Whirlwind Affair

look. They could have been standing in a room filled with dozens of people, but it would suddenly seem as if they were alone. As if no one else existed.'

'Yes, that's precisely the look.'

They stood there, in the middle of the path, looking at each other, and once again, as she had the day before, she swore something passed between them. A subtle, unspoken understanding-silent, yet nonetheless real.

Forcing herself to look away from him, she shook her head and sighed. 'I'm so sorry for your mother. It must be terrible to lose a husband you love so much…'

She felt him start, and she looked up at him. He was staring at her with an odd expression. 'But of course you would understand how that feels…' he murmured. He didn't ask wouldn't you, yet she clearly heard the question in his voice, saw it in his frown.

Heat suffused her face, and she started walking again, turning away from his penetrating, inquisitive stare, afraid that he would read the truth in her eyes.

While she could not deny that she had loved David when he'd died, her discovery of his true nature had extinguished her love like a snuffed-out candle. She tried to conjure David's likeness in her mind's eye, to forcibly remind herself of what she never wanted to suffer through again, but the handsome face that filled her mind wasn't David's.

God, help me. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to erase Lord Robert's image, but failed utterly. He filled her mind completely. But worse, she suspected that if she let her guard down at all, he would fill her heart.

********

Grateful to be back at the town house, Robert handed his hat and walking stick to Carters. He couldn't have endured one more minute confined with her in that carriage, breathing in her hypnotic flowery scent, racking his brain without success for something to say. Nearly the entire journey from Vauxhall was made in silence. He'd sat across from her, tongue-tied like a green schoolboy.

Damn it, they'd enjoyed such camaraderie during their walk, but then it had suddenly vanished, replaced with an uneasy tension that emanated from her in waves. Half of him had longed to break that tension, but the other half told him it was better this way. For the more he spoke to her, shared with her, the more enchanted 0he became with her. The more he wanted to know everything about her.

Carters' voice yanked him from his musings. 'A package from Madame Renee's establishment arrived for Mrs. Brown while you were out. I placed it in her bedchamber.' Reaching into his coat pocket, he withdrew a sealed letter and handed it to Mrs. Brown. 'This arrived as well. There's a lad waiting to bring a reply back to Lord Shelbourne.'

Robert's shoulder's stiffened. What did Shelbourne want now? With a nod of thanks, she broke the seal and read the contents. A tapping echoed in the foyer, and to his annoyance he realized it was the toe of his own boot striking the marble floor. Nearly a minute passed with her silently reading. What the devil had Shelbourne written her? A bloody novel?

Clearing his throat, he adopted a casual tone in marked contrast to his annoyance and remarked, 'Nothing amiss, I hope.'

She glanced up from the vellum. 'Lord Shelbourne wishes for me to dine with him at his home this evening.'

Robert's hands fisted. Bloody hell! Clearly the rogue sought to pursue her in the privacy of his home as she'd refused his invitation to go out publicly. Well, Mrs. Brown was no foolish, naive miss. Of course she would divine Shelbourne's intent and refuse him.

“May I use the carriage tonight?'

He stared at her. Much as he tried to will it away, he couldn't stop the jealousy pumping through him. Nor the hurt. Damn it, she'd turned down his invitation for an evening at Vauxhall. No matter that the instant the invitation had passed his lips he'd regretted it. The intimacy of the setting would be pure torture for him, and he'd been more than a little relieved when she'd declined. But now…

'You intend to accept him?' he asked, much more stiffly than he'd intended. 'I thought you required this evening to prepare for tomorrow's journey.'

'In truth, I do, but I really cannot refuse the earl's invitation. See for yourself,' she said, handing him the missive.

He scanned the few lines, his jaw tightening at the phrase 'opportunity to become better acquainted.' 'Do you have this box he mentions?'

'Yes. I suppose I should have brought it to him this morning, but I never thought of it. Indeed, I most likely would have thrown it away when I packed up my belongings this evening. The box is rusted and dented on the top. I'm certainly happy to give it to him, especially since I cannot return his ring.'

'So you wish to accept his invitation simply to return this rusty, dented box.'

'Yes. I consider it an errand of honor. Wouldn't you?'

Marginally cheered, he admitted, 'Yes, I suppose I would. However, I must warn you that Shelbourne has… something of a reputation with the ladies.' He nearly choked on the mild description, but he did not feel the need to prejudice her against the man with the unvarnished truth-that Shelbourne was a jaded libertine without a single scruple in regards to women-although he would if he had to. ' Elizabeth would have my head if I allowed you to spend time alone with someone who could damage your reputation. Therefore, I insist upon accompanying you.'

She appeared relieved. 'Thank you. While I feel I must go, I've no wish to dine alone with the earl.'

Hmmm. Clearly Shelbourne was the only one who wished to become better acquainted. Excellent. And while it was hardly polite to invite himself to dinner, under the circumstances, he had little choice. Just knowing it would irk Shelbourne cheered him even further.

'Then I'll send off a reply for him to expect two dinner guests.' He consulted his timepiece. 'We have almost two hours before we must depart. As we'll be out this evening, I suggest we use this time to prepare for tomorrow's departure.'

'An excellent plan.' With a nod, she climbed the stairs, disappearing from his view when she turned down the corridor leading to her bedchamber. Turning on his heel, he walked to Austin 's study, intent upon making use of his brother's stationery. He had to send off his reply to Shelbourne.

And then he had another, more important letter to write.

*********

Allie entered her bedchamber, heading directly toward the mahogany dresser. She picked up the rusted ring box, setting it in the palm of her hand.

'I will be very relieved to see the last of you,' she whispered to the dented piece. 'Once you are returned, I will be free.' David and the damage he'd wrought would finally be exorcized from her life, although she suspected that a few demons would always remain.

Still, profound relief washed through her. With her quest completed, she could fully enjoy her visit with Elizabeth. Six lovely weeks in the English countryside, with nothing more pressing to do than to catch up with her childhood friend, and put the last bits of the past behind her. Then she'd return to America and-

Never see Lord Robert again.

The unwanted words popped unbidden into her mind. Thoroughly irritated that he'd once again invaded her thoughts, she set the box back down on the dresser, but clearly with more force than she'd intended, for she heard a slight cracking sound.

Picking up the box, she examined the dresser's polished surfaced, relieved when she noted no damage. Then she held the box up to eye level.

The bottom appeared to be separating. She attempted to gently snap the bottom back into place, but the instant she applied pressure, the entire affair broke into two pieces.

'Oh, dear.' She gazed at the pieces in dismay, a feeling that was quickly replaced by surprise. It appeared the one section was a false bottom. With a piece of folded paper secreted in the small space.