“I find no issue, my lord.” She shifted uncomfortably, glancing over at James. He caught her eye but looked away. She would find no help there.
“Tell me, my lady, how your day has been.”
“Truthfully, it has only just begun. I slept in rather late.”
“Late?” Lord Weatherby’s bushy brows lifted in surprise. “Well, that is not very becoming of a young lady. And here I thought you younger ones had far more energy than an old man like myself.”
Elaine laughed nervously, not certain if he was jesting or not. “It was a long night…”
“Ah, yes, yes, it most certainly was. I, for one, could not stay much past the dinner. I take it you are full of energy now that you have gotten so much rest?”
“A decent amount, I suppose.”
“Marvelous. A lady with energy is good.” He did not expound on that. Elaine wasn’t sure what to make of it.”
Thankfully, he didn’t give her much time to think about her response because he moved on to talking about his meetings and his influence in the textile industry. Elaine tried to pay attention to what he was saying, but it was difficult when all she couldthink about was that this could be her life. She could marry this man and become the next Baroness of Weatherby, only to spend her days reflecting on what could have been. About who could have been hers.
She was beginning to think that her dreams would never become a reality.
Chapter Ten
He could hardly sleep last night and his restless tossing and turning were beginning to catch up with him. Michael grimaced at his second cup of coffee, willing it to do something, to give him the energy he needed to tackle the rest of the day. Last night’s ball had gone on until well into the morning and the few hours he spent in bed hoping to sleep had been occupied with thoughts of Lady Elaine.
Constant, relentless thoughts of her.
Even now, sitting in his office with his documents spread out before him, he couldn’t think about anything else but her.
Michael groaned aloud, running his fingers through his hair in frustration. The first phase of his plan, the introduction, had been a smashing success. He’d sown the first seeds and it was not nearly time for him to start the other phase as yet. So why on earth was he contemplating dropping everything to go and see her?
His frustration had only deepened since last night, and now, as afternoon approached, it threatened to overwhelm him. The previous night, sleep evaded him as he thought back on everything that had happened during the ball. Her smile, the sparkle in her eyes when they spoke, her unexpected beauty. Perhaps it would have been easier if she’d been a little duller with a far more modest appearance. Perhaps then he would not have had to deal with this infuriating attraction to her.
Because that was exactly what this was, he realised. He was attracted to her from the moment he laid eyes on her. Why else would his heart race and his stomach twist whenever their eyes met?
It was a problem, certainly. An unprecedented one. But now that he had recognised the issue, he understood the steps he needed to take in order to fix it.
For now, it was adistraction. He drained his cup of coffee and straightened in his chair, trying to focus.
But before long, Lady Elaine’s laughter echoed in his mind and he was gone again.
“Michael?”
“Clarissa!” he answered, a little louder than necessary. “Come in.”
Clarissa peeped into the room, frowning at him. “Is everything all right? Did something bad happen?”
“No, nothing bad has happened,” he said urgently, getting to his feet. “Why do you ask?”
She entered the room, closing the door slowly behind her. “You are acting rather odd…”
“Am I?” Michael shook his head, shaking off the odd feeling. He was acting odd. All because he was hoping Clarissa’s presence may help him forget about Lady Elaine for once.
His question only served to deepen Clarissa’s suspicion. She ventured to the side of the room, sinking into the armchair as Michael came to join her. Michael calmed himself, realising that he was indeed acting a little odd.
“Lady Elaine is rather nice.”
Michael sighed. That was the opposite of what he’d wanted to hear. How could he distract himself from her when she was now going to become the topic of conversation?
But rather than telling Clarissa he didn’t want to talk about her, he said, “Yes, she is.”
