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“You accept, then?”

She gave a small nod.

Felix smiled, a wave of relief washing over his shoulders. The best part was that Miss Sterling had not overheard his plans.

The worst part was that it was because she was still distracted by the man in the ridiculous coat.

Leah’s newest acquaintance, Mr. Markham, walked with her out to the churchyard. The service had gone excessively long, and Mr. Hawthorne had been seated beside an excessively beautiful young woman. Leah couldn’t help but wonder if she had become his new target. A pang of jealousy had been gnawing a hole in her chest the entire time the vicar had rambled on with his masked pleas for a dinner invitation.

At least Miss Benson hadn’t been sitting by Mr. Hawthorne for once. If she had been successfully deterred, then Leah’s choice to kiss him the night before might not have been in vain.

She had thought of little else since. She felt equal parts proud and embarrassed of her actions. Katherine had scolded her for her boldness already, but what if she had managed to finally win their battle? In truth, her thoughts were less on her victory and more on the fact that her lips had indeed touched Mr. Hawthorne’s.

And she had not minded it.

She could still envision the way the firelight had glinted on his eyes to show the look of amusement within them. But after she had kissed him, there had been a flash of vulnerability—or something even more uncertain. Surely she had caught him by surprise, but she had surprised herself just as much. Never had anyone brought such boldness out of her. She had come to terms with the fact that none of the men at the house party would take her seriously any longer.

But Mr. Markham was not a guest at the house party.

He offered her his arm, which she took as they walked down the path in front of the church.

Meeting him that morning had been a pleasant surprise. The young man resided near Applebury and was one of the vicar’s parishioners. From what Leah had gathered thus far, he was acquainted with Lady Dalmeer and had been invited to her house party, but he had been forced to decline the invitation due to his presence being needed at his own estate. He and Leah had ended up seated together, and his attention had been rapt since the moment he had arrived at her side. Perhaps he had singled her out the moment he entered the church.

Her heart fluttered nervously at the thought.

“What are some of your interests, Miss Sterling? I should like to know them all.” Mr. Markham had an easy smile, his front teeth overlapping slightly. His brown curls escaped the rim of his hat, a skiff of facial hair growing on his jaw. He was handsome, which was another stroke of good fortune, even if his overcoat seemed a bit too large for his frame.

She considered his question carefully. “I enjoy observing art, but not creating it. I like reading.” She bit her lip. How boring did she sound? “I would like to say I enjoy traveling, but I haven’t had many opportunities to do so. Yorkshire is as far as I’ve gone.”

Mr. Markham’s head tilted in curiosity. “Do you wish to see more of the continent?”

“Of course.” She smiled. “Switzerland is at the top of my list.”

He released a delighted laugh. “Oh, Miss Sterling, you will love it.”

She gasped. “Have you been there?”

“Yes.”

“Is it beautiful?”

He nodded, his blue eyes taking in her smile. “Before today, I have never seen anything more charming.”

“Before tod—” Leah stopped her question short, recognizing the flirtatious tone in his voice too late. She laughed, a blush burning her cheeks.

Thankfully, Mr. Markham saved her from having to reply. “Lady Dalmeer has invited me to dine at Bellthorne Hall this evening,” he said.

“Perhaps she was inspired by the sermon.” They had already shared a joke about how obvious the vicar’s pleas had been to extend him an invitation.

Mr. Markham cringed. “I hope I have not taken Mr. Tomlinson’s seat. He may rest assured that I was invited before he gave his sermon.”

Leah’s laugh stopped short when she caught Mr. Hawthorne’s gaze. He still stood near the doors of the church, and he was watching her interaction with Mr. Markham.

He looked away, but that didn’t change the fact that she had caught him.

Her heart thudded, her mind tumbling back to that forbidden place. How could such a brief kiss haunt her so relentlessly? She was being absurd.

“I shall look forward to seeing you this evening, then.” She gave Mr. Markham a smile, which he returned readily.