I want to be the man who makes her so happy.
The thought was so clear and immediate that it overwhelmed him.
Finally, he could stand it no longer and joined the dancers. It took him a few moments to move beside them, but as he did,Miss Crompton’s eyes lit up at the sight of him. Emily gave a happy laugh as they all followed the steps.
It was a lively tune, requiring several simple but rapid movements at once, and Miss Crompton and Emily were by far the most elegant of the dancers.
As the dance progressed, he was required to touch hands with his partners on either side. As he moved toward Miss Crompton and their fingers brushed, the same electric charge shot through his skin, and he could not keep his expression blank.
He looked up at Miss Crompton, whose countenance mirrored his own. As they moved through the dance, they continued to stare at one another. Nicholas recognized on her face the same longing and feeling that he possessed within himself. But there was also a guardedness about her that sent a lance of pain through his chest.
As the lively dance continued, it felt as though they were there alone together, flying through the steps as though they had been designed just for them. He wished to be suspended beside her for all time, capturing the joy on her face and never allowing it to fade.
Beside them, Henry had joined in and was dancing with Emily. Their camaraderie was effortless and innocent in a way that he could never be with Miss Crompton. Everything they shared felt weighted and intense, as though a barrier was holding back a river due to burst forth. He wished for them to stay like this forever.
But it did end, as all things must.
Slowly, the music reached its conclusion, and there were many smiles and applause amidst the large gathering as Henry complimented Emily on her excellent form about the square. Nicholas took Miss Cromptom’s arm once more, astonished by the intensity of his feelings.
As they returned to the rest of the group, Nicholas felt even more determined to wipe away the uncertainty from Miss Crompton’s face. He knew it would be a challenge with society's eyes upon them at all times, but he was resolved to try. He did not wish for her to keep believing he was the same man the gossips had created. He would prove to her that he could change.
The party joined up once more beside the green.
“Did everyone get a souvenir from the fair?” Lady Eleanor called, and many of the women in the party answered in the affirmative. He was reluctant to relinquish Miss Crompton’s arm, but Miss Emily pulled her toward their carriage, chatting about the dance and how wonderful it had been.
I am inclined to agree with Miss Emily; he thought as he watched Clarissa’s slim form climb up the steps and into the carriage. He hoped she might look back at him, but she did not.
He got into his carriage, smiling at Rosemary, who looked flushed and a little cold after her long walk through the stalls.
“Did you buy anything?” he asked curiously.
“I bought a shawl for Aunt Eleanor for Christmas. It has some lovely beading, and I think it will go well with one of her gowns.” She settled back in her seat, clearly tired from the day's exertions. “Did you find anything at the fair?”
I found that my feelings for Miss Crompton have grown beyond anything I could have imagined.
“I may have purchased some cider, but otherwise, no. It was a diverting activity. I am exhausted just thinking of the planning Aunt Eleanor has had to put into these two weeks.”
Looking up at his sister, he was surprised to see her watching him curiously.
“You are changed, brother. Even from when you first arrived.”
He frowned at her. “Changed?”
“Indeed. Something has been lost, I think.”
He frowned even deeper. “Whatever do you mean?”
“Oh, it is not a bad thing, believe me. It is almost as though a layer has been removed. I am looking at my brother now. When you first came home, it was still you, but as though you were acting a part. I told our aunt you seemed to be performing even when you were alone. I think that has gone now.”
Nicholas was speechless. Rosemary got out the shawl she had purchased and started to assess how suitable it might be for her aunt.
Nicholas stared out of the window as the carriage trundled onward. His sister's words had rattled him, and he was trying to discover the cause.
Is this Miss Crompton’s doing?
He could not think of any other reason. She was an intelligent, kind, and genuine woman. He felt as though when he was in her company, he could be himself. He had not found anyone abroad who he was as comfortable with as he was with her, and they had only known one another for a matter of days.
In contrast when he thought of Lady Wilde, she represented everything he now recognized he had been running from. He might have returned to England for his duties and to manage his father’s estate, but he was also running away. His life had been vacuous and meaningless. All of the wonder he felt he had known abroad paled in comparison to the wonders he had experienced since he returned.
