She glanced back at her friend before giving him her attention. “Owen, what are you doing?”
“I need to see you this evening.”
She couldn’t meet his eyes, keeping her eyes to the floor. “For what purpose?”
“I need to say a few things before I leave tomorrow.” Owen watched Jonas walk across the room, standing beside Miss Cluett as he kept a keen eye on Owen and Leah as they spoke.
“Yes.” Leah sighed. “You leave tomorrow. So perhaps we should not be meeting this evening for that very reason.”
He reached forward to take her hand, stopping himself when he caught Jonas’ eye again. They were being watched. “Please. I need to talk to you.”
Leah pulled her shoulders straighter, finally giving a small nod. “Very well. Tonight in the drawing room?”
“No.”
She furrowed her brow.
Owen spared Jonas another quick glance. His time alone now could easily come to an end if Jonas felt the need to interrupt. “I mean to say, I would rather meet in the library.”
“Graham might be there you realize. He tends to read at all hours of the night.”
He winced. “I forgot. Very well. How about the conservatory?”
Her eyes widened. “That seemsveryprivate.”
“Precisely,” he said, nodding.
Dinner was announced, startling Leah and Owen from their gaze. Jonas finally walked over, offering Leah his arm and leading her into the dining room. Owen followed suit, walking to Cecily and then leading them to their seats.
The hall was dark, but Owen had a taper in hand to guide him through the maze that was Stonehill, until he finally found himself at the conservatory. Was Leah already here? Waiting on the other side of the door?
“Owen.”
He jerked at the soft hiss, spinning around to find Leah striding down the hall toward him. He put a hand over his racing heart. “Leah, you scared me half to death.”
A smile formed on her lips as she walked up to him. “Good. That is what you get for giving me nightmares last evening.”
“I would rather you have a different type of dream concerning me.” He grinned, but her smile faltered.
“What was it you wished to discuss?”
“Can you really be naive to my reason?” He reached a hand forward, taking her fingers lightly in his grasp, running his thumb over her smooth skin.
“I . . . I don’t think this is a good idea, Owen.”
“Ah.” He dropped her hand, taking a small step back. He ran his fingers up into his hair before meeting her eyes once more. “And might I ask why?”
She gave a shy shrug. “It has only been five days. Surely what you wish to speak of has only been imagined.”
“By both of us?” Owen stepped over to a window, placing his taper on the sill before turning back to her and just as he did, she spun about so she no longer faced him.
“We were swept away in the moment. That is all.”
“So youdofeel it.”
Slowly, she turned back to him. “Just because I admit it does not mean it is wise to act upon. We hated each other only five days ago!”
He forced a smile. Hate her? He had never hated her. While she drove him mad, he had always had a fondness for her as he did every member of the Thompson family. And it made him sad to think that she thought he had hated her all these years. “I never hated you, Leah. You frustrated me, yes. But it was never anything so serious as hate.”
