After she settled herself, he took the other chair. Her sweet fragrance wafted around her and on impulse, he leaned closer to get a better whiff. Inwardly, he groaned. He’d always been a fool for women who smelled like flowers. Her scent enticed him to bury his face in her neck and never leave.
“My lord?” She withdrew as confusion creased her face.
He straightened, realizing he’d been caught in his fantasy. “Forgive me, Judith. I was just enjoying your pleasing fragrance.”
Her face flamed a brilliant red. She lifted her chin higher, her hands clasped in her lap. “I thank you. I think.”
“Now, where were we?” He scooted away, knowing the closer they were, the more tempted he’d become.
He picked up a blank piece of paper and set it between them on the desk. He dipped his quill into the ink-bottle then beganwriting:To whom it may concern.Then stopped and looked at her. “Do you know who we should address this to?”
“I do not.”
“Hmm…” He tapped the other end of the pen against his chin. “Perhaps then, we should just address it to:Lieutenant Alexander Cutler’s Superior.”
“That sounds very professional. I believe it will work.”
Keeping his penmanship precise, he proceeded to write the letter. He introduced himself, along with the dowager, as Miss Faraday’s guardians. When a thought crossed his mind, he stopped again. Earlier, he’d wondered just how close she and Mr. Cutler had been. Now would be a good time to ask her before finishing the missive.
He turned abruptly toward her, bumping against her in the process. He hadn’t realized she leaned quite so far into him. A gasp escaped her throat. Once again, her face reddened and her eyes widened.
“Forgive me,” he said. “I didn’t know—”
“Oh, no. It was my fault entirely.”
Silence hung in the air as he met her emerald gaze. He studied her shocked expression, but mainly her parted lips and the breaths rushing forth, breezing against his face.
“Why did you stop writing?” she asked.
How could he ask such a personal question without flaring her temper? Although he loved watching heat spark in her eyes when anger consumed her, this was not the time. Their discussion must be on a serious level.
He set the quill down, leaned back in his chair, and folded his arms across his chest. “Judith, before I continue, I need to know something.”
“What?”
“Tell me more about you and Mr. Cutler.”
She arched an eyebrow. “I thought I had.”
“Not entirely. There are still a few questions left unanswered.”
“Such as?”
He cleared his throat. “You had mentioned earlier your parents did not know about your engagement.”
She lowered her gaze. “Alex and I kept it a secret. We were going to tell them after he had earned enough money to support me.” She shrugged. “However, before that could happen, my parents died in a carriage accident.”
He leaned forward and patted her clasped hands. “Judith, forgive me for bringing up bad memories about your parents.” It was a pain he knew all too well.
Her eyes flew up to meet his and she nodded.
“Tell me more about Alex. Howwelldid you know him?”
She pulled her hands away from his touch. “After we realized we were in love, we met once a week for two months. At first our rendezvous were at my neighbor’s house, since Alex was related to them, but later in our relationship we met in secret.”
Taking a deep breath, he prepared for the next question. “What exactly did you two…um…doduring your meetings?”
Her forehead creased as she narrowed her gaze. “Mainly we planned the rest of our lives as husband and wife, discussing our dreams and goals.”
