“Frances, you have a caller,” Bethany announced brightly as she entered the parlor.
She blew out a sigh.
“It is Lord Seth Claxton.” She grinned to which Frances returned a glare.
“Please have the butler tell him that I am not at home.”
Bethany’s smile fell. “I am afraid it may be too late for that.” Her friend then stepped aside so that Seth could enter the parlor.
When Frances had overheard Bethany and Tessa making plans before the lecture yesterday, she had stormed in and ordered them to cease interfering in her life. Just because they now employed her, and they were friends, did not give them leave to manipulate her life. They promised not to interfere again. Apparently, Bethany didn’t think a call from Seth mattered.
“Lord Seth,” Frances greeted coolly.
Why must he persist in wanting to see her?
“I shall ask Cook to prepare tea,” Bethany offered before she left them quite alone.
It was probably best that whatever discussion needed to be had was done in private.
“Why are you here?” Frances demanded.
Frances wasn’t certain where all her anger was coming from. It could simply be because she had not gotten nearly enough sleep these last few nights, or her friends thought they knew better for her, which was the reason she wanted to be away from her aunt, or because Seth was here and making her experience so many emotions that she had thought were long buried.
Without being asked, Seth crossed the room and settled on the settee across from her.
“Our discussion ended prematurely,” he said.
“There should have been no conversation to begin with. After all, that is what you had wanted if you ever saw me in London. You are the one who has broken your dictate.”
Frances inwardly smiled when he winced.
“I do not believe my cousin, sister, nor Lady Bethany are going to cease in their matchmaking given they were rather disappointed when I returned to the lecture without you.”
“Perhaps you should explain to them why there can be no match between us and then they can concentrate on another couple.”
“I do not think you want me to tell them of the ten years at the cottage,” Seth offered.
“Of course, you would not want anyone to know as it would save you embarrassment,” she bit out.
“I was thinking about your reputation.”
“Oh.” She had not expected that response.
“I am not embarrassed about what we shared.”
“So long as it remained in Laswell and was not revisited in London,” she accused.
“I was wrong. So very wrong.”
How dare he now decide that his rejection of her had been a mistake! Seth was sadly mistaken if he thought she could so easily forgive and forget. “It is a shame that it took you five years to realize your mistake,” she said right before a footman entered with a tea tray.
Frances reached forward and poured him a cup assuming that the way he took his tea had not changed.
“I have missed you and so many times I wished I could have taken back what I said,” Seth insisted after they’d once again been left alone.
“If that was true, you would have called on me when I arrived in London, but you did not.”
“I assumed you would want nothing to do with me.”
