Miranda snapped open her eyes at the sound of her father’s voice. At the same time, all contact with Lord Mercer ceased as he dropped his hands from her and backed away.
Turning to her balding, spectacle-wearing sire, she greeted him fondly with a wave of her fingers. Luckily, he was both an indulgent parent and a reasonable man.
“Good day, Papa. Lord Mercer is here to see you on an important matter.”
Chapter Two
Papa!The devil take him for a fool if he hadn’t just stupidly kissed the magistrate’s daughter.And been caught!
Philip had brought it upon himself this time, except he’d been correct. Miss Brightwasextremely kissable! She smelled good and had the softest lips he could recall. None of which excused him letting his baser nature take over.
“I offer my sincerest apology, sir,” Philip began under the magistrate’s stony gaze. “It was ... that is...,” he trailed off. It had been an impetuous action, to kiss a pretty maid only to find out she was not a servant.
What could he say?
“Papa, I only wanted a kiss so I could write a story for Helen. Lord Mercer was kind enough to cooperate. Besides he didn’t know I was your daughter. He thought he was kissing our maid.”
The magistrate appeared confounded. “Kissing Eliza? But you look nothing like her!”
“No, Papa. I didn’t mean he thought I was actually our Eliza.” Then she laughed, and Philip wondered if she was dicked in the nob for neither he nor her father were the least bit amused.
“His lordship merely mistook my appearance.”
“And no wonder! Why on earth are you dressed in that manner?” Sir William raised his voice. “Didn’t that half-wit, Mrs. Emblin, teach you anything at her Ladies’ Seminary?”
With that Miss Bright, appearing perfectly calm, untied her apron from behind and then unpinned it from the top of her dress before folding the garment over her arm. As she did, a gum elastic for erasing her wretched graphite scribblings and a small knife for sharpening her pencil fell to the floor.
As a gentleman, Philip leaned down to retrieve the items, catching her floral scent again as they nearly bumped heads when she stooped to do the same. Thrusting her writing tools into her hand, trying hard not to touch her bare skin, he backed away quickly.
“Thank you, my lord,” she said, giving him a sweet smile that caused his insides to lurch through some feminine magic he couldn’t fathom. Then she turned to her father again.
“No, Mrs. Emblin did not teach me, Papa, becauseIdidn’t attend. That was Grace. Please don’t get in such a state. You know how easily you become out of sorts.”
Worse and worse!Philip wished he had never come.
“Having two daughters will do that to a man,” Sir William said to no one in particular. In fact, the magistrate seemed to have momentarily forgotten Philip until he suddenly sent him a scowling look.
“Are you here to ask for this one’s hand? She’s meek, mild, and knows her place. Can’t you tell?”
“I ... that is, ... I...,” Philip didn’t know what to say. He didn’t want to insult the man by telling him his daughter seemed like a forward minx and was, if not the last person he would consider marrying, then fairly low on his list.
To his consternation, the hoyden laughed at Philip’s discomfort, which seemed intolerably disrespectful not only to him but to her father, too. However, the older man merely sighed, took off his hat and gloves, even shrugging out of his jacket, all of which he handed to his daughter since there was still no butler and now no maid in sight either.
Then the magistrate stared at him, and Philip realized he still hadn’t answered.
“No, sir. I came about another woman.”
“Well, you’re too late. My eldest was married last year.”
“No, sir,” Philip tried again. “I am here to speak with you about a lady who is not one of your daughters.”
“Why?” Sir William demanded. “What’s wrong with this one? You seemed to like her well enough when your mouth was upon hers.”
Miss Bright gasped. “Papa! Please. You’re embarrassing his lordship.”
Philip stared, agog that this chit would speak to her own father in such a fashion, while the magistrate didn’t bat an eye. He wasn’t sure what to make of this madhouse. If Sir William wasn’t a well-respected man of law, one who presided over a petty sessions court among others, then Philip would have made himself scarce when the winsome female first started asking him questions. Even then, if he could bow out without causing offence, he would do it.
“It was a mistake, sir. I did, indeed, believe Miss Bright to be your maid.”
