Adrian expelled a breath and looked back at Bridget. “Now that we have taken care of one problem, let me see about fixing the second one.”
She arched an eyebrow. “Second problem?”
“Yes. Your attire. You need to get out those wet clothes before you catch your death.”
Priscilla chuckled. “As much as we appreciate your kindness, my lord, I don’t believe you will have any clothing fit for a lady in your manor, since it is only you and your brother who reside here.”
He smiled, meeting Priscilla’s gaze. “You are correct. However, we have women as servants. As long as you don’t mind wearing their uniforms, we can get your gowns cleaned up quickly.”
“Lord William,” Bridget said, gaining his attention once again. “You don’t need to put your servants through that extra work. After all, it was my fault that we came during a rainy day.”
“We were only coming to drop off these biscuits”—Priscilla held up the basket—“and to see how your brother is faring after he was shot yesterday.”
Adrian gave Priscilla a sweet smile and took the basket. “You are both so thoughtful to think of my brother and make him biscuits.”
“Well,” Priscilla said as her cheeks reddened, “you can have some biscuits as well.”
Adrian laughed. “And I cannot wait to take my first bite. However, let’s get you two taken care of first. I’ll be back momentarily. I need to find our housekeeper, Mrs. Wendel. She’ll get you two cleaned up and in some warm clothes.”
After Adrian disappeared down one of the corridors, Bridget sighed heavily. Had she misjudged him before? Or was she just seeing him in another light?
“I must say,” Priscilla whispered, “that I’m vastly relieved he didn’t throw us out. But then, I knew he wasn’t that mean.” She narrowed her gaze on Bridget. “Which makes me wonder why you seem to think differently.”
Bridget shrugged. “I suppose he has changed from when I first met him.”
“Or maybe you are the one who has changed.” Priscilla grinned. “After all, women in love act differently.”
Bridget nearly choked on her gasp. “In love?Why would you think I’m in love? That’s just utterly ridiculous.”
Priscilla gave her a skeptical stare. “You aren’t in love with the earl?”
Inwardly, Bridget groaned. Her sister was talking about Collin and not his brother. Goodness, Bridget really needed to follow the conversation more closely. Either that, or she needed to stop thinking about Adrian so much. But she had been trying, and look how far that got her.
Chapter Eleven
Adrian could tellthe sisters were uncomfortable sitting in the parlor, talking with him and the earl, wearing maid uniforms, but it was better than the alternative. Although he wouldn’t mind seeing Bridget wearing nothing but a bedsheet, he doubted she would think the same. And even though he couldn’t stop the images of what she would look like from popping in his head—with her hair hanging around her shoulders and down her back, making her appear so much more alluring—he certainly wouldn’t want to see her sister in that manner.
Thankfully, Collin tried to make the situation better by chatting with them as if nothing had changed. Adrian was also very grateful that his aunt and idiotic cousin were kept in their chambers. Apparently, his aunt still suffered from the vapors after yesterday’s upset with someone shooting at Collin.
Adrian instructed the housekeeper that neither she nor any of the maids were allowed to inform his aunt about their visitors. He feared that his controlling aunt might think it wasn’t proper to have the Hartwell sisters here, wearing maid’s dresses, while sitting with two lords near the hearth. In his opinion, the afternoon passed by smoothly, and he hadn’t been so relaxed in quite some time. The only thing that could make this better would be if Collin and Priscilla weren’t here.
Upon Bridget’s request, Collin told stories about his and Adrian’s childhood. Adrian was relieved that the earl chose to make light of how two brothers grew up not getting along, which made the stories humorous. Adrian enjoyed watching Bridget laugh and the way her face lit up. He especially enjoyed the twinkling in her pretty eyes during this time. Perhaps that was why he felt so relaxed.
But another thing he liked about this afternoon was seeing the way Bridget looked at him. There was no anger in her expression, and no malice in her voice when she spoke to him. He could only hope that she didn’t hate him any longer. Then again, he wondered if she did it for show. After all, his brother was courting her, and she needed to make a good impression.
Yet she had gotten so upset when discovering he’d lied to her. Would she do the same to his brother?
“Lord Hanover,” Mrs. Wendel said from the doorway. “Could I have a word?”
Collin nodded toward the housekeeper before looking back at Bridget and Priscilla. “If you’ll excuse me. I shan’t be long.”
“Of course,” both sisters said together.
Collin stood and moved across the room toward the door. Bridget’s gaze shifted to Adrian again. It had been doing that so much this afternoon. He didn’t mind it at all.
“Do you think our clothes are dry?” she asked him.
He shrugged. “Perhaps that is what the housekeeper is talking to my brother about.”
