What if he regretted it? After all, he had pushed her away in the end. What if he’d done so after realizing that the kiss had been a spontaneous mistake?
She grabbed a dress, a green one, and turned to her mother. “I will be down in a moment. Thank you for the tea.”
Her mother stared at her. “Are you sure you are well?”
“Of course.”
“You seem...flustered.”
“I’m just surprised by how late I slept,” Emily said, a little too brightly. She avoided looking at her mother by going in search of clean undergarments and stockings.
“Very well then,” her mother conceded. She paused, then went to the door. “I will see you downstairs.”
As soon as she exited the room, closing the door behind her, Emily breathed a sigh of relief. Her shoulders sagged and she leaned the weight of her body against her dresser. If only she could stay up here, hidden away for the rest of the day. And tomorrow. At least until she believed herself capable of having a conversation with Griffin without being affected by the memory of their kiss. Which would likely be never.
With a groan of frustration, she pulled off her nightgown and flung it on top of the scarlet dress. She was a grown woman, for heaven’s sake, independent and perfectly free to choose her own destiny. To let a man addle her like this was silly.
So what if they’d kissed each other? It only confirmed that they shared a mutual attraction. That was all. Nothing more to it. And if things progressed and the opportunity for more arose, well then that would be all right with her too. She certainly wouldn’t worry over it. No point in that.
Satisfied that she had overcome any doubts or concerns about seeing Griffin again, Emily entered the kitchen, ready to face him with a smile and a pleasant, “Good morning.”
Except he wasn’t there. Only her mother was seated at the table. Hmm... Emily approached. Her mother glanced up from the piece of mending she was working on.
“I found the sewing kit in the hallway cupboard. Hope you don’t mind me borrowing it.”
“No. Of course not.” Emily frowned. “That looks like Bridget’s dress.”
Her mother turned the garment over in her hands. “It was lying on top of the sewing kit together with a few more items, so when I finished repairing the tear in my petticoat, I decided to fix those as well. Do you mind?”
“No. Of course not.” Emily pulled out a chair and sat. “But can’t Patsy do it?”
“Oh, I have asked her to dust and sweep the downstairs rooms.”
“Thank you, Mama.”
A faint smile brushed Georgina’s lips. “I wish there were more I could do to make up for all my mistakes.” She slumped against her chair with a sigh. “You were my oldest daughter. The one who was meant to secure the best match.”
Emily stiffened as bitterness rose up her throat. “Instead, I became your biggest disappointment.”
“Yes. You did.” Emily’s mouth dropped open. Her mother’s brutal honesty was startling. “I blamed you for not securing a proposal when I ought to have blamed myself for being too pushy.”
“And for insisting on hideous gowns.”
Mrs. Howard’s lips quirked. “I mistakenly believed bright colors would draw attention.”
“And they did, though not in the way you probably hoped.”
“No.” Georgina set her mending aside and hesitantly placed her hand over Emily’s. “I know I frightened Langdon away when I went to see him. All I wanted was to have him propose, and instead I achieved the opposite.” She curled her fingers around Emily’s and squeezed. “Can you ever forgive me?”
Emily met her mother’s gaze and felt the lingering resentment she harbored crack in response to the pain she saw there. She nodded. “Of course.”
Her mother smiled and glanced briefly away, her eyes suspiciously shiny. A sniff followed along with a few rapid blinks. And then she jutted her chin toward a covered plate. “You should eat. Lord Griffin will likely be disappointed if you don’t.”
Emily lifted the upside down bowl that had been used to keep her food warm and found scrambled eggs, sausages, and toast waiting. Her stomach growled in response to the appetizing meal. It looked and smelled delicious.
“Where is he by the way?” Emily casually asked as she picked up her knife and fork.
Her mother poured some tea for her before refilling her own cup. “In the library. He said he had some extra paint and that there were a few peeling spots in there he could patch.”
