“Oh, forgive me for crying.” She laughed uncomfortably, wiping her eyes again. “This piece from Mozart reminds me of my childhood, especially my sisters. I miss them so.”
He slowly walked to her and held out his hand. She slipped her palm against his, and he helped her stand before leading her to the settee, where they both sat. He kept her hand in his, tenderly caressing her fingers.
“Tell me about your sisters.”
Her heart leapt, and she swallowed down the lump of emotion clogging her throat. It was nice to finally be able to talk about her family, about the good times—and the bad—and the way they teased each other when they caused trouble. Thankfully, she and Bridget weren’t as troublesome as their younger two sisters. As they grew older, Bridget seemed more like a mother than a sister. But they were close, and she missed that right now.
Gavin listened intently. He laughed when she talked about her younger sisters’ shenanigans, and then he grew solemn when she told him about her father’s impoverished state. Because her father had only daughters and no sons, the girls had to do the work of servants, since their father couldn’t afford to hire help. She also described the humiliation of having her father tell the girls to doanythingit took to secure them a wealthy husband. Why, the suggestion had been so improper, it nearly killed Priscilla to even think of it.
When she finally ran out things to say, she sighed and smiled. The intense look in his incredibly green eyes made her want to stare at him forever.
He didn’t say anything for the longest time, almost as if he just wanted to stare at her. However, she had to break this awkward state.
“Forgive me, for I didn’t mean to talk your ears off.”
He shook his head. “My ears are still attached, I assure you.”
“You have been so kind to me, Gavin. Sometimes I wonder if I deserve it.”
“Believe me, you do.” He caressed her hand again. “I actually came looking for you before I heard your beautiful playing.”
“You did?”
He nodded and chewed lightly on his bottom lip while he gazed at their hands. “I fear I have something to tell you that you may not like.”
Her chest tightened. She wasn’t certain she wanted to hear for fear she already knew what it was. “Tell me anyway.”
He chuckled lightly, but it wasn’t humorous. It sounded strained.
“I wish I knew how to tell you without it becoming upsetting.”
Her mind whirled in panic. “Oh dear. Your grandmother…” She swallowed hard. “She is going to release me from being her companion, isn’t she?” She groaned. “I knew I shouldn’t have rested my foot. I’m stronger than that. I really should have—”
“Cilla,” he said, placing his fingers on her lips to stop her chattering. “It isn’t like that. Not really.” He lowered his hand.
His smile was reassuring, but something was still wrong. “Please tell me. I promise to be understanding.”
Several awkward seconds passed as he stared into her eyes. Whatever he was about to tell her was going to hurt her, she could tell.
He sighed heavily. “Have you ever known a woman who was caught in a scandalous situation with a man, and the man was forced to do thegentlemanlything by marrying her to help protect her reputation?”
A knot formed in her stomach, growing tighter by the second. Her eyes burned with unshed tears, but she mustn’t show her emotion in front of him. His past must have caught up with him, and now he was being forced to marry some woman.
Two days ago, this wouldn’t have mattered to her, but now… Oh, why did she have to have that dream about kissing him?And why did they have to get trapped in a rainstorm while he had been trying to help her? But most importantly, why had she allowed her heart to soften toward him?
She took small breaths, trying to control her reactions. He couldn’t know about her feelings. “Gavin, are you telling me that you are being forced to marry a woman?”
Slowly, he nodded.
The painful, heart-wrenching emotion climbing inside of her was getting too strong to tame. If she didn’t leave now, she would cry in front of him. And heaven forbid she blurt out her ridiculous infatuation for him, especially when she knew nothing could come of it.
She pulled away from him and stood. “I… I wish you the best in your new marriage, Your Grace.”
She spun toward the door, wanting to hurry out as fast as she could, but he grasped her arm, turning her around to face him. Tears blurred her eyes, and she cursed her weak heart.
When he noticed her tears, he sighed and cupped her face. She wasn’t sure why he was smiling, though.
“Cilla, my sweet. You don’t understand. You see—”
