She had awoken today at dawn and had flitted about her bedroom, dressing far earlier than she ordinarily would have, pinning her hair up and taking it down several times in an attempt to make it look perfect. When she was satisfied at last, she had gone down to breakfast, but she had hardly been able to compel herself to eat a thing.
“For heaven’s sake,” Aunt Alberta had said. “Do try to eat something, child, or you’re going to wither away to nothing but bones. You’re already too skinny. Lord Woodsford will lose interest in you if you get too thin.”
It felt impossible, though, that she could lose Lord Woodsford’s interest. Meeting him was the best thing that had happened to her since she had come to live with her aunt, and it felt charmed. Untouchable. Surely nothing could get in the way of it.
Still, to placate her aunt, she had taken a bit of toast and jam, along with some hot chocolate.
“How long will it be until Thomas arrives?” Duncan had asked.
“He should be here in about an hour’s time,” Aunt Alberta had said. “Just time enough for you to make yourself scarce, Duncan.”
“What?”
“Well, they can hardly be in your company every time they socialize, can they?” Aunt Alberta said reprovingly. “Poor Valeria won’t get a chance to speak to the man. You two are already too close.”
“I don’t talk over her,” Duncan had protested. “Besides, she needs a chaperone, doesn’t she?”
“They’re only having tea in the sitting room,” Aunt Alberta had said. “She’ll have her lady’s maid with her, and I’ll be very nearby in case I’m needed. Or don’t you trust your friend?”
“It’s not a question of trusting Thomas,” Duncan had said. “I just want to avoid the appearance of impropriety.”
“No one will think badly of your cousin,” Aunt Alberta had assured him. “I’ll make sure of that.”
Duncan had frowned, and Valeria though she’d understood why. After all, people were already predisposed to think badly of her, weren’t they?
But things had changed since her arrival at Earlington Manor. She found she didn’t much care what people thought. Let them hold their negative opinions! What was that to do with her? The important thing was that she would be spending an afternoon in the company of the gentleman she had so come to admire.
Duncan had departed after breakfast, letting them know that he would spend the day in town, perhaps with his friend Lord Harlston, if the two of them could find one another.
Valeria had gone up to the library and done her best to lose herself in a book to make the hour go by more quickly, but it had been too difficult to get caught up in what she was reading. She kept looking up, gazing out the window, imagining that she would see a carriage approaching.
And then, when at last she wasn’t anticipating it, she heard a knock at the door.
She cast her book aside and hurried from the library, through the hall and down the stairs to the foyer. The door was just being answered by the butler.
Aunt Alberta caught her by the arm as she ran into the foyer. “Valeria!” she hissed. “That’s not very ladylike! Racing around like a horse!”
Valeria inclined her head. “I’m sorry, Aunt Alberta,” she said. But the truth was that she couldn’t get the smile off her face. He was here!
She took in the sight of him. Tall and pale, he might not be what ladies pictured when they thought of a handsome gentleman, but Valeria couldn’t get enough of his looks. She loved his pale blond hair, which looked as soft as a cloud. She yearned to touch it and find out for herself. And then there were his eyes. A man of his complexion ought to have had pale blue or green eyes, but his were a dark chocolate brown. They made him look even more distinctive.
She faced him, waiting to see the same smile break over his face that she felt on her own.
But instead of smiling, he was somber. “Good day to you, Lady Valeria,” he said quietly.
She felt her forehead wrinkle. What was this? The last time they had seen each other, it had been all they could do to restrain themselves from kissing. Now he was acting as though she was a complete stranger to him.
Maybe it will take a moment for him to warm up to me again. Nothing to be alarmed about.
“Lord Woodsford,” she said. “Won’t you join me in the sitting room? My lady’s maid, Charlotte, whom you’ve met before, is waiting for us in there, and tea will soon be brought in.”
Aunt Alberta favored Lord Woodsford with a curtsy. “Welcome to Earlington Manor,” she said. “We’re always happy to have you here, of course. And Lady Valeria has so been looking forward to seeing you again.”
Valeria expected that Lord Woodsford would say he had been looking forward to it, too, but instead he just nodded. He walked past Valeria and into the sitting room without offering her his arm.
Valeria glanced at her aunt anxiously.
Go on, Aunt Alberta mouthed.
