After donning his waistcoat, he took both her hands in his. “I will call on your father tomorrow and request your hand in marriage.”
She pulled away and paced the length of the bookcase. “That might be too much of a surprise for him.” She turned and walked back toward him. “I think you should ask to court me first. My family, except Mariel, of course, is unaware of our feelings for each other.”
He opened his mouth to object, but she raised her hand. “I know that feelings don’t matter in most families, but in ours they do…very much.”
He didn’t want to wait. He wanted her in his home, here in his library, in his bed.
“Please.” Her gaze met his, and he could see exactly how much it meant to her.
Was it her family she was most concerned about, or did she want his attention in public? He dismissed the second thought. Jo wasn’t like Lady Caroline. Her feelings for her family were strong and her interest in society was weak, only remaining proper for her family’s sake. “Very well. I will call tomorrow to discuss courting you with your father.”
“Thank you.” She stood on her toes and pulled his head down with one hand to give him a satisfying kiss.
He liked that she learned so quickly. “But it won’t be a long courtship and I will request a special license.”
“I understand.”
Unable to resist her, he pulled her close for another kiss. When his body started to react all over again, he forced himself to step away. “Let me call Harrison for your coat.”
She nodded, a soft smile on her face.
Gently, he pulled her single curl back over her shoulder then made himself stop touching her. Turning, he strode toward the door. Just as he reached for it, a knock sounded. Damn.
He opened the door to find Mariel and Aunt Louisa. Both ladies looked beyond him. He raised his brows. “Can I assist you with something?”
His aunt addressed Mariel. “I told you she was probably helping him with his ledger.”
At that, he looked over his shoulder at Jo. Her finger was gliding along his columns when suddenly it stopped, and she looked up. “I found it. You have an error in your computation on line twenty-one.” She smiled, obviously feeling quite triumphant.
“Thank you.” He turned back to the women. “I believe Lady Joanna wishes to go home now.” He looked pointedly at his aunt. “Please have Harrison retrieve their coats.”
Though his aunt left to do as he bid, Mariel stepped past him and into the room.
“So, this is the infamous library my father and sister talk about so much.” She meandered over to the two wingback chairs by the fireplace as if looking for something in particular.
He took the moment to comb his hair with his fingers then strode to where she stood, not wanting her to look too carefully at her sister. “This,” he lifted one of the two books on the table between the two chairs, “is Coleridge’s most recent poetry. Do you enjoy poetry?”
Her sharp green gaze studied him, suspicion clear in her eyes. “No. I find it to be melancholy. I much prefer a Shakespearean comedy so as to lift one’s spirits.”
It was an odd remark, but considering the woman was a widow and had sacrificed much for her family, he could understand her feelings. In his peripheral vision, he noticed Jo slipping out of the room. “I understand one is to be performed next week.”
“Really, which one?” Her gaze did not move from him as if she suspected him of something.
“As You Like Itwill open at Drury Lane.” He leaned in as if they could be overheard. “Do you think your sister would enjoy it?”
She shrugged. “I have no idea. She has very particular tastes.”
He gave a short nod. “I understand that well. In fact, I will be calling on your father tomorrow to request permission to court her.”
At his announcement, Mariel’s eyes rounded, and in that moment, he recognized a true resemblance between the sisters. Her stiffness left, and she smiled warmly. “I am pleased.” She glanced toward his desk then scanned the room. “Has my sister departed?”
He looked behind him and noticed the wrapped book. “I believe she has, but she forgot something.” Striding to his desk, he tucked the wrapped book under his arm. If he wanted to shorten their courtship, he had a feeling his book could help. One thing he was absolutely sure of was that he could depend upon Jo’s curiosity. Now that she knew how it felt, he had no doubt she’d want to review what she’d seen and read. He grinned as he walked toward Lady Mariel. “Let us find her.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Joanna stared outthe carriage window, excited, confused, happy, and concerned. Or would that be confused, concerned, excited, and happy? Either order, it was how she felt. She didn’t regret their intimacy at all. But she didn’t know what was to come of it. James would only be so patient. She wasn’t sure how she knew that, but she did. He was anxious now to ask her father for her hand and that was the crux of her quandary.
She’dneverplanned to marry. She liked making her own decisions about her day, her finances, her life. Now she had a school to start. If she married James, he’d be in control of everything unless she legally protected it. Would he accept that?
