Priscilla’s head began spinning and her stomach lurched. She held her breath and tried to keep from embarrassing herself all over the carpet. If Gavin was the duke, did that mean he would preside over this estate? She prayed not. She didn’t think she could tolerate a rogue like him. She would certainly lose her position with the duchess, and she was sure she wouldn’t ever find work again.
Perhaps it was best to bite her tongue and not make a scene. But could she do it when all she wanted to do right now wasscream at him and slap his deceitful face? Maybe she would kick him in the shins, or a place on his body that would hurt him as much as his treatment of her eighteen months ago had injured her heart.
*
Gavin stared atPriscilla, and his mind drew a blank on what to say to her. Seeing her after all this time was such a surprise, and he didn’t know how to act. He certainly remembered their brief time together, but once they parted ways, he had quickly forgotten the lovely Hartwell sister. Over his many years of charming women, none of them had stayed on his mind for very long before he tired of them.
However, she seemed to have changed since they were together last. He recalled her being shy, almost as if she was afraid of her own shadow. It had been her innocence, her intense blue eyes, and her soft voice that had first attracted him. Being an expert at charming women, he had wanted to achieve the thrill of seduction with Miss Priscilla. He had thought to turn her from the plain, ordinary girl she had presented into a butterfly.
But now there was no resemblance of the ordinary girl he had known. Instead, she was a fully grown woman with delicate facial features and pretty black hair coiled up in a bun while wisps were left loose around her ears and near her temples. The gown she wore hugged her bosom, emphasizing that she had indeed developed into a lovely woman. He now wondered why he didn’t see that before. Could a woman really change that much in a year and a half?
There was only one word to describe her now.Breathtaking.
She blinked and lowered her gaze to the floor as she curtsied. “It’s a pleasure to see you again, Your Grace.”
Gavin had only had the title for a few months, but he didn’t think he would ever get used to hearingYour Grace. After all, that had been his father’s title before he died.
Remembering his manners, he bowed slightly. “Oh, no. The pleasure is all mine, Miss Priscilla. I’m very glad you are here to help my grandmother. I’m sure she appreciates you as much as I do.”
“It is I who appreciates the opportunity, Your Grace,” she said as she looked at his grandmother.
“You two know each other?” Grandmother asked, switching her gaze back and forth between them.
“Yes,” Gavin answered. “We met over a year ago at her aunt’s dinner party.”
“Oh, how lovely,” Grandmother said with a bounce to her voice. “Then I’m sure you were able to hear Miss Priscilla play the pianoforte. She is magnificent.”
Priscilla wasn’t meeting his eyes, but her cheeks turned pink from his grandmother’s compliment. “Yes, Grandmother. I did hear her play, and she was indeed magnificent.”
“I thank you, Your Grace.” Priscilla cleared her throat and turned toward the tea service. “Would you like some tea?”
“I appreciate your thinking of me, but I must decline.” He bent and kissed his grandmother’s cheek again. “Please forgive me, but I have a meeting with my solicitor, and after stopping to help a carriage, I fear I’m in great need of cleaning myself up.”
“Of course, dear.” The dowager patted his arm. “But I hope you will make me happy and be here for dinner.”
“Yes, of course.” He grinned. “I have missed your company.” As he took a step toward the door, he glanced at Priscilla again. “I shall see you later.”
She nodded and quickly turned away as she took a cup of tea to his grandmother. But he clearly noticed how her expression hardened.
After he left the music room and closed the door, he scowled. Obviously, Miss Priscilla was going to give him the cold shoulder for a while. He probably deserved it. After all, he had only been after one thing while he charmed her all those many months ago, and when he couldn’t even elicit a kiss from her, he had given up and moved on. However, he felt she had started to like him.
Blowing out a breath of frustration, he climbed the stairs and headed for his bedchamber. He hadn’t planned on staying long at the manor, but now he was rethinking the length of his visit. He couldn’t leave now knowing that Miss Priscilla loathed him. He must make amends somehow.
A memory popped into his head, and he recalled how nicely she had fit in his arms. He had enjoyed her softness pressing intimately against him. But now, she was so much more a woman than before, and he wondered how she would feel next to him while sharing a passionate kiss.
His heart leapt. Good grief! Perhaps it wasn’t wise to imagine them entwined in such a way. And it certainly wasn’t a good idea to think that the art of seduction looked better and better with this particular woman. But he was no longer that man. His rogue days were behind him, and although it would be foreign to him, he must present himself as a respectable duke, not only for his frame of mind, but because Miss Priscilla deserved to be treated like the lady she was.
Chapter Two
Although the dowagerretired to bed early, Priscilla could not. Her mind was still wide awake. She had stressed herself sick right before dinner, not wanting to see Gavin again, but then the inconsiderate rogue hadn’t shown up. Instead, he sent his grandmother a note stating that his meeting was running longer. The old woman laughed it off, telling Priscilla that Gavin had become a busy man since he stepped into his new title.
She knew the real reason he hadn’t come. He was afraid to face her, and it had nothing to do with his feeling guilty. Men like that had cold hearts.
She sighed and sat on the edge of her mattress, glancing around her bedchamber. The dowager had been very generous with Priscilla’s accommodations. She had received so much more than expected for working as a lady’s companion. Never in Priscilla’s wildest dreams could she have imagined living in such a grand room. It was spacious enough for a large bed and two armoires, and two small, cushioned chairs and a table. Not only that, the room had two windows and an adjoining room for her to bathe.
However, she had nothing to do in this room but gaze at the lovely furnishings and be grateful that she had been chosen to be the companion of a duchess. She needed something to occupy her thoughts so that thoughts of Gavin didn’t consume her. She recalled seeing a library during her tour of the manor, and nowshe wanted to find a book to read. Perhaps that would relax her enough to sleep tonight.
She left her bedchamber holding a lit candle and strolled down the corridor, listening for any signs that Gavin had returned from his meeting. Thankfully, the house was quiet. She couldn’t even hear the servants.
