“That is all? Simply desire?” Desire wasn’t the answer she’d hoped to hear as it could mean that he simply wanted a kiss, or wanted her as his mistress, or courtship, or maybe a simple dalliance. If it was only that he desired to kiss her for no other reason, then Althea could not allow it to happen again. She would not risk her reputation or her heart on the whims of her employer.
“Well…I…that is…” He blew out a sigh. “You’ve no desire to kiss me?” he asked quietly.
Althea couldn’t lie to him, but she wasn’t going to admit her longing either as she still wasn’t certain of his intention since he still hadn’t told her. “It doesn’t matter what my wants are, Lord Melcombe, or yours. I am a governess in your household. A separation that we must respect.”
Chapter Fourteen
PrestonwatchedMissClaywellwalk away. Her back straight, head held high, and found himself grinning.
She had wanted to kiss him too. She didn’t admit it, but she didn’t deny it either. Nothing made him happier.
However, she’d also not give in easily either.
That was his fault. He’d just had the perfect opportunity to explain his intentions, then hesitated, unable to force the words, because he didn’t want to also admit to his duplicity because he might lose her for good. Instead, he countered with a question.
There truly was acurse of the Ambrose men, except some of it was of his own making for not blurting out what he really wished when she askedThat is all?However, Miss Claywell would be his in the end.
Happily, Preston made his way to where the large fire burned to toss in the evergreens, and returned to the house, whistling a tune he’d learned on the Continent. Then chuckled. He hadn’t whistled in a very long time. He hadn’t had reason to, but a weight had been lifted. He’d feared her rejection, and even though she’d just done that very thing, it was because of her position in his household and not because of him. He’d seen the passion flare in her emerald eyes when she fell into his arms and felt the tightening of her hands on his shoulders, and the quick intake of breath as she parted her lips. She wanted that kiss as much as he. All he needed to do now was court her.
However, desiring a kiss was not the same as wanting to be married to him, therefore, he’d need to make her fall in love with him too. Once she loved him, she’d give into her desire, and then he could confess what he really wished that they could be, and beg her forgiveness for not being honest when she first arrived.
What he hadn’t expected was for Delia to come marching out of the house just as he neared the entry.
“Do you plan on driving away another governess?”
“I plan on doing no such thing,” he answered, though Preston didn’t believe he needed to explain his conduct to his fifteen-year-old niece.
“I saw you, Uncle Preston, and how you looked at Miss Claywell. We all did. Winifred is the only one who said anything.”
“It’s not what you think,” he defended.
“It’s just as Miss Halton said,” she yelled.
Preston stilled. What had the former governess told his niece? He’d heard the rumors among his servants and remained quiet. He’d also assumed the girls were ignorant of the talk. “What did Miss Halton say?”
“That you wanted to seduce her.”
“She said what?” he yelled. “Do you even know what that means?” Bloody hell!
“She explained.”
“She shouldn’t have,” Preston ground out.
“I hadn’t believed her,” Delia added.
Preston was afraid to ask if Delia didn’t believe what seduction was or that Preston had been the seducer.
“I thought it was her, pursuing you, in hopes of marriage and that’s why she kept us on the nursery floor, and why she wanted her bedchamber close to yours.”
Her bedchamber had been too close, and why he wanted her on the floor above and in the rooms set aside for the governess. It hadn’t done much good since Miss Halton had managed to break the latch on his chamber door anyway.
It still wasn’t fixed and came open if not closed just right.
“She was the pursuer,” Preston finally admitted.
“I’m not so certain any longer,” Delia huffed. “I saw how you nearly kissed Miss Claywell, and it simply will not do.”
His fifteen-year-old niece was going to lecturehim!
