Emily smiled at the way he shuddered as he mentioned those items. “In that case I shall pretend I am cooking for one of the children, for I do believe your tastes are quite similar.”
That comment earned her a scowl. “If I didn’t know any better I’d think you were having a laugh at my expense.”
“I would never,” she said without any attempt at hiding her effort to tease him.
He shook his head, though not without adding a smile. “You’re unrepentant.”
She chuckled. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“Good. For it was intended as such.” His voice was a low sensual murmur, causing sparks to fly over Emily’s skin as it teased it into awareness.
She glanced away, unsettled by the powerful effect he had on her, for although she would readily accept his advances for educational purposes, she had no desire to be seduced. Which meant that if they did kiss again, it would have to be with pre-determined parameters. It would be the only way for her to remain detached and not lose her heart to a man whose life would never include her.
This thought lingered as they entered the town a few minutes later, but was quickly dislodged when Lord Griffin asked her to direct him to the paint and hardware shop. She did so and they parted ways with the agreement to meet one hour later at the inn across from the church.
Basket in hand, Emily made her way to the butcher where she purchased a pork loin roast and a chicken before continuing to the green grocers and cheese shop. She was just exiting Wilson’s Bakery when she spotted two familiar faces.
Panic bubbled up inside her and she instinctively glanced around, searching for Lord Griffin.
When she saw that he was nowhere in sight, she allowed herself to relax. There was nothing to worry about. She would simply greet Mr. David Partridge and his sister, Miss Amanda Partridge, exchange a few pleasantries with them and be on her way.
Forcing a smile, she walked toward them.
“Miss Howard,” Mr. Partridge said, tipping his hat politely in greeting. “What a pleasure it is to see you again.”
“You too,” Emily said, with a nod directed at the siblings. “I trust you are both doing well?”
“In a manner of speaking,” Miss Partridge said. “Unfortunately we lost our beloved grandfather last month.”
“Oh. I am so very sorry to hear that,” Emily said, replacing her smile with a somber expression. “Please accept my condolences.”
“Thank you,” Mr. Partridge murmured. “It has been a trying time. If you recall, I have been managing his estate in Dorset since he went blind a few years ago. The place has felt a bit too somber lately, which is why I decided to come here and visit with the rest of my family for a while.”
“I’ve been entertaining him with card games and charades,” Miss Partridge added with a smile, “but after the rain we suffered yesterday, we decided to take advantage of the improved weather and go for a walk instead.”
“And what a good choice that was,” Mr. Patridge said, his gaze settling more firmly on Emily, “or we would not have happened upon you, Miss Howard.”
Alerted by an increased degree of interest in her since their previous encounter with each other, Emily felt her cheeks heat in response. She was still determining how to respond when Miss Partridge’s face lit up with pleasure. “Why, Mr. Crawford! How delightful to find you here as well.”
Emily stiffened and then she turned until Lord Griffin came into view, his tall, broad-shouldered form a testament to his strength and solidity. The heat in her cheeks fanned out across the rest of her body, and her heart began to race with anxious awareness. She held her breath, uncomfortably alerted to the fact that this was the first test of their ruse.
Griffin tightenedhis hold on the parcels of ready-made clothing he’d purchased. “I should say the same to you,” he said, responding to the blonde-haired lady with what he hoped was flawless credibility. “May I add that you look even lovelier than when I last saw you?”
The lady’s lips curved with pleasure. “If you weren’t already married, I daresay I’d set my cap for you myself.”
Griffin smiled, not because of the flattery, but because he was glad to know that whoever these people were, they seemed to believe that he was Caleb. Both were dressed in a manner suggestive of wealth and good taste. He glanced at the man who could not be described as anything other than very attractive. When Griffin had rounded the corner and seen him addressing Miss Howard with a sparkle in his eyes, Griffin’s insides had twisted beneath the tightening of his chest.
An immediate dislike of the man had erupted inside him – a dislike so intense there could be no logical explanation for it, except to suppose that it came from his duty to protect Miss Howard. And since he did not know who the man was or what his intentions might be, Griffin must have subconsciously chosen to err on the side of caution by considering the man a threat until proven otherwise.
Having made sense of this initial reaction, Griffin allowed himself to relax. He also did his best to behave as cordially as possible since the manner in which both the man and the lady had greeted him suggested they’d both been on good terms with Caleb. So he smiled while the young lady spoke of the weather and how she and her brother were very relieved to get out of doors after the previous day’s rain. Every now and again she would give his cheek a curious look, but she was apparently too polite to inquire about his scar, denying Griffin the need to address it.
“What brings you back to Clearview, Mr. Crawford?” The gentleman inquired with interest.
The pair clearly stayed away from London society, or they’d have known that Caleb was in fact the Duke of Camberly and not the mere Mr. Crawford they’d known. Sticking to the role he himself was meant to play now, Griffin said, “Clearview still needs a few extra touches. When I left and married Mary, I promised Miss Howard and Lady Cassandra that I would return at the first available opportunity in order to see to it.”
“You must join us for dinner one evening,” the young lady said when Griffin had finished explaining his reason for coming to Clearview and why his ‘wife’ had not joined him. “It would allow us the opportunity to become better acquainted.”
“Indeed,” her brother murmured, his warm gaze fixed on Miss Howard in a way that caused Griffin to ball his hands into tight fists.
