“Mr. Hartwell was just telling me,” the older woman said loudly, “that his daughter is very talented on the pianoforte. Miss Priscilla, would you please come and play something for us?”
Meekly, Prissy nodded and complied with the older woman’s bidding. Collin stayed by the musical instrument. It was Bridget’s turn to be jittery. Not because her sister didn’t know how to play, but because she and Adrian were the only two in the back of the room.
Once Prissy started to play, Bridget felt Adrian’s fingers brush her neck. She trembled as her racing heartbeat took off running. Warmth spread over her, stirring up feelings Adrian had awakened in her that she had tried to deny for a while now.
“Bridget,” he whispered.
His hot breath stroked her skin almost as gently as a man’s loving touch would.
“I need to talk to you in private,” he finished in a low voice.
She inhaled a shaky breath and turned her head slightly toward him, but still didn’t dare look at him. “No,” she whispered over her shoulder.
She felt his fingers again, but it was more than a brush over her skin. Instead, he caressed her neck lightly. What was he doing? Andwhywas he doing this? Was he purposely trying to draw attention to them? She couldn’t have this. But more importantly, her father should not see what the lord’s nearness was doing to her.
“It’s important,” Adrian said softly near her ear. “Something else has happened… to me.”
Why would she care if something had happened to him? His statement was out of the ordinary, Yet she still wondered if it was just an excuse to get her alone. After all, that was the same game he had played when he asked her to meet him at the pond not too long ago.
“No,” she repeated.
Priscilla finished her piece, and the applause was loud, which was normal when she played in front of a crowd. Collin enticed her to play another piece.
Adrian’s touch left Bridget’s neck, and she nearly sighed with relief, but seconds later, he moved around the settee and sat next to her. Inwardly, she groaned. She could not have him this close.
Bridget stiffened, and breathing had become extremely difficult. She must convince herself to relax, if only for her own sanity. If people knew why she acted this way toward Lord William, she would be labeled as one ofthosewomen who were easily seduced.
After a few moments without him doing anything, she relaxed. However, she should have waited, because that was when Adrian shifted in his seat and slid his arm along the back of the settee. She clenched her hands on her lap. Why was he doing this? What waswrongwith the man?
He bent closer to her ear. “Bridget, please. Something happened earlier today, and I… I must speak to you about it.”
She tossed him a scowl. “What are you implying?”
“Another accident happened.”
Surprise washed over her. “What happened?”
“That is what I need to talk to you about,” he continued in a whisper. “I would like your help in trying to figure out who is doing this to us.”
Staring into his dreamy eyes up this close was beginning to put her in a trance, so she quickly focused back on Priscilla. Why would Adrian want to talk to her about the accident? Did he think she would be able to find the person responsible for these incidents? He knew she loved reading mystery novels, so perhaps he thought she would know how to weed out the suspects…
That was utterly ridiculous. How could she possibly help?
Oh, decisions, decisions… Yet she was curious to hear what exactly had happened to him.
Chapter Fourteen
Adrian slowly inhaledBridget’s sweet fragrance, fighting the urge to close his eyes and smile like a child on Christmas. Her scent was already branded in his mind, and he couldn’t figure out why it was so difficult to rid it from his memory. The last time his mind was constantly on a woman was when he had considered marriage. Thankfully, the young lady had changed his way of thinking, and for the better.
Strangely, though, he had thought the same way about Bridget when they first met, but over time, her personality had caught his interest, and then there was that passionate kiss they shared not long ago. He knew when she had changed his mind about her. It was when Collin had invited him to go to the Hartwell farm to beintroducedas Lord William.
He’d been fortunate enough to overhear the conversation Bridget had with her sister. It surprised him that she was a woman who wasn’t interested in Collin’s money. And the more Adrian pondered on the tone of voice when asked about her feelings for Collin, how she hesitated as though she didn’t know her own mind, the more thrilled Adrian had become.
He had been so wrong about her, and he really wanted her to know how wrong she was about him. He still held out hope that she wouldn’t think so poorly of him, and realize that he cared for her. He enjoyed rescuing damsels in distress, especially this beauty.
At long last, Miss Priscilla finished playing, and Collin called for the servants to bring in some drinks. Their guests stood and started mingling. Bridget quickly rose to her feet, and he jumped up beside her. He touched her elbow, stopping her from leaving his side.
“Miss Hartwell,” he said, loud enough that anyone nearby would hear that he was in a conversation with Bridget, but not too loud that everyone could hear, “I would really enjoy discussing your infatuation with mystery novels. I, too, enjoy reading a good mystery.”
