Instead, she gave herself up to the dressmaker’s endless advice on the fabrics and styles most suited to her shape and coloring. Two hours later, her measurements had been taken and her clothing order completed.
It included a ball gown cut from slippery topaz blue silk.
After years of feeling as though life consisted of endless demands made by others, Simon realized he finally had a chance to get what he wanted for a change. The knowledge made the world brighter, his body lighter. Hell, even something as simple as walking was easier now that he knew Miss Strong wanted him too.
Oh, she might not be ready to admit it yet, but he’d seen her blush in response to his comment, watched her hand tremble, and heard her breath catch. She’d been physically aware of him as a man. The desperation in her eyes and the way she’d arched, ever so slightly in his direction, left no doubt in his mind.
And if it had, the jealousy she’d exuded because of Gabriella would have dismissed it entirely. Simon tried not to grin as he led her back to the house. They’d taken luncheon at a small restaurant he’d selected because it was located on a less travelled street and offered the privacy he wanted. Miss Strong had been very quiet the entire time, her thoughts clearly elsewhere.
Perhaps on the idea of having him press his advances?
The possibility coupled with the sway of her hips as she preceded him through the front door moments later almost made him groan. Perhaps if he’d had a woman in recent days, her effect on him wouldn’t be quite so fierce. But it hadn’t been days or weeks. It had been almost three months since he’d broken things off with his mistress, so spending time with Miss Strong day in and day out was giving him all sorts of carnal ideas.
“Thank you for taking me out today and for purchasing all those gowns.” Miss Strong was looking askance. She was clearly bothered by him buying such personal effects for her.
“You don’t have to keep thanking me.”
“I can’t help it, my lord.” She looked at him then, with eyes so wide and honest it almost made him stagger. “Your generosity demands I do so. I just wish there was more I could do to repay you.”
“You could start by calling me Simon.” His stomach clenched as he made the request, laying bare his intentions toward her as honestly as he was able.
There was only the briefest of hesitations, and then her mouth widened into a broad smile. “I think I can manage that. Simon.”
The thrill of his name on her lips made his chest expand with more than pleasure alone. It was as if she’d just answered a lifelong yearning he’d not even known he’d had until this very moment – a desire for a soul deep connection with another person. The acknowledgement, not just of his need to be seen as more than a title, but of forging a bond built on honesty and trust, stole his breath.
Ida tilted her head. “Are you all right? You look slightly ill.”
He stared at her. “Yes. Sorry. I’m fine. Just…” The temptation to brush the truth aside with a flip response existed, but Ida deserved better than that. She deserved the truth. “I can’t recall the last time someone actually spoke my name.”
A funny sort of snort escaped her. “That can’t be right.”
“I was eight years old when my grandfather died and I inherited my father’s honorary title. For twenty-two years that’s what I’ve been, a man not even permitted to have the luxury of his own name, to have an identity exclusively his own instead of one passed on from previous generations.”
“I’m sorry.”
The comment made him flinch. “I don’t want you to be sorry. The last thing I want from you is pity. My only intention was to give you a sense of how much your willingness to do as I asked actually means to me.”
“I’m glad.” Eyes locked with his for a moment, she seemed to convey so much more than what she could put words to. And then, scrunching her mouth in thought, she glanced toward the hallway leading to the kitchen. “We’ve had quite the day. Perhaps a cup of tea would be in order?”
He almost sagged with relief. Somehow, inexplicably, she’d managed to remove his discomfort and make him feel right at home in her company. “Yes, thank you. I’d like that.”
Smiling, she turned and led the way to the back of the house. He followed, ever conscious of the fact that the last few minutes had been life altering. Whatever happened between him and Ida from this moment on, it would be with the awareness that she mattered to him more than he ever would have expected her to.
The air had warmed significantly since the previous week. Not a single cloud blocked the sun, allowing its rays to bathe everything in their path with golden light. Strolling through Green Park with Simon, Ida admired the vibrancy bursting forth from the flowerbeds. Even the grass was an uncommonly bright shade of green.
She drew a bit closer to him, savoring the strength in his arm and the sense of security he offered. During the past week and a half, they’d continued their search for the traitor by creating a timeline of all the events that had taken place since her father’s return from the war and until his death. They’d worked from her memory at first, and when her knowledge had been depleted, they’d turned to the Mayfair Chronicle. Simon’s connections had truly paid off in that regard. He’d only had to show the clerk at the front desk his card to gain access to all the newspaper articles written during that period.
Working side by side at a wide table in the Chronicle archive, Ida and Simon had made note of all pertinent information pertaining to the case, including each mention of Elmwood, Kirksdale, and Nugent.
It had been a laborious undertaking and one that had not yielded many results. Most of what they’d learned had to do with each man’s political view and the bills they’d voted on, none of which had anything to do with Napoleon, international policy, or anything else that might demand further investigation. They lacked information with which to fill in some very large gaps.
“I hope the ball proves more fruitful than our other efforts,” Ida said as they strolled. “If not, I really don’t know where to go from here.”
“There’s still the captain. As soon as he returns, we’ll question him. I’ll make sure of it.”
Ida glanced at Simon and smiled. He’d become her closest confidant and her dearest friend. She was also fairly certain he would be open to a more intimate relationship with her, and while the notion was certainly tempting, she needed to make sure she wasn’t making a dreadful mistake if she went down that path.
He was a peer while she was less than a nobody from a socially acceptable point of view. Marriage would be out of the question, so that meant all they’d have was an affair. Which wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. Becoming the mistress of a wealthy peer she found attractive would certainly help secure her future. It was without doubt the easiest way for her to better her life right now. As long as that was all it would ever be – an opportunity not to be passed up. But what Ida feared was getting attached. According to what Philipa had once told her, a young woman had to be cautious when choosing her first lover. If she cared for him even a little, the experience could lead to love and a broken heart if he failed to return the affection.
