Chapter Six
Adrian paced infront of the pond as thoughts swirled in his head.What am I doing?He had originally started this disguise with the hope of getting to talk with some of the ladies Collin found interesting and to see if they were good enough for his brother. Yet Adrian justhadto kiss one of them—and enjoy it—and now guilt overwhelmed him.
Every time he talked to Bridget, a lie would blurt out of his mouth. If roles were reversed, he would never forgive a woman if she deceived him in such a way. He wouldn’t blame Bridget if she hated him.
But he couldn’t tell her yet. There was still so much to talk about, and so many more kisses, before he could confess what he had done. He really wanted to get to know her better, even if it meant she would never forgive him once the truth was out. Indeed, he was the worst kind of rogue. And he deserved her wrath… just not yet.
What a mess he had made of his life already. Trey had been correct when he said that Hanover Hall would either bring Adrian happiness or bring him ruination. He felt that by the time everything was out in the open, nobody in polite society would want to talk to him.
Perhaps he had been too hasty deciding to play the part of a country bumpkin. And for what? Just because he didn’t want mothers forcing introductions to their unwed daughters? Indeed, he was pathetic.
Adrian moved away from the pond that was surrounded by trees, and out into the clearing. Where was Bridget? He’d expected her to ride up on a horse to meet him minutes after he arrived, but a good fifteen minutes had passed and there was no sign of her. She couldn’t have forgotten. Perhaps she had decided not to come at all.
Grumbling, he stomped back toward the pond. If he had to ride back to her farm and kidnap her just so she wouldn’t visit with his brother, Adrian would do it. He couldn’t have Collin falling in love with this particular Hartwell sister.
The pounding of horses’ hooves jerked him out of his discouraging thoughts, and he darted back into the clearing. When he saw Bridget on the horse—riding astride, no less—and coming toward him, his heartbeat quickened. He felt anxious, waiting for her to stop the horse so that he could touch her while helping her down.
She stopped the animal, and Adrian reached up to help her dismount. Ignoring his help, she leaned forward as she swung one leg over to meet with the other, and hopped down without his assistance. Emptiness filled him as he dropped his arms to his sides. She avoided his gaze, and a pain of yearning tightened his chest, making him realize he needed to see her bright blue eyes again.
As he skimmed over her attire, he nearly lost his breath. She had been lovely last night, but now… she was alluring. She wore a plain burnt-peach day dress—different from the dress she was wearing when he saw her at the chicken coop—but it was the way her long hair hung down her back and flowed over her shoulders that caused his mind to stop and his heartbeat to accelerate.
And, of course, she wore no bonnet. He almost laughed to think she wasn’t being proper, but he was too mesmerized by her beauty to do anything but stare. He was probably drooling, too. He used his fingers to wipe his mouth, just in case.
“Thank you for meeting me,” he told her.
She led the horse to the nearest tree, tying the reins to a limb. “We need to make this quick. If we take too long, my family will certainly ask questions that I don’t want to answer.”
Tenderly, he took her hand and walked toward the pond. The surrounding trees would help keep their talk a little private. But after two steps, she yanked her hand away and folded her arms.
Disappointment grew inside him, and he gritted his teeth. Why couldn’t he stop his craving to touch her? It was obvious that she didn’t want any kind of attention he was willing to pour upon her.
“I must say,” he said, glancing at her, “I’m surprised your hair is not styled.”
She shrugged. “I had planned on resting to get rid of my headache, so I didn’t see a need to style it just to meet you.”
The snappy tone of her voice worried him. She sounded upset, and that she just didn’t care that they were together right now. He needed to change her mind. The tightness in his chest required it.
“I’m not saying that I don’t approve of your hair.” He glanced over it again. “I like it long and flowing over your shoulders. It fits your bold personality.”
They stopped at the same time. Her throat constricted in what must have been a hard swallow as she stared at the water. The wind created small waves, which was mesmerizing in itself, but he would rather look at her.
Sighing, she dropped her arms to her sides. He immediately took hold of her hand, being as gentle as he would if holding a porcelain dish. She tried to pull away, but he wouldn’t let her go. He couldn’t. The urgency building inside him wouldn’t allow it. Instead, he tugged her closer until he could slip his arm around her waist. Finally, her gaze jumped up and met his as she pressed her palms against his chest. It hurt that she wasn’t smiling.
“Mr. Worthington, if you don’t mind, I would rather not get personal like we were last evening.”
He stroked her cheek. “But what if Idomind?”
One of her eyebrows lifted. “Then I suppose you shall have to quickly become accustomed to disappointment.”
She tried to move out of his arms again, but he tightened his hold. “Bridget? What is bothering you? Why are you like this? The last time we were together, you didn’t seem to mind being in my arms and staring dreamily into my eyes.”
She scowled. “Because I realized the horrid mistake of allowing you such liberties last night.”
Adrian cocked his head, studying her face. He must change her mind and make her realize the kiss they shared was nothorrid, nor amistake. “You cannot tell me you didn’t enjoy what we shared in the pantry, because I know differently.”
“That was last night, and I was… caught up in the moment. Today I realized I was wrong to let you do that to me. As I told you last night, I’m not that type of woman.”
He loosened his hold and studied her pretty blue eyes that looked everywhere but at his face. “Tell me, my sweet Bridget, would you rather be with the Earl of Hanover right now, in his arms and kissing him the way you kissed me?”
