“I’m sure there will be.” Nicholas dropped his hands. “You are happy then?”
She turned away. Happy? Not a description she would have used. “Oh, yes. I certainly shall be after a revitalizing night’s sleep.” Carrie yawned behind her hand and tried to avoid meeting his intense gaze, which always drew her to him. She would have to get over that very smartly.
When Nicholas opened the door for her, Giles waited outside in the corridor. She smiled at him. “Good evening, Giles.”
“Good evening, Miss Leeming.”
Carrie hurried away. On reaching her bedchamber, she sank into a chair and bent to remove her shoes while Anna laid out her nightgown. “I hope you can sleep tonight, Miss Carrie. It’s so exciting. London again, only imagine.”
“Yes,” Carrie said flatly. She stood to remove her gown. “London, again.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Their journey to London with Bella and Jeremy made conversation with Carrie, other than on the most mundane of subjects, impossible. When they stopped for luncheon and to change the horses at the coaching inn, he looked for an opportunity to speak to her alone but suspected she avoided him.
“You mentioned once you wished to visit Greece,” he said as they ate luncheon in the inn’s dining room.
“Father planned to return there before he grew ill. He promised to take me with him.”
“Did you still want to visit those places which inspired Keats to write his poems about love and death and the agonies of the human heart?”
Color spread over her neck and tinted her cheeks. She ducked her head. “I don’t believe I described his poetry quite like that. You’ve embellished it.”
“But you still want to visit Greece?”
She shrugged, distant and as unresponsive as a statue. “It was a dream.”
Nicholas gazed at her thoughtfully but didn’t pursue it. Bella and Jeremy took no notice of their conversation as they tucked into their roasted chicken.
Nicholas forked up his food while observing Carrie picking at hers. She didn’t seem eager to marry young Ludlow. Didn’t love the fellow.
Bella and Jeremy discussed how to spend their days in London. The exuberance of his two wards amused him. They found something entertaining in the simplest things. Nicholas looked forward to taking them around the city. He couldn’t remember when he’d felt like them, so light-hearted. He’d known contentment, but the pure joy of living had eluded him for most of his adult life. Was it possible to find it again? His gaze settled on Carrie. Holding onto the past because of irrational fears now seemed foolish. One must take life as it comes, the joys and the sorrows. Was it possible…?
“Nicholas?”
She’d caught him deep in thought. “Yes, sweetheart?”
She blushed at the endearment, while Bella giggled, and Jeremy looked scornful.
“You were miles away. Jeremy asked you a question.”
“What was it, Jeremy?”
As the boy peppered him with questions about London, suggesting ruins might be found within a day’s ride, Nicholas smiled at Carrie. “I believe there’s enough to see of great interest within the metropolis,” he said. “The Elgin Marbles and the Rosetta Stone at the British Museum. There are many interesting exhibitions to view there. I foresee long, exhausting days ahead. With a little more than a week remaining before you return to school, I intend to keep my promise to you, Jeremy. We shall visit the Roman ruins at Whitcombe.”
Nicholas winked at Carrie when Jeremy at last fell silent and, with a look of awe, picked up his knife and fork to finish his meal.
He was ridiculously pleased when Carrie’s eyes met his, shining with approval.
After they settled into the coach again, Bella and Jeremy continued their discussion of what places they first wanted to see. Bella wished to see the animals at the Tower, while Jeremy preferred the museum.
Nicholas approved of Carrie’s fetching straw bonnet decorated with silk bluebells. The rogue lock of hair had once again escaped its pins. A sign she was nervous. He leaned forward and tucked the curl behind her ear.
She blushed. “Oh, thank you.”
“Not at all. The day it stays in place, I will know you are content.”
Her eyebrows met in a complexed frown. “I’m not sure of your meaning.”
Bella and Jeremy had stopped arguing to watch them with interest.
Nicholas smiled. “I remain hopeful of showing you soon, and Carrie? Don’t accept Ludlow,” he said. “It’s far too soon.”
She searched his eyes. “I think you are right.”
Jeremy continued with his reason for them to go first to the museum, while Bella, Nicholas noticed, had fallen silent. Her gaze rested on his with speculation and hope.
That young lady would turn his hair gray one day, he suspected, amused.
***
Nicholas hadn’t visited them at Gwen’s townhouse for several days. Nor had he attended the rout, the soiree, or the luncheon card party where Ludlow and other gentlemen danced attendance on her. He was in her thoughts every night when she wearily climbed into bed. What were they doing? She longed to know and wished she were with them.
Although he’d made no promise, she had expected him to call. He had promised to as the coach approached London, while Bella and Jeremy dozed. The expression of intent in his eyes had made her pulse race. Had she imagined it? But surely he would want to see how she managed Ludlow. Carrie had been holding off Ludlow because Nicholas had told her to wait until she was sure. But tonight, she must either encourage his advances or let him down as gently as she could. She had decided on the latter. It wouldn’t be fair to marry him. She would never love anyone but Nicholas. What a sorry state of affairs.
This evening was her first masked
