“Oh dear.” Her heartbeat quickened.They were alone.
His gaze met hers, and he smiled. “But that will give me time to do something I have been wanting to do since I heard your remarkable performance on the pianoforte.”
She sucked in a breath. Her body shook from the unknown, but at the same time, she wondered if he wanted to kiss her. As ridiculous as it seemed, she had thought of how it might feel to kiss someone so blindingly attractive. Yet why would he think the same way? Just because he enjoyed her performance, that didn’t mean he wanted to kiss a penniless farmer’s daughter.
Chapter Seven
Cassandra’s heart whackedcrazily against her ribs, threatening to break them—or at least bruise her severely. Why had she put that insane idea into her mind? Now she couldn’t think straight. But it didn’t matter. She wouldn’t allow him to kiss her even if he wanted, and of course he didn’t. It was too soon to become personal with a man who was still a stranger to her.
When Lord Hanover turned away from her and moved to the nearest rosebush, she realized a kiss wasn’t what he had in mind. Instead, he plucked a lavender rose from the bush and presented it to her. Disappointment washed over her, yet her heart melted from his gesture.
“For you, my lovely Miss Featherstone.”
Her hand trembled slightly as she took the rose from him. Did he realize what the meaning was behind each colored rose? Most men of nobility were taught, just as women were. But if he knew, then why would he bring her a lavender rose? The closer bush would have been the red roses, but he stepped past that to get her the purple flower.
He obviously wasn’t trying to tell her helovedher, which was what this color represented. After all, they barely knew each other. But another meaning for the lavender rose was that he was eager to grow their relationship.
Once again, she found the idea preposterous. She must remember what she had told her sister earlier this evening. Cassandra’s head should not be in the clouds. Not with this man.
“I…” Her tight throat made her voice sound too scratchy, so she swallowed hard. “I thank you, my lord.”
“I beg you will call me Collin,” he said.
The thumping of her heart accelerated. “Then you must call me Cassandra.”
“Indeed I shall, since you have a lovely name.” He motioned to the flower. “I pray your mother won’t get upset that I plucked the rose from her garden.”
“Of course not. Olivia and I pick flowers all the time.”
His smile widened as he turned and offered her his elbow. “Would you allow me to escort you around the yard, my sweet Cassandra?”
As she hooked her hand around his elbow, she became breathless. Being this close to him wrought havoc inside of her, and she scarcely knew how to control these odd feelings. “Of course I will…Collin.” Embarrassment caused heat to climb to her cheeks. She had nearly sighed his name.
The way she acted was quite embarrassing, and one way or another, she needed to get a grip on these chaotic emotions. She must remember how annoyingly disgusted he had been there at the beginning, and how he couldn’t even bow when she had curtsied. Also, she should remind herself that he was probably a rogue and only had one thing in mind, which, of course, she would not let him have.
With her mind becoming mushy, she must think of a conversation topic. That could keep her on track…she hoped.
“Collin, what are you and Lord Kentwood doing in Bath?”
He shrugged as they walked around the rose garden. “Bath was just somewhere my cousin and I wanted to visit for a spell.”
She glanced at his profile. It didn’t matter which way he faced—he was still one fine-looking man. “Your cousin came with you?”
He turned his face and met her gaze. “My cousin is Lord Kentwood.”
She chuckled. “I wouldn’t have guessed it. You two look nothing alike.”
“Kentwood is from my mother’s side of the family, and I take after my father’s side—the Worthingtons.”
“You are a Worthington?”
He arched an eyebrow. “You seem surprised.”
“I have heard of the Worthington lords, believe it or not.”
“I hope you have heard good things.”
She laughed loudly, then quickly stopped herself and placed a hand over her mouth. “Forgive me for that outburst.”
