Or did he feel that way about her because she intrigued him?
Last night, he saw her in Lord Reynold’s study, and yet she lied to him about why she was coming down the grand staircase. Seeing her again in broad daylight, he knew she had been dishonest with him once more. Did he want to get to know her just to discover her secret, or was it really because she was quite delightful company and extraordinarily pretty?
He moved to the side of the window, not wanting her to see him, even though her cousin’s fast-moving mouth made him wonder if the girl was jabbering Nicole’s ears off. But he detected sadness on Nicole’s face. At times, her gaze would wander the streets, looking at every person before a frown would claim her expression. Dare he hope she waited to see him and was saddened when he had yet to appear?
No other woman had stirred such curiosity inside him. Not only that, but he couldn’t recall a time he had been so attracted to a woman this quickly.
Unfortunately, he would be leaving for Liverpool soon, and he couldn’t get to know the enchanting beauty. Whatever happened between them this afternoon would end as soon as it got started.
Taking a deep breath, he adjusted his necktie and turned toward the woman helping him. “Mrs. Lewis? If you will, could you box up that pastry and save it for me? I shall return later today to pick it up.”
The woman nodded. “As always, Mr. Lee.”
He quickly exited the bakery and searched for Nicole. Immediately, he saw her. She looked lovely in her gown and the brown cape thrown over her shoulders. He was happy to see she didn’t wear a bonnet like most women. Seeing Nicole’s unbound hair was what had attracted him to her last night. It was obvious that Nicole was as adventurous as he had expected from their first meeting. He liked that a lot.
For the first few moments, she hadn’t looked his way. Although anticipation sped through his body like an out-of-control horse, he kept his steps calculated and steady even though he felt like running to her.
Just before reaching her, she slowly turned in his direction. Her mouth dropped open, and her eyes widened. Within seconds, her face lit up with happiness, making her eyes shimmer. A strange emotion tightened inside his chest, yet his heart fluttered with gladness instead of scaring him.
Her gaze ran over him from the top of his head down to his boots and then quickly bounced up his frame once more. When she finally met his eyes, she gave him a small nod.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Lee. What a pleasure it is to see you in town.”
He stopped in front of her and mocked a small bow. As he straightened, he winked. “The pleasure is all mine, Miss Bastian.”
A blush bloomed on her cheeks, and she chuckled softly. “I see you are still in character, even though the masked ball has ended.”
He arched an eyebrow. “I am?”
“Yes. You are being quite charming.”
He couldn’t stop laughing. Remarkably enough, this woman had been able to make him do this quite a bit in the little time he knew her. This was one more thing added to the list of accomplishments that other women hadn’t been able to achieve.
She turned to the woman next to her. “Mr. Lee, let me introduce you to my cousin, Emily Thornock. Emily, this is Mr. Ashton Lee.”
Emily curtsied, and he bowed.
“Mr. Lee,” Emily asked, “by chance, are you acquainted with my father, Michael Thornock?”
“I’m afraid not.” Ashton shook his head. “But then, I’ve not been in this area for very long, either.” He turned his focus back to Nicole. “Might I enquire about your activities this morning, Miss Bastian? If you have the time, I would like it very much to take you and your cousin for a stroll through the park down along the sea.”
Nicole and her cousin exchanged excited glances—although Nicole’s eyes danced more than the other woman’s.
Nicole met his stare. “I think that would be lovely. My cousin and I are just in town to find some new gowns. Taking time out for a leisurely stroll would be most refreshing.”
“Then shall we go now?” He offered one elbow to Nicole. When she placed her hand around his arm, warmth accompanied it. Once again, her nearness threatened to take his breath away. He swallowed hard and reluctantly tore his gaze from her to put it on her cousin as he offered his other arm. “And what about you, Miss Thornock? It would be my honor to escort two lovely ladies to the park.”
Emily giggled and slipped her hand around his elbow. No warmth complemented her touch, unlike her cousin, whose nearness practically scorched him with desire.
Just as he turned them toward the park, two young women scampered out of the nearby shop, waving at Emily. When they neared, they must have finally realized he was standing there because they quickly composed their excitement and slowed their steps, walking in a more lady-like manner.
“Charlotte, Patricia, what a surprise it is to see you here,” Emily said with a lifted voice.
The two women looked alike enough to be sisters, which Ashton assumed. If anyone could be considered plain, it would be these two. Both had the same color of hair and eyes. One was slightly petite, but the other was thicker around the waist. In fact, Ashton surmised that if this one would ever want to pass as a man, she would be able to pull it off.
“When we saw you out the window,” the smaller of the two said, “I knew we must come to get you. Father is sending us to Paris for two months to visit our relatives, and we are getting a whole new wardrobe.”
The larger woman nodded. “Because you know, the fashions in Paris are far more advanced than we have here.”
