Appreciating the sympathy but disliking the mood their discussion had led to, he nodded, then turned his attention back to the newspaper he’d brought along for the ride. Opening it, he set his mind to finding a new investment opportunity – something that would save him from bending to Langley’s will.
* * *
Hopingshe managed to do so discreetly, Louise considered Lord Alistair while he read the crisp newspaper he held. His brow was knit in serious contemplation, his eyes skimming the pages with intense interest. Turning a page with a rustle, he leaned slightly forward as if studying part of the text in greater detail.
Being a relatively large man, he seemed to fill the carriage with his presence. The space had felt even smaller when he’d been looking at her. Thankfully, he’d stopped doing so now, allowing the fluttery feel in her belly to settle into something much calmer and more relaxed. His dark perusal invariably made her tighten up inside. It bothered her to no end that she couldn’t discern what he was thinking. To do so was impossible when he kept the inner workings of his mind carefully masked behind layers of strict severity. What shocked her most, perhaps, was her reaction to this, for it made her want to shake some emotion out of him. Of course, doing so would likely result in the termination of her employment before it even began.
As she watched him, a dark lock of hair fell across his brow. It made him appear more carefree somehow, even if his expression did no such thing. Flexing her fingers, she fought the urge to reach out and force the errant hair back into place. To do so would be scandalous – completely and utterly shocking.
With this in mind, she drew the blanket he’d given her at the onset of their journey tighter across her lap. As concerned as she’d been about travelling with him after their initial meeting, she had begun to warm to the idea of sharing his company.
For one thing, it was a chance in a lifetime, because being confined to a small space with the best looking man in England was not the sort of thing that was likely to happen ever again. For another, she would not be alone with him. Even if the maid who’d joined them slept the entire way to Whitehaven, her presence ensured propriety would be maintained.
So why worry? Rather, Louise decided she might as well spend the next few days admiring Lord Alistair’s perfect figure, the breadth of his shoulders, and how perfectly his well-tailored clothes hugged him in all the right places. This was a rare treat she’d been given, and she’d be a fool not to take advantage.
So she sat back and let her gaze wander up the length of his legs and across his thighs. He turned another page, and she studied the movement, admiring the size of his hands. They were so much larger than hers, though elegant in their own right as they carefully held the newspaper.
Sliding her gaze upward, she took in the leanness of his chest. Many men would have a belly protruding when sitting down, but he did not. Rather, his jacket sat completely flat against his torso, which rather intrigued her. Continuing up over his chest, she reached his shoulders and then the side of his neck where a few fine tufts of hair curled right beneath his earlobe.
“You’re staring at me,” he murmured.
Louise’s heart slammed against her chest and her gaze shot toward his. He was studying her with those dark eyes that revealed nothing of what he was thinking, but they did produce a rush of heat that instantly made her think of flinging herself from the carriage if only to escape her own embarrassment.
2
He’d caught her. The thrill of it could not be denied. Nor could the wicked sensations rolling through him as he allowed himself to consider the purpose behind her intense scrutiny. And it had been intense. He’d sensed it long before he’d accused her.
“I, er…” She fumbled with her words, her eyes darting about, looking everywhere but at him.
“Yes?” He couldn’t help himself. Her discomfort was far too amusing for him to relent.
Puffing out a breath, she waved her hands as if they might conjure the necessary excuse. Eventually, she surprised him by saying, “Very well, you caught me.”
Staring at her, he had no choice but to admire her honesty when most women would have denied it to perdition. “Very well?” He was obviously at a loss for words.
She raised both eyebrows and stared him down, incredible female. “I never had a Season,” she said as if that explained everything.
Confounded, he folded the newspaper, set it aside on the bench, and gave her his full attention. “How does that factor in?”
A shrug was her first response. But then she added, “Most of the men I have known have either been family or indistinct. You are neither.”
He could feel a persistent tug at the corners of his mouth. Surrendering to it, he smiled, aware she was staring once more. “That would make me distinctive, Miss Potter.”
“Yes, well.” She waved her hand as if trying to brush his comment aside. “There it is.”
“Hmm.” He wasn’t about to let her get off so easily. “Would you care to elaborate?”
“I beg your pardon?” Her horrified expression made him smile even more.
Heaven help him, he was being awful, enjoying himself at her expense. “In what ways do you find me distinctive?” he asked.
For a long second, she simply sat there looking back at him as if she failed to comprehend the question. She pressed her lips together, and he watched her eyes harden with resolve. When she spoke again, it took every bit of restraint he possessed not to howl with laughter. “In case you’re not aware, you aren’t exactly hideous. In fact, I might even say you are pleasing to look at.”
“And so, considering my un-hideousness, you found yourself staring.”
“Of course,” she said, surprising him once again with her frankness. “The realization was so astonishing, I could hardly help myself.”
He did laugh then, long and hard and with an abandon he hadn’t allowed in years. It made Bridget stir enough for him to choke back the rest of the sound before continuing in a whisper. “Good lord, Miss Potter. I’m beginning to see why my niece chose to hire you. That tongue of yours is certain to set her children straight.”
