Chapter Four

The Crenshaw estate was lovely, though not particularly impressive compared to the Coleville country home. As his stallion cantered up the path leading toward the home, since he had eschewed a carriage for the trip, he scanned with avid eyes in hopes of catching a glimpse of Sarah. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be.

He dismounted from the saddle a few moments later, having detoured to the stable to leave Hercules to the care of the waiting grooms. Another servant had been tasked with transporting his valise, and he made his way to the main entrance. An immaculately clad older woman in a severely cut black dress and crisp white apron opened the door for him before leading him to a sitting room, where he found his hosts and other guests awaiting. Eric mingled and chatted, all the while hyperaware of the doorway behind him as he waited for Sarah to enter.

The hair on the nape of his neck stood up, and a slight chill went through him. He turned his gaze to the doorway, unsurprised to find Sarah stepping inside, followed behind by two ladies clad in matching day dresses. He had no eyes with them, and his gaze settled on Sarah. She was a vision of loveliness in a pale pink dress. Her hair was neatly pinned, and his fingers itched to run through it and feel the silky strands spilling around his hand.

He was amused when she seemed to make a point of ignoring him and didn’t greet him until very last. Unable to resist making even the slightest contact, he took her hand and brought it to his lips, pressing a chaste kiss to the back of it before quickly releasing her. He would have liked to keep holding her hand, but that would start tongues wagging. He would win no favor with her or her father if he did something to besmirch her reputation.

He had arrived in time for tea, and he didn’t think it was an accident when Sarah ended up taking a seat near him. She was close enough that he could smell the hint of lavender wafting from her hair, but not close enough that he could accidentally brush against her. It was maddening to have her so close, yet so far away. He feared for the delicate china cup in his hand as he strove to control the compulsion to reach out and run his fingers down the back of her neck.

The interminable torture of tea seemed to last forever, though paradoxically, wasn’t long enough. It was only when he was forced to move away from her that he acknowledged he’d rather have her just out of touching distance than across the room. What about Sarah drew him to her so strongly and with fervent singlemindedness? No doubt, Byron and his ilk would have something poetic to say about this tender affection he held for Sarah. As a soldier, he didn’t have their flowery prose at his disposal to describe how he felt, or why he felt that way. Instead, he took a more tactical view of determining his goal and planning a way to reach it.

***

Sarah had begun to feel like the day would never end. It wasn’t that she wasn’t having a good time with her friends and their guests. She was simply constantly aware of Lord Coleville’s eyes following her. Whenever she looked at him—and admittedly, that was far more frequently than etiquette deemed proper—he was looking back at her. She had spent more time looking at him than anyone or anything around her for the rest of the evening. Even at dinner, when he’d been seated several seats away from her and farther down across the table, somehow their gazes kept locking.

It was a relief to escape to her bedchamber and shed the evening dress and pelisse with her maid’s assistance. She was far more exhausted than she should have been based on her level of activity for the day, but still couldn’t seem to fall asleep. It was close to dawn before she finally managed to doze off.

When she woke a few hours later, it was because Georgette was trying to rouse her. She opened an eyelid and glared up at her lady’s maid. “Pray let me sleep.”

“Sorry, my lady, but your mother requested I wake you. She has arranged a picnic for the guests in the glen, and you shall want to join them.”

With a sigh, Sarah forced herself from bed and performed her morning ablutions before slipping on a day dress in pale yellow. She stared at her reflection in the cheval glass for a moment, wincing at how pale she was.

She might be convinced she was coming down with something if she hadn’t felt in fine physical form, other than lack of sleep. The cause of her ailment was no mystery, though she wasn’t certain why he vexed her so. Lord Coleville was the reason she hadn’t rested, and he was also the reason languid warmth spread to her veins. Her cheeks blossomed with color at just the thought of him, and she quickly looked away from the guilty proof of her inappropriate thoughts.

After leaving her bedchamber, she found Prudence and Honoria Hoyton lingering in the hallway, as though they were waiting for her. She smiled at them and moved closer, taking genuine pleasure in the ladies’ company. They were both shy, plain, and cursed with the label of wallflowers. At least unlike their horrid brother Harold, they were good conversationalists and had sparkling wit. It was a shame neither had yet found a match, though she knew their mother was quietly desperate to make it happen, since this was their fourth season.

With Pru and Nora flanking her, they left the house and headed to the glen, where her mother had certainly set up a lavish picnic. Most of the guests were already seated, and she flashed a smile of apology to the gentlemen as they rose when she and the twins approached the table. Three men quickly stood to assist them with their chairs, and she wasn’t at all surprised to find Eric standing behind hers. His fingers lightly brushed her shoulders as he assisted her with pushing in her seat, and she had to keep her spine erect and strenuously resist the urge to lean back against him.

