Page 29 of The Widow’s Christmas Surprise

Lady Kersey shook her head, sadness in her face once again. “I thank you for trusting me with this information, Mr. Granger. I know how painful it must have been to disclose it. But I can assure you I will speak of this to no one unless given your leave.” She rose, bringing Hugh instantly to his feet in front of her. “If there is anything I can do to help you or your family in any way, please do not hesitate to ask.”

“Thank you, my lady.” And now he would find out if his forthrightness had been for nothing. “There is one thing you might do, not for my brother, who I fear is simply in God’s hands, but for my sister.”

“Yes, Miss Granger.” Her face lit up and Hugh’s heart stuttered. “You were to arrange an introduction between us. I hope that will be possible sooner rather than later.”

“That is the very boon I was about to request, my lady.” A tightness in his chest made Hugh pause. “Would you and Lady John come to tea with me and my sister tomorrow afternoon at Wingate?”

“Your residence, if I remember correctly?”

“Yes. A small manor house about a mile from Kersey Hall, in the opposite direction from Francis House.”

“I would be delighted to meet Miss Granger. I shall ask my cousin, but I am certain she will wish to make the acquaintance as well.” Her eyes sparkled with true joy, making Hugh almost giddy with relief.

“Thank you, my lady.” She was so close, so temptingly close. Her face tilted up to him brought her mouth only inches from his lips. If he swayed slightly toward her—

She rose up and brushed her lips against his in a fleeting kiss that seemed to last far longer than the few seconds it surely took. Still, he savored the warmth of her mouth, the sweetness of her breath, the closeness of her face next to his. Not a sensual kiss, but one so comforting he could forget the worries for his family completely for those few blissful moments. Heaven in several different ways.

Then she was gone, slipped out the door with only the swish of her purple skirts lingering on the air.

Hugh gazed about the room, not entirely certain what had just happened had been real. And if it had been—and he hoped like the devil it had been—then he must figure out what Lady Kersey had meant by kissing him, and how they could go on from here.

Chapter Twelve

“What did I do? What did I do?” Running lightly down the corridor from the steward’s office at the rear of the house, Maria could scarcely believe she had kissed Mr. Granger. How could she have acted so scandalously?

Well, because the poor man had been in need of comfort. Not that such a fleeting kiss could be truly comforting, but at least she hoped it told him she understood his troubles and would be a friend to him. More than a friend, really, if truth be told. If he wished her to be.

She turned a corner and slowed down to a fast walk. If anyone saw her now they would have no idea she’d been in Mr. Granger’s office. Had she been caught there alone with the steward, both of them might have been censured. Mr. Granger would have quite likely lost his position. Or worse, they might have been forced to marry. Not that that would be a bad thing as far as she was concerned. She liked Mr. Granger more each time she spoke with him. Not only was he handsome, but a genuinely kind man who cared deeply about his family. He was excellent with children—he’d taken to Jane and her to him in mere moments. And compassionate toward the Tates and his brother.

Yes, if she wished to marry a man with integrity and a clear moral code, Mr. Granger—She turned a corner and smacked into a tall, hard body. Rebounding off the solid torso, she staggered backward, the scent of bergamot filling her nose as she raised her gaze to the equally startled face of Lord Wetherby.

“Lady Kersey, are you quite all right?” He grasped her arm, even though she was standing perfectly still by the time he had done so.

“Yes, my lord. Thank you.” She waited for him to release her, but he kept his hand where it was, squeezing her upper arm lightly.

“You must be more careful, my lady. You could have taken a nasty spill.” He removed his hand, only to take her arm and twine it through his. “Let me escort you to avoid further mishaps.”

Smiling, although she actually wanted to grimace, Maria nodded and adjusted her hand so it lay in the crook of his elbow, touching him as little as possible. “How good of you, my lord. I was going to my cousin’s room to help her with her packing.”

“That should make for a lengthy journey if we walk sedately, Cousin Maria.” He glanced down at her and smiled, showing very white teeth. “You do not mind if I call you that, do you? We are related, of course.”

Permission to use such a familiar name with a gentleman she did not know well at all should properly be refused. In Maria’s circumstances, however, it might be in her best interest to agree. True, the connection was tenuous at best, but Lord Wetherby’s father ruled whether Maria had a home or not. If his son wished to claim a familial tie, she should probably acquiesce so he could tell his father that she was being cordial. “Of course, Lord Wetherby. I would be pleased to be known to you as Cousin Maria.”

“And you then must call me Anthony, Cousin.” A glimmer of humor shone in his eyes. He was pressing his advantage to the hilt when he knew it was improper.

“Cousin Anthony, then.” Lord, but he did remind her uncannily of Alan, especially when she’d first met him. Dashing, handsome, charming, and so very good at using all those attributes to get what he wanted. No doubt Cousin Anthony was cut from the same cloth.

“What brought you to the rear part of the house, Cousin? Surely there’s nothing of interest there save some empty rooms.” His dark eyes searched hers, as if ferreting out a secret.

“I had gone to see Mr. Granger.” Jane had always said, the best way to tell a lie was to make it as close to the truth as possible. “I had a favor to ask of him.”

“Indeed.” That seemed to take Cousin Anthony aback. “What favor could you want from Granger?”

His implication was clear—a tryst between her and Mr. Granger would naturally be the first thing a rogue such as Anthony would expect. A sudden eager speculation in his face with raised eyebrows and a subtle licking of his lips confirmed it.

“Yes, I wanted to ask him if he would introduce me to his sister, Miss Granger. She is currently residing with him, as you may know. As we are somewhat of an age, I thought she might be good company for me when Lady John leaves on Monday.” She beamed up at his fallen face. “I was just hurrying to tell my cousin that we are invited to tea tomorrow afternoon.”

“How charming.” His tone said otherwise. “I had hopes you might ride out with me tomorrow afternoon. We have not had a chance to get to know one another properly. Dinner conversation can only go so far and we have had precious little of that. I do wish to get to know you better, my dear Cousin Maria.”