“Yes, yes, but that was before you learned how very complicated this all is. Yesterday amounted to Adolphus meddling to impress his wife; today I’m asking you to join bedlam. They require—I require—so much more than what was discussed at the palace. I would not blame you if you fled and never looked back.”
“They will require rather a lot, I’m afraid.”
“Should I simply pack up the lot of them and return to Dorset? I am determined to do right by them, first and foremost. It’s the least I can do. And God knows I have duties there. But what is right? I’ve no idea.”
“Well, I’m no expert, mind you. I could only venture to—”
“Tell me what you think,” he cut in. “You’ve elicited more knowledge in thirty minutes than I’d managed in three months. You make it seem... like an adult has entered the room.”
Miss Trelayne cleared her throat. “Ah...”
“Tell me honestly,” he ordered, coming to stand before her, hands on his hips. She was so tall, he barely needed to dip his head to look her in the eye. He’d always felt beastly, squinting down at smallish women, and he liked having a discussion with a woman of reasonable height.
“Well, honestly?” she replied, “If they were making no progress in Dorset, I think you did the right thing by bringing them to London.”
“Right—yes. Good.” He let out a breath. “Thank you. No progress was being made in Dorset.”
This time, when he thought of taking up her hand, he did it. He snatched it up with both of his own, squeezing it. It was... a way to say thank you. With emphasis. A way of imploring her not to go. A way to touch her, something he hadn’t realized until now that he’d wanted very much.
Drew stared at the duke’s hands encasing her own. She was not accustomed to being touched. Her sister, Ana, tolerated her to a degree that precluded touching. Her mother barely spoke to her, let alone touched her. Cynde snatched her into a quick embrace now and then, but her stepsister was so very slight, touching her was like touching an empty column of petticoats and lace.
The duke’s hold was the opposite of empty. His large hands formed a cocoon. He squeezed, a physical demonstration of something like,Here, Now, This.
We.
The words were not said, but she felt some... point being made. An urgent cooperation between them. A signal. They’d departed their previous arrangement and stepped, in unison, to something new.
She looked into his eyes. Her expression must have alarmed him, because he dropped her hand.
Drew’s hand felt cold and bare and she pulled it back.
Here, Now, This. We.
She realized she’d lost the thread of the conversation.
“But should their end result be a bloody... debutante come-out?” Lachlan was asking. He ambled away. “Meeting the queen? Does it compound the problem to put the girls through the paces of a Season? What if you worked with the girls but we removed the pressure of a debut?”
“Well,” Drew ventured, forcing her brain to think, “we should not rule it out. My rapport with the girls might be easier if we are working toward some goal. In this way, the Season could serve as a distraction. From what little we’ve learned, I believe the girls have had quite enough unconventional and, er, strange history. Why not offer them this normalcy?”
“Yes, perhaps you’re right. Normalcy. If they can be taught to manage it.”
She watched him make another jittery circuit of the room. Their situation should have been unsettling; instead, his agitation meant he was affected by his nieces’ plight. His questions meant he was paying attention. He cared. And he wanted Drew to make some improvement.
She was captivated by the contradictions of him. Yesterday he’d been stern and reluctant; now the circumstances had changed and he’d managed to change with them. He freely admitted he needed her help. How long had she waited for the opportunity to affect real change?
She had not been entirely honest when she’d said he was right to bring the girls to London. London would be a very dangerous place for girls as unprepared as they seemed to be. But this didn’t figure in Drew’s influence. She could help these girls. London was possible with Drew here.
And with him. With his...
Well, she couldn’t say what he might bring, but it was clear that he wanted the best for all of them.
It made her want to... to—
She wanted to watch him pace the room and listen to him talk about his family and his life. She wanted him to take up her hand again and beg her to stay.
Suddenly, Lachlan snapped his fingers and spun back. “Whatever we do, Miss Trelayne, you must stay here—that is, stay herenight and day. In the house. You should be constantly engaging the twins. You mustlivehere.”
“Ah . . .” Drew stammered. This, she had not considered.She hadn’t even known if he would receive her this morning. And now night and day?
