Instead, Mr. Cooper calmly extended his hand toward Miss Russell and waited.
She glanced at Blayne and he realized she’d turned to him for guidance.
“Ye should go with him,” he said.
A frown appeared on her brow – just a couple of barely visible lines in the darkness. “All right.”
The confusion in her voice made him feel like he’d just stolen something pure and precious from her, only to stomp on it with muddied boots. He cursed as she started moving away. This wasn’t what he’d wanted, it wasn’t how it was meant to be. Miss Russell belonged withhim, damn it.
No.
She can’t.
She deserves better than you.
And yet, Blayne could not stand the thought of her in the arms of another man. Not after what they’d just shared – not after the way she’d responded to his caress. Christ above, he knew he wasn’t a well-polished gentleman suitable for a lady like her. He was rough and crude, forged from the sort of experience nightmares were made of. She deserved better. And yet, he feared there was no walking away from her now. Somehow, that kiss – that moment of pure surrender – had bound them together with unbreakable force.
He could feel it in his bones.
“Miss Russell,” he said, even as she moved further away. “I dinnae regret what just happened between us. I’ll nae apologize for it.”
She was gone then, back to the ballroom with Mr. Cooper.
Blayne wished he could go in pursuit but doing so in his current state would be highly inappropriate. So he blew out a breath and forced himself to consider the ramifications of his actions. Miss Russell would want a declaration of sorts. She’d expect him to make her an offer now. But would she accept him if he did and, more to the point, could a man like him even hope for her acceptance?
He wasn’t the least bit sure. After all, she’d hired him to play her fiancé so she could avoid marriage, not launch herself straight at the altar. And what the hell was he doing anyway, contemplating domestic bliss with Miss Russell as though he were free to do as he pleased? His chest tightened. He couldn’t dismiss his past and he certainly couldn’t marry a woman without confiding his sins.
To do so would be wrong.
Plain and simple.
Although…
Almost two decades had passed since that awful night at Merkland Manor. He’d never forgive himself for what he’d done, but maybe he could allow a bit of light into his life. After looking over his shoulder all these years, ever fearful he’d be clapped in chains and either transported or hung by the neck, nothing had happened.
Until tonight when Lady Warwick had pointed out his familiarity.
Blayne bristled.
If he cared for Miss Russell, he’d walk away now before she discovered the truth.
He stared up at the brightly lit windows behind which she danced with Mr. Cooper. If only he could erase the past so he wouldn’t be forced to let the one woman he’d ever felt more than a passing interest in slip between his fingers.
8
“Have my parents gone out yet?” Charlotte asked Daisy when she came to help her with her toilette the following morning.
“Yes. Your mother’s embroidery group is working on a quilt for the charity auction next week, so she’ll probably be absent until some point this afternoon.”
“And Papa?”
“He left right after the viscountess, but I’ve no idea where he’s gone.”
Charlotte stifled a yawn with her hand and proceeded to dress. “Probably to meet with Mr. Cooper with whom he’s become annoyingly friendly. Help me with these buttons please. I’ll have a quick breakfast and then we’ll head out as well.”
One hour later, Charlotte was back at The Black Swan, much to Daisy’s disapproval. Not that Charlotte cared one whit. She needed to see Mr. MacNeil.Blayne. After what had transpired between them last night in the Coventry garden, it seemed silly not to use his given name.
Moving through the dining area, Charlotte let her gaze roam. The tavern was mostly empty at this hour, save for one lone man enjoying a cup of coffee along with a plate of surprisingly tasty looking eggs and bacon. A scraping sound farther back in the taproom caught her attention. She approached until the same young man she’d met here before came into view. If memory served, and she believed it did, his name was Claus.
