Page 51 of Aurelia

She didn’t just want to kiss and embrace him again, she wanted to see his cock—and the rest of his body, too—and touch and squeeze and stroke the hard ridge, but not as cruelly as he had just done.

And of course she would have liked to sketch not just it, but all of him.

The earl gave another snort at whatever he saw on her face and turned away. “I will fetch the horses.”

Aurelia flooded with shame. While she was fantasizing about his body, he was trying to get away from her.

She squeezed her eyes shut briefly, wishing she were anywhere else but on that beach.

He led Black Prince over without speaking and silently lifted her into the saddle, waiting until she’d shifted her soaking wet habit to the side and hooked her knee properly before mounting his own horse.

The longer they rode, the more mortified Aurelia felt. What was it about this man? She had lived to the age of five-and-twenty without behaving like such a trollop. Indeed, she had rebuffed an untold number of advances during her single London Season, and even in the tiny village of Little Sissingdon she’d had to repeatedly reject unwanted male attention.

Never in a hundred years would she have imagined that she could be an aggressor.

Never had she imagined that her advances would be rebuffed.

It was beyond humiliating.

“I am leaving in a few days.”

The earl’s words pulled her from her mortified misery.

“I must go to Edinburgh and then to London. I will be gone some weeks.”

Aurelia had nothing to say.

“I am leaving all my journals at your disposal. Arthur is a good source of information as he saw a great many of the animals in their native environment and kept his own notes about colors, habits, et cetera, to help him with his recreations. He can help describe foliage, behavior, that sort of thing.”

“Thank you.” It was all she could manage and it earned a cursory glance from him.

Not until the stables were in sight did he speak again. “I do hope what happened back there does not sour you on working for me, Miss Burton. I promise I will not importune you like that again.” He reined in his horse when she didn’t answer. “Stop a moment,” he ordered.

Aurelia sighed and did likewise.

“Miss Burton?” he said, forcing her to look at him. “Will what happened pose a problem for you?”

“There is no problem.” She was going to leave it at that, but something spurred her to add, “And if you are going to apologize then I should too. You weren’t the only one who did some importuning. Let us just forget that it ever occurred. I am happy with my work and have no wish to leave.”

He nodded and those were the last words on the subject.

Indeed, that was the last conversation Aurelia had with the earl for the next two days. She did not even see him at dinner as he took his meals in his chambers while he prepared for his journey.

And three days later, without having seen him again, the Earl of Crewe was gone.

***

The day after Lord Crewe’s departure Aurelia was seated at the breakfast table, pushing food around her plate and feeling decidedly out of sorts when Beekman entered.

“This just came for you, Miss Burton.” He held out a salver with a single piece of mail on it.

“Thank you,” she said as she examined the envelope. The handwriting wasn’t familiar and there was no return direction.

Aurelia opened it and glanced down at the signature in surprise. It was from Larissa Clifford.

Dear Miss Burton,

No doubt this letter will take you by surprise, but I have repeatedly regretted my hasty and uncivil behavior toward you that day on the beach. You put your safety at risk to help me and I was… abrupt. I wanted to let you know that I deeply appreciate your actions and wish I had told you—and Sir Gideon—as much that day.