He knew she would have been able to descend onto the ice easily without his help, but the chance to hold her hand had been too great to pass up. The vigorous exercise had, if possible, only improved her appearance. She had a glow about her from the reflections of the snow all around, a faint flush to her cheeks, and a nose beautifully reddened by the cold.
None of the women he had associated with since Victoria had ever held his attention for long. At first, it was due to his own heartache, and later, he simply saw through much of thefalseness of the company he kept—men included. The world of high society was a nest of vipers who usually only worked to their own ends.
His eyes alighted on Henry. Perhaps there were some who were pure and good souls, but many were out for what they could achieve and how high they could climb. Nicholas had not met many women who were as open and kind as Miss Crompton.
He watched her walk beside Miss Emily. They were conversing quietly and gently. The rest of the party was more subdued than they had been, many tired from their exertions. Nicholas felt as though his mind was ablaze with questions and thoughts that he couldn’t pin down.
As they wound their way back to the house, the snow began to fall gently all about them. Nicholas watched Miss Crompton laugh at something his aunt had said, a pleasant feeling settling in his chest as he saw her so happy.
He followed the stragglers into the house, going up to his room to change for dinner. Hargreaves was again most gratified to see that Nicholas took particular care in his attire for the evening. He had a rather beautiful deep purple waistcoat with a damask overlay of gold. Hargreaves assisted him in putting it on, and Nicholas selected his finest pocket watch to complement it.
He was rather used to seeing himself in the same style day in and day out. Yet, in the last few days, his reflection had changed. He looked more like the man he had once imagined he would become.
He was looking like his father, who he had always had the greatest respect for. The late earl had possessed impeccable taste and decorum, and it had often crossed his mind over the last few years how little his father would have approved of Nicholas’s activities.
As he looked at his reflection, Hargreaves brushing down his shoulders as he did so, he looked upon a man quite differentfrom the one who had left Europe. He was softer, somehow, his eyes less guarded, his posture relaxed.
The most marked change was his face, however. He often kept the corners of his lips slightly quirked. He did not wish to appear conceited, but he often found that it put people at ease that way. Now that look was gone, and he was observing a man he had not seen for years.
His time with Miss Crompton had healed something within him. With a dawning sense of apprehension and excitement, he realized that he felt whole again when he had forever believed a part of him to be shattered.
***
At dinner, Nicholas found himself seated at the opposite end of the table from Miss Crompton, which was more vexing than it should have been.
He engaged in the usual polite conversation, also missing the company of Miss Emily. She was always lively and amusing in equal measure.
“What was your favourite place that you visited, Lord Bolton?” Lady Wilde asked. She was sat to his left and had barely ceased asking him questions for the entirety of the first course.
“A difficult question, my Lady, but I would say that one of my favourite sojourns was in Rome.”
“Indeed, what was it about that city that captured you so?”
For once, her conversation had not led too heavily to flirtations, and Nicholas was glad of it. Constantly wearing his mask of charming interest was wearing on him with this woman.
“St Peter’s Basilica is one of the finest buildings I have ever seen. I could have spent many hours beneath its towering ceilings. The place has a reverence about it that was awe-inspiring.”
She tittered in a way that might have been intended ascoquettish, but it only annoyed him further.
“I am so envious. My late husband and I travelled far and wide across the continent, but we were unable to visit Rome on our journey. It is my greatest wish to see it. Perhaps you and I might meet there in the future, Lord Bolton.”
Nicholas looked away so as not to engage with her fluttered eyes.
“I hope you will see it one day. It is a place everyone should visit if they have the ability and privilege in which to do so.”
“Alas, a woman travelling alone is not the same as a young man embarking on the Grand Tour, but I shall endeavour to keep my mind open to new possibilities.” Once more, her eye ran over him, and Nicholas found that he could not help shifting in his seat beneath the scrutiny.
How I wish to be seated beside Miss Crompton.
Upon looking at the head of the table, she was engaged in a lively conversation with Henry and Emily about some topic or other. Henry was smiling broadly as he teased Emily about a point she was making, and Miss Crompton’s eyes were warm as she defended her cousin, much to Henry’s mock outrage.
Nicholas felt the sharp sting of jealousy once more and wished he could unravel the many surprising feelings that Miss Crompton prompted within him. He wondered with a jolt of unease whether Henry might have designs upon Miss Crompton. They certainly seemed to get along very well, and Nicholas knew how friendly and affable Henry was as an acquaintance.
He clenched his jaw, stabbing at a potato on his plate with more vigour than he intended. It skipped away across the tablecloth, forcing him to make profuse apologies to Lord Wilde, who looked at the potato as though it were an alien creature. He was already rather far into his cups.
When everyone retired to the drawing room, Nicholas wasdetermined to wrestle Miss Crompton away from his friend and have some time to speak with her again. He longed to talk to her about some new topics based on their conversation on the pond and walked across the room to do so.
Unfortunately, he was waylaid by Lady Bartholemew. She was an old acquaintance of his aunt’s and one of the most pompous women he had ever met. He still did not understand why his aunt insisted on inviting her to every occasion they held.