It was unclear if he had finessed the situation, or if it was simply a quirk of fate, but Eric was her dining companion on the left side. Nora was on her right side, but deep in conversation about a new exhibit of Greek antiquities at the Museum with Lady Humboldt, who sat on her other side. It gave her free license to converse with Eric and devote most of her attention to him, though she was certain it was a bad idea to do so.

He kept the topics light and amusing, and he proved to be a charming companion. As the meal drew to a close, he asked, “Would you care to go for a walk?”

As he uttered the question, she shivered slightly in anticipation. Of course one must have a chaperone, but even with another’s presence, it would allow her to extend the time she spent in Eric’s. She acquiesced with a bow of her head and caught Pru’s attention. “Would you like to walk with us?”

Pru nodded, shooting a shy look at Eric before turning her attention to Sarah. “I would be delighted.”

“Do not forget your parasols,” admonished Amelia as the three of them started to move from the table. Indulging her mother, Sarah stopped long enough to take one of the parasols her mother had clearly organized to have available to the guests for their afternoon pursuits. Pru did the same, and they started walking.

The three of them were silent for the first few minutes, until they had left the other guests behind. It felt completely natural to accept the arm Eric extended, sliding hers through his. Pru also accepted the gesture, but she seemed ill-at-ease.

“How are you managing after losing your father?” It was a rather personal question, but there was a sense of easy familiarity with Eric that she hadn’t experienced with anyone else, including Andrew. Even though they were close to being officially engaged, she couldn’t picture herself asking such a personal question of him.

“We were not especially close, so I’m having a far easier time managing than poor Andrew.”

“Is that why Mr. Coleville didn’t join the party?” asked Pru.

“Yes. He isn’t ready for pursuits of entertainment just yet. He was far closer to the old Earl than I was.”

They continued walking for a few more minutes, no one speaking. Abruptly, Eric paused and turned to Pru. “Pardon me for asking for a favor from you, Lady Hoyton, but would you allow me to speak privately with Miss Sarah for a few minutes?”

Pru’s eyes widened at the question, and she shared a puzzled look with Sarah. Sarah knew she should shake her head, subtly encouraging her friend to refuse the improper request. Instead, she nodded just once. If Pru’s blue eyes got any wider, they might tumble from her skull.

Still, she straightened her shoulders, clearly took a deep breath, and nodded. “If you assure me my friend is in good hands, I shall take a closer look at the flowers over there.”

Eric gave her a smile that was far too charming, provoking an irrational spark of jealousy in Sarah’s breast. “I give you my word that my intentions are pure, and I shan’t do anything to risk Miss Sarah’s reputation, or your own.”

Pru seemed satisfied as she nodded and moved closer to the flowers she’d indicated. It was clearly a courtesy on her part, because they were wilting in the late summer sun and certainly not worthy of closer inspection.

Sarah turned to face him completely when her friend had moved out of easy hearing distance. “You should not make such audacious requests, Lord Coleville…I mean Collingsford.”

He grinned. “And you should not agree to them, yet here we are.”

“What topic do you wish to discuss, sir?”

“The topic of your engagement to Andrew is at the top of my list. Are you set on the course of marrying him?”

She couldn’t let herself reach out to touch him, so she wrapped her hands together, folding them neatly in front of her over her abdomen. “I confess I was more certain about that course until recently.”

He moved slightly closer, his shoulder brushing against hers. “What has changed?”

Perhaps Pru’s shyness was contagious, because she found herself looking down and away as her cheeks heated with the bloom of embarrassment. “I cannot say.”

“Do you truly not know?”

With a deep breath, she forced herself to meet his gaze again. “I know what has distracted me, and I also know I should not allow it to do so.”

“You’d rather be trapped in a loveless marriage?”

Sarah wrung her hands. “Of course not, but what of our honor?”

“What of our misery?” he countered. “I have spent the last six years in miserable conditions, and perhaps that gives me a greater appreciation for seizing unexpected opportunities. I must have you. Tell me you do not feel the same, and I shall endeavor to walk away.”

Sarah closed her eyes, a feeling of helpless surrender sweeping over her. “I cannot tell you such a thing without uttering a falsehood.”

“Then let me ask your father for your hand.” As he spoke, he reached out to take hers, cupping them between his.

Sarah’s eyes popped open, and she met his gaze, finding nothing but sincerity in the brown depths. She was so tempted, and she hung poised on the edge of accepting. It took more strength than she could imagine possessing to pull her hands free. “You mustn’t. Please just let me be.”

“Do you deny you feel this pull between us?”

She backed away from him, refusing to answer. How could she deny what her body plainly betrayed whenever it was near him? The desperate need to escape the temptation of his presence and the tantalizing glimpse of the future he offered spurred her to turn and hurry away. Pru quickly caught up with her, and they moved toward the house.

“What troubles you?”

Sarah shook her head. “It’s nothing, Pru. It cannot be anything.”