“Shall we head for the dining room? I’m famished after taking so much of Lord Kalmar’s blunt this evening.” He patted his vest, where she assumed he kept his purse.
As Brandt offered her his arm, she said, “Your parents are delightful.”
“Aren’t they?” he asked with a crooked grin. “And what was your impression of Arabella?”
She smiled. “The same. You’re very fortunate to be surrounded by such devotion.”
He paused and looked at her. “If you accept my proposal from last night, you could enjoy the same.”
She sighed heavily. “I didn’t come here tonight for the purpose of having you convince me to be a mother to your ward.”
His eyes practically smoldered as they lit on her. “What if I tried to convince you to be my wife instead?” He reached out, and with just a single touch at the nape of her neck, she was shivering.
She moved away and glanced around to make sure they wouldn’t be overhead. Nevertheless, she kept her voice low when she said, “Last night was a mistake. A lapse in judgement. It would be best to put it from your mind.”
“And if I can’t?” he countered.
“Then I fear you are doomed for unhappiness, because it won’t be repeated.”
He took her arm and threaded it through his as they entered the dining room. “We shall see about that,” he murmured for her ears alone. “I never shy away from something I want. And that, my dear Ada, is you.”
As the first course was served, Brandt had a difficult time trying to tear his gaze away from Ada. No matter what she did, he found something sensual about her every movement, perhaps because she was graceful and confident. His father had noted his interest and gave him an approving wink.
It wasn’t until the main dish was brought out that his mother started to offer subtle queries into Ada’s past. This had been the part he’d been dreading, but, of course, he wasn’t surprised that his mother wanted to know more about the lady her son seemed completely besotted with.
“Who was your late husband, Mrs. Givens?”
He watched her carefully to see if she appeared upset by the question, but she answered calmly and evenly, “His name was Archie, the younger son of a baronet. He fought in the army during the war.”
“Oh, dear.” His mother shook her head regretfully. “So many young men lost their lives on the battlefield. Such a pity.”
“Yes, it would have been, if that was how Archie had died. He actually survived the war with nothing more severe than a few wounds.”
“A man of strong mettle,” the baron nodded in approval.
“Yes, he was.” Ada agreed, and then that’s when her expression changed to one of abject sadness. “We were both grateful that he was alive, when so many others were widows long before I was. But it was not meant to be.” She picked at the food on her plate with her fork as she continued. “Not long after he returned, we decided to picnic in the park. A storm blew in, catching us unaware. Not wanting to be caught in a deluge, I begged him to let us take shelter until the worst had passed. We were standing beneath a large oak when it was struck by lightning. I shall never forget the pain as it passed through me. It was like nothing I could ever attempt to explain. It was days before I regained consciousness. When I awoke, I was told that Archie hadn’t survived the accident. I was a widow and hadn’t even known it.”
The silence that followed was almost deafening. Brandt could tell his mother wasn’t quite sure how to respond, as well as his father, who carefully took a long drink of his wine. But Brandt yearned to go to her, to take her into his arms and whisper in her hair, to tell her it wasn’t her fault, because it was obvious she blamed herself for the tragedy that no one could have predicted.
“How dreadful,” his mother finally whispered. “I am sure it was a very difficult time for you.”
“Indeed,” Ada returned, as she set aside her silverware. “I’m sorry if I’ve ruined dinner, but I’ve found it’s generally best to get that part of my history out of the way. After the accident, I was studied and inspected, the doctors not quite understanding how I could have survived such a devastating attack. I suffer from various brain ailments because of it.” Brandt saw her swallow hard, and then she lifted her gaze to meet his. “It’s one reason I’m grateful that Archie and I never had children. I never know when I shall be seized by an episode.”
Brandt was thoughtful as his mother said, “I’m sure it is a great relief for you.”
Dessert was eaten hastily, as if they were all thankful that the evening was coming to a close. However, Brandt wasn’t as quick to want to see Mrs. Givens depart. It didn’t matter that she had developed ailments because of her history. He was still quite besotted with her. That hadn’t changed.
As she set down her spoon, Brandt rose to his feet. “Would you care to take an after dinner stroll with me through the gardens, Mrs. Givens?”
The sun had nearly set, leaving behind a dusky, purple glow of the impending night. She wore her cloak, but the night was warm with the promise of the summer season. It would be easy to remove it from her shoulders and bare her fair skin to his hungry gaze. The flowers around them were starting to bloom with the sign of new life. He hoped it was a sign for his own future. Either way, it was the perfect setting for an illicit tryst.
“Mrs. Givens,” he began, but she interceded before he could go any further.
She paused in the middle of the path, near the delicate, wrought iron gate that enclosed the back of the yard, and held up a hand. “I know you are intending to convince me to reconsider your proposal, but after what I just revealed in there, I’m sure you understand why it is impossible.”
He crossed his arms in an effort to keep from reaching out and bringing her against him. “I fail to see where it makes any difference.”
She shook her head. “Surely you aren’t that naïve, Mr. Clarke, to believe that I would be a good fit for that innocent child. What would happen to her should we be alone together and I suffered one of my episodes? It is entirely too dangerous, and I’ll ask you to kindly forget me after this evening.”
