She started away.
“Wait,” he said. “Please, wait. Let me say this, and once I have, I’ll never trouble you again.”
She stopped, closed her eyes, and then turned to face him. “Very well,” she said. “Say what you must.”
“I do have feelings for you,” he said. “I have for a long time.”
“You can’t have,” she said quickly. “You don’t even know me.”
“I know that. But I’ve admired you from afar. Duncan’s lovely cousin… how I’ve longed to get to know you better!” He held up a hand as if to forestall whatever she might be planning to say. “I know. I know you’re not interested in courtship with me. You were clear on that, and I have no intention of pressing the matter. But before I walk away from you, I want you to know that my feelings for you are real.”
She shook her head, unable to believe what she was hearing. “I don’t… I don’t see how you can say these things.”
“It’s the reason I’ve offered to spend my evening with Lord Milton,” he said. “The true reason, I mean. It’s not just about showing respect for my host. I would throw Lord Milton out of Harlston Manor in a heartbeat, were it not for the fact that doing so would make trouble foryou. I think the easiest and best solution is to simply keep him away from you, as Henry has requested.”
She stared. “You’re doing that because… I mean, you’re doing it out of care for me?”
“Nothing less than that could compel me to spend even a moment in the presence of that vile man, I assure you,” Lord Woodsford said.
“Why are you telling me?” If he thought this was going to change her mind about anything, he was mistaken.
“Because even though—” He swallowed. “Even though I know now that you can never return my feelings, I want you to understand what kind of man I am. I want you to understand what’s happening when you see me with him tonight. I couldn’t bear it if you thought I was like him. I may be unworthy of your notice—”
“What?” Valeria said. “Wait a moment. Who said you wereunworthy of my notice? I know I’ve never said anything so extreme.”
“Well—you did tell Henry that any lady would want a Marquess,” he reminded her. “It only made sense to me to think that the reason you didn’t wantmewas that my title was so unimpressive. You were reserving yourself for someone else—a Marquess, or even an Earl. You would never settle for a Baron. You would never settle forme.”
“That’s what you thought?”
“What was I supposed to think?”
“My goodness. It was never the fact that you were a Baron that kept me away from you,” she said. “I didn’t even remember your title, to be perfectly honest with you.”
“You didn’t?”
“I hope that isn’t very rude to say,” she said. “It wasn’t because I disliked you. I’ve had quite a lot on my mind lately.”
“No,” he said. “It isn’t rude. I completely understand. But if I may ask, Lady Valeria—if it wasn’t the fact that I’m a Baron that made you wish to avoid me, what was it?”
She was considering giving him an answer when the doors to the dining room opened and the crowd turned toward them as one.
Lord Harlston stood a few steps up on the staircase so that everyone could see him. “If I may have your attention,” he said, “we’ll proceed into the dining room now, and dinner will be served.”
Valeria was surprised to find herself feeling a little disappointed that their conversation was ending. Nevertheless, however, she turned toward the dining room.
“Wait,” Lord Woodsford said.
Now what?
She kept the word back, knowing that they would sound rude. She already felt guilty about the way she must have come across to him. She hated that she had made him think her disinterest in him was because of histitle, of all things. She didn’t care that he was a Baron.
The least I could do is hear what he has to say.
He took a breath. “Will you sit with me at dinner?”
She was taken by surprise. “What?”
“I’m enjoying speaking with you,” he explained. “I know you’re not interested in courtship, and I intend to respect that, so you don’t need to worry. I won’t ask your aunt for her permission to court you. But I would love the opportunity to get to know you better, Lady Valeria, if you’ll grant me that.”
