently. As if he were a handsome man come to court her rather than her brother’s friend.
The thought made Norah drop her fork. It clattered against her plate, causing Mama and Mary to startle.
“Pardon me,” she managed to say, but the second they’d resumed their conversation, her eyes found Stuart again.
He was watching her.
Norah’s breath caught in her throat. He couldn’tknowwhat she was thinking, could he?
It was impossible, and yet he gave her a conspiratorial smile before quickly turning his attention back to her father.
Norah sat back, resisting the urge to fan herself. It had grown suddenly warm in the dining room, and her thoughts jumbled together. For the love of all that was good, she needed to get a hold of herself. Stuart was simply being a friend to her. A friend who was far too much of a gentleman to endanger that friendship. Besides, he likely had his pick of ladies. He was much too good-looking, too jovial, and too well-positioned not to.
Yet as she picked her fork up again, her mind wandered back to that smile he’d just given her, the way his hand had felt between hers when she’d taken it up without thinking outside on the street, and every other moment they’d ever spent together. She was reliving the dance he’d asked her for back at the church social the summer before last when she realized Mama was saying her name.
She blinked and found everyone’s eyes on her. Her cheeks went warm at the attention, and she barely sputtered out, “Yes, Mama?”
“Mary was asking whether you’d had an enjoyable afternoon visiting with Ruthann?” Mama tilted her head, concern tracing her features. “Are you feeling well enough?”
“Yes, I . . .” Norah laid a hand against her cheek and then dropped it as she straightened in her chair. “I’m perfectly well. And yes, Mary, I did enjoy my visit. Baby Caleb is growing so quickly.” She pointedly kept her eyes from Stuart, although she could feel his on her.
Mama gave Stuart a gracious smile. “I’m glad. It was very thoughtful of you to bring Norah home, Stuart.”
“We had an enjoyable walk from my sister’s,” Stuart replied.
“You must feel free to come by any time,” Mama said with a look in her eyes that Norah had only seen once before—when Mr. Price had come courting, back before Jeremy had been arrested. It was the same look she’d seen in Stuart’s mother’s eyes when Mrs. Joliet had decided that Norah needed a young man last summer. Mrs. Joliet must have introduced her to half the young men in town with that matchmaking gleam in her eye.
“It does Norah good to get out and visit. Perhaps she would do more of it if she had a young man to escort her.” Mama gave Stuart a broad smile.
Embarrassment curled like hot fire through Norah. She ducked her head as her cheeks flamed, but not before she’d seen the look of terror that had briefly crossed Stuart’s face.
Mamahadto choose Stuart to pin her hopes and dreams for her daughter. Of all the men in town—and there were many!—she picked Ruthann’s brother. The boy Norah had known forever.
Norah couldn’t possibly have been more mortified.
The conversation continued on as if no one but Norah and Stuart had caught wind of Mama’s machinations. After sufficient time had passed—and after Norah thought her cheeks might have returned to a normal shade—she snuck a glance up at Stuart.
He was watching her father as if he were absolutely fascinated by the ins and outs of doctoring horses. And he was pointedly avoiding looking at her.
Norah sat back and released a silent sigh. It was just as well. Her thoughts had been running wild over something she wasn’t entirely certain of herself, much less anything that could actually happen. And now Mama had pressed the issue, and Norah had her answer.
Which was all well and good. Her sole focus ought to be Jeremy, anyway. Once she’d succeeded in proving he didn’t belong in prison, then she could consider things such as beaux and flirting again.
With someoneotherthan Ruthann’s brother.
