His rejection was embarrassing.
“Come on, Miss.”
Mary unceremoniously yanked the duvet down and Lizzie groaned.
“Fine!” she blurted. “Since ye willna cease.”
Her maid giggled. “We’ve no time. Ye dinna want to keep the earl waiting any longer, do ye?”
Actually, she did, but she couldn’t tell Mary that. If her maid learned how close she had come to giving herself to the earl last night, she would have her head.
Then she would tell her parents what she’d done, and they would insist that the earl make things right and take responsibility for his actions.
Yet, she felt she was the one pushing more. Aye, he felt the same as her, but he had much more self-control.
Much more.
And in the light of a new day, she realized he was right in sending her back to her room. Not that she would have regretted it. She wouldn’t have. But she understood the repercussions of what almost happened.
As much as she didn’t want to admit it, Malcolm was right. When she saw him later, she would thank him. It was stupid. He’d probably think she was daft but, truly, she was grateful that he was able to keep his wits about him.
One of them had to.
Because she definitely had not.
After freshening up and dressing in a light-yellow day dress with a green sash tied at her waist, Lizzie opened the door to a waiting Malcolm. His eyes flared at the sight of her. Proof that his feelings were there. The butterflies in her stomach fluttered to life and her pulse quickened.
Not trusting her voice, she nodded her greeting, and they made their way downstairs and out to the carriage.
Today they would finally arrive at Tolton Hall. She was both excited and weary about seeing her parents again. Certainly, this would be the last time they ever let her travel alone again. For that she was sure.
She’d broken their trust. They wouldn’t take kindly to that. She’d probably be locked in her room until they felt she’d learned her lesson. But on the bright side, today was also the day she would prove to Malcolm that she wasn’t a thief.
And she would get her grandmother’s jewelry back. Where it rightfully belonged.
Malcolm cleared his throat behind her. “Lass, may I have a word?”
She turned to look at him, and in his eyes was that same longing from the night before. One that matched her own.
“Of course.” She stepped back from the carriage and Mary went to follow, but she waved her away. “We willna be far, Mary. Dinna fash. We will stay within eyesight.”
“Aye, Miss.” Mary curtsied and hung back as Malcolm guided Lizzie by the elbow and they walked away out of earshot.
He blew out an exasperated breath before speaking. He looked like he was searching for the right words to say. He also looked like he hadn’t slept a wink last night. His blond hair wasn’t brushed as neatly as it usually was. And dark circles formed under his eyes.
She stayed silent, her hands clasped in front of her as she watched a flood of emotions cross his handsome face.
“About last night…”
“Och.” She clucked her tongue and waved his words away. “Please, my lord. We needn’t discuss what transpired. Or did no’ transpire,” she added, a bit playfully to the lighten the mood which had grown heavy when they left Mary.
He chuckled, running a hand through his thick hair, causing it to stand on end. “I appreciate ye saying such words. I would like ye to ken that if circumstances were different, I would court ye in a heartbeat. Which, if ye kenned my past, ye would understand how much that means.”
She licked her lips and caught the way his eyes tracked to her mouth, his pupils flaring. Tilting her head to the side, she put her hands on her hips. “Ye are welcome to tell me about how great a feat that is. Because right now, I am sorry to say that I dinna understand.” She took in a deep breath before continuing. “But one thing I can tell ye, because I can understand it, is that last night there were plenty of sparks shared betwixt us. And while Imay no’ be experienced in such things, I dinna consider myself a dolt.”
His eyes rounded. “I would ne’er say such a thing.” For a moment it looked like he was going to reach for her hand, but his gaze shot back to where Mary was standing, watching their every move and he dropped his hand to his side.
“Ye are a verra lovely lass. Whoe’er ye marry will be verra lucky to have ye.”
“Whilst I appreciate your niceties, my lord, your words leave me just as confused as last night.” Lizzie had never thought of herself as being particularly forward with men, or anyone really, but she found when it came to Malcolm, she couldn’t hold back. “’Twould be nice if ye would give me the benefit of an explanation of what ye meant earlier. Ye are correct I ken naught of your past. But I would like to. If ye would only open up to me. But instead ye hold back. Ye dangle a wee glimpse of what things could be like in front of me, and when I make the jump to accept, ye pull it away. Why?”
