“There is nothing to forgive. How could you know when you do not know my family?”
“No truer words were spoken.” Broderick offered a slight smile as his gaze traveled over her black hair, wound artfully in a bun, then to her pretty, round face. Big brown eyes stared back at him, long, thick lashes surrounding them. Her nose was small and somewhat pudgy, but not overly so. Her lips appeared thin, and it surprised him that he wasn’t tempted to kiss them.
Another face came to mind. Miss Emmie—the one with the smoldering, big brown eyes. Right away, he questioned his train of thought. Why would he think of the lady’s companion at a time like this? Quickly, he shook her out of his mind.
“Well, Lady Sarah, I appreciate your kindness in telling me about your family. I do feel as if I’m getting to know you better.”
“As do I.”
From the corner of his eye, the shadow in the bushes moved. Once again, awareness pricked his skin. They were definitely being watched. Without studying the shadow and drawing attention to himself, he tried to sneak peeks that way while conversing with the earl’s daughter.
“Lady Sarah, now that you have been here a few days, what do you think of Greenwich?”
“It’s certainly a lovely area, and the scenery is so much greener.”
Silence lagged between them, which gave Broderick a moment to take a peek at the bushes again. Slowly, the clouds moved away from the moon long enough for him to see the figure of a woman. Unless his vision was playing tricks on him, the figure resembled Miss Emmie quite a bit. Without studying the shadows any deeper, he knew it was the lady’s companion. Although he didn’t know much about her, what he did know led him to believe she would do something this daring. He held back a grin.
He debated whether to say something and bring her out of hiding. Then again, he couldn’t embarrass her. Instead, he would take advantage of the situation and play it up, just to see how Emmie would react.
Broderick stepped closer to Lady Sarah and took her hands. “My lady?” he asked softly. “Is there a man back home to whom you are promised?”
She looked up at him with wide eyes, then dropped her gaze. “No.”
Strange, but he thought she would be betrothed by now. “I cannot believe such a lovely woman doesn’t have a beau.”
She giggled. “There are men who try to court me, but none have impressed me or my father.” She lifted her attention back at him. “My father promised I could choose my own husband. So far, I have found none I could fall in love with.”
He caressed her cheek. “I’m certain you will find him soon enough.”
She nodded.
He moved closer and swept his fingers along her chin. “Do you think your father brought you here to find the right man?”
Her gaze softened, and he tried not to grin. He should be ashamed for leading the poor girl on, but it had been a while since he flirted this way. Thankfully, he still had that certain touch that made a woman’s knees weak.
“I don’t know,” she replied. “Perhaps.”
He scanned her face again and rested his attention on her lips, which were now parted. Although she was lovely, he didn’t feel any attraction to her whatsoever. Besides, he only acted this way to make Miss Emmie upset.
“Lady Sarah, I cannot believe how lovely you are.” He came closer until her dress rubbed against his trousers and overcoat. “Will you consider letting me kiss you?”
Her throat jumped in what must have been a hard swallow. He waited for a reaction from the hidden, peeping companion. From the bushes, heavy breathing overrode Lady Sarah’s ragged breaths. Keeping a solemn expression, Broderick tried not to laugh.
She cleared her throat. “Mr. Worthington, I think it’s improper to kiss you at this time. We have only just met.” Her voice squeaked.
Broderick hovered his lips above hers, hesitating, making the moment linger. The scent of wine was on her warm breath as it blew against his face. She licked her lips. Staring deeply into her eyes, he watched the fear laced with eagerness on her expression. Her breathing quickened, and he knew he’d better stop this before she passed out.
Slowly, he pulled away. He admired her courage, but more so that of Miss Emmie. So far, the little minx hadn’t blown her cover.
“Very well, Lady Sarah. I shall have to bide my time until the moment is right and you approve. Please forgive me for my forwardness.”
She shied away again. “There is no need for apologies.”
“Come.” He held out his elbow. “Allow me to take you back to the party.” As he turned, he took a quick peek at the woman still hiding in the bushes. He grinned, continuing on his way. Miss Emmie surprised him at every turn. Remarkably, he wondered what she would do next—and realized he couldn’t wait to find out.
Chapter Five
Once Broderick andAnna had walked away, Emmie released the breath she was holding in a gust. Thankfully, neither of them had seen her. She was relieved to know that Anna had not let Broderick kiss her. Her maid played a role, and the real Lady Sarah would have not allowed a man to take liberties in stealing a kiss, no matter how handsome he was.
