She wished she hadn’t worn gloves so she might feel his touch better. Why was it that every time he was tender with her, some other garment prevented her from feeling properly?
He then removed his hand entirely and lifted the dome, revealing breaded cutlets.
“What is this?” she asked.
“It’s called schnitzel. It comes from the Continent. The Germans are very fond of it. I ate it once at the club when we were hosting a minor member of the German Royal Family. It was delicious. It is eaten with salted potatoes and buttered vegetables. However, I ordered mushy peas instead.”
Arabella stared at her food, unsure what to make of it. It looked delicious, but she wasn’t familiar with it. The footman placed a cutlet of meat, potatoes, and peas on her plate. Flavor burst in her mouth as she took a bite of the schnitzel.
“This is magnificent,” she moaned and swallowed before dabbing her mouth with a handkerchief.
“It is, isn’t it? For dessert, we’re having flummery.”
“That sounds wonderful. Thank you so much.”
“It isn’t just for you. It’s for me. I thought it would be nice if we had dinner together every day, don’t you?”
“I have a great many ideas of things we could do together. I thought perhaps we could go to the market, and I could accompany you to town one day when you go for business, and we could?—”
She noticed the shift immediately and knew she had pushed too hard.
“Of course, when it suits you,” she added quickly.
Harry smiled and took her hand again. “One day soon, I promise. But I am very busy right now, and there are some things I need to take care of before we can truly enjoy our time together. And some obstacles must be removed.”
“Obstacles?” She frowned.
She was about to ask when a loud banging sounded at the front door.
Harry turned his head. “Goodness gracious, who could it be at this hour?”
“Whoever it is, they sound as though they are in a hurry,” Arabella noted as Mr. Baxter hurried to the front door.
The second the door opened, Arabella leaped up before she heard her sisters’ voices and could tell that something was wrong. She jumped up so fast that her chair almost toppled over and then rushed into the hall to find Emma and Hanna out of breath and discombobulated.
“Goodness gracious, what happened?” she asked.
Hanna gasped for air. “Lady Morley sent her note like she said she would?—”
“She has found me a match—the Baron Hennessey,” Emma blurted out. “I had admired him from afar, so I was very excited to hear that he… Well…” she trailed off, completely out of breath.
Arabella looked outside and then turned back to them. “Did you ride?”
Emma nodded. “We did. It was the quickest way to get here. Our horses were already saddled because we were going out for an evening ride. Anyway, Father found the note and took it from me when he saw that I was so excited. He will be here any moment.”
“Father is coming here?” Arabella gasped, alarmed. She looked at Harry, who shook his head.
“Do not fret. But pray, why is he angry? You finally have serious prospects. I do not understand his rage.”
“It’s because of the prospect’srank,” Emma emphasized. “The Baron is not good enough for him.”
“I see. It’s not that his son-in-law is a duke. He thinks that his daughter should marry a duke as well.” Harry sighed. “What an ungrateful weasel.” But then his eyes went wide. “I beg your pardon, I should not have said that about your father.”
“It is true,” Emma said.
Arabella and Hanna both nodded.
However, before anything further could be said, a carriage with the crest of the Earl of Worcester pulled up outside. Hanna and Emma inhaled sharply, and Arabella understood that they were fearful of their father.
