Agnes continued to grin, so Fanny wiped her damp hands on her apron and attempted to divert her sister’s fascination. “What do you have there?” She gestured to the paper in her grasp.
Agnes held it out to her. “Oh, it’s the most glorious news! Sir Marwood is holding a ball in celebration of Lord Castleford’s visit!” She turned her sly gaze on him. “Butourinvitation was hand delivered by the man of honor himself.”
Fanny read it and then handed it back to Agnes. She turned to Lord Castleford, again feeling that fluttering in her midsection. “That was kind of you, my lord. It’s not often our modest village gets the opportunity to host a man of such stature.” She turned back to the well. “Of course, I must decline, but—”
“Fanny!” Agnes gasped. “You can’t be serious!”
Fanny lifted her bucket of water and glared at her sister, saying firmly, “I have duties to attend to. Besides, you know very well that I have two left feet when it comes to dancing—”
“But if you don’t attend,” Agnes protested. “Mama and Papa surely won’t let me go!”
Fanny pinched the bridge of her nose, and prayed for patience, knowing that a tantrum was about to ensue. “Agnes—”
“If dancing is your only impediment,” Lord Castleford interrupted smoothly, “I would be glad to teach you.”
***
JONATHAN COULD HAVEkicked himself, but the words were already out of his mouth, so he couldn’t very well rescind the offer.Blast!What unforeseen force had even made him say such a thing? Surely, it wasn’t because of the way the breeze caught a stray curl of Fanny’s dark hair and set it across her forehead, making him itch to brush it aside, or the intelligence that he could read in those dark eyes.
But even if Miss Grouseman was undeniably beautiful, it was quite out of character for him to be so forthcoming with such an offer.
And yet...
As she turned to regard him, he had to admit that the opportunity to hold her in his arms wasn’t entirely without allure. He swallowed. Suddenly, the desire for her to accept his proposal was all he ever wanted.
“Again, thank you, my lord,” she said evenly. “I’ll consider it, if only for Agnes’ sake.”
“Of course.” He felt a brief rush of disappointment. “Send word if you change your mind.”
Jonathan rode back toward Killigarth Manor with a perpetual frown. Then again, it wasn’t often that he was denied anything from the opposite sex. But was his pride the only issue here? His only purpose that morning had been to offer an olive branch for his behavior the day before and assuage some of his guilt,notto spend more time with the chit, yet he hadn’t hesitated when it came to offering to do so.
The truth was Miss Grouseman was a complication that he didn’t need in his life.
Much like the mine in St. Austell.
He shook his head. Maybe the Cornish airwasunhealthy for his mind, for he certainly wasn’t thinking clearly. From the moment he left London, he had been acting rather peculiar. Not only had he allowed Nelson to talk him into leaving the comforts — and delights — to be had in the city, now he was actually considering taking on that rundown mine and turning it around for profit, assuming Elliot was right and there was actually something to be had.
He supposed time would tell, for before they had left St. Austell the day before, they had put things into motion. It had been relatively easy to find a group of men willing to start excavating the remains to see if there was any point in trying to bring it back to life. Until then, he would have to bide his time. With any luck, by the time the ball was over, he would be on his way back to London.
And back to normal.
Where a certain pair of dark eyes wouldn’t be able to tempt him.
***
FANNY RETURNED HOMElate that afternoon. The market had been rather slow, so she returned with most of her wares. At least tomorrow was Sunday, so she had a day off in which to catch up on some sewing that needed to be finished. Unlike Agnes, who required the newest and best of everything life had to offer, Fanny was content with mending that which she already had. She knew most of the people of this village, so what reason did she have to impress anyone?
Unfortunately, her thoughts turned to Lord Castleford once again, as well as those mesmerizing green eyes. But she firmly reminded herself that she was much too sensible to be interested in the likes of a bored aristocrat who was only here to flirt and find a bit of amusement.
“Ah, Fanny, there you are my dear girl.”
Fanny shook off her musings, and her face relaxed into an easy smile as her father set aside the paper he’d been reading. She walked across the modest living area and kissed her father on his weathered cheek. Even though he had already cleaned up, he always had the faint smell of the salty sea air. She suspected that it would always be so for a fisherman who spent his days on the water. “How was the catch today, Papa?”
“Prosperous,” he said with a grin. “But tell me more about this ball Sir Marwood is holding. It seems the only thing your sister can speak of, yet she claims you don’t wish to attend.”
Fanny sank into a chair across from him with a sigh. “You know how uncoordinated I am. I don’t wish to make a fool of myself by tripping over my own feet and falling face first in the middle of the entire village. Besides,” she shrugged. “I never have been the type of person to take part in such frivolities.”
He chuckled. “I don’t recall you being so clumsy, my dear. But even so, Agnes tells me that Lord Castleford offered to teach you a few steps, and yet you declined his assistance.”
