“And is that not why we are going to see Miss Shaw, then?” Lord Stoneleigh chuckled as James scowled, all too aware of the flush in his cheeks. “Yes, we are going to speak to her about your fortune, but you are also going to speak with her simply because you enjoy her company. Is that not so?”
James shook his head but did not find his heart eager to tell a lie.
“If you are asking me whether or not I think highly of the lady, then the answer is yes,” he stated unequivocally. “I have always told you that my mind was certain that we had already been acquainted and while I am now fully aware of why that may have occurred, my heart continues to be interested in furthering our connection. That may be very foolish indeed, given our present situation, but I cannot help it. It is as though in speaking with her I have found a great freedom to allow my heart to feel whatever it wishes.”
“And you find yourself feeling something profound for Miss Shaw?”
“I do indeed. I am a little astonished that it has come upon me so quickly, but I am certain that there is more within it than a mere consideration of her feelings or even an admiration for her selfless decisions to help her sister. I did not mean to pull her into my arms last evening, but I found myself doing that very thing on two occasions! It is just as Miss Mary Shaw said: I am glad that we were in the shadows else the entirety of thetonwould be wondering at my behavior!”
Lord Stoneleigh chuckled.
“That is true, although I must say I am rather taken aback by your openness and honesty about the lady. I did not think that you would be willing to tell me if you truly felt anything for her.”
“I see no reason to hide it,” came the quick response. “Besides which, it is not as though my behavior would be able to keep such a thing from you, I am sure.”
Lord Stoneleigh grinned, then slapped James on the back.
“That is true. You must forgive my bluntness in asking such questions. But you are my friend and I have every intention of finding out as much as I can about everything you feel for this particular young lady. It should be very pleasing indeed if you were to find yourself both with your fortune secure and the beautiful Miss Shaw by your side.”
James opened his mouth to say that it was much too soon to be thinking of anything so very serious but found that his heart leaped at the idea. Thus, he closed his mouth again and found himself nodding. Considering the way that his heart now yearned for the lady, in finding out the truth he had been able to identify everything he felt. And once the anger had faded away, once the upset and the shock had cleared from his mind, he had been able to see the truth about her character, to see the unselfishness of her behavior, and to understand just how kind and considerate a young lady she was. That, alongside the fact that he found her golden hair and hazel eyes incredibly compelling meant that he simply could not hide his feelings from himself, never mind from anyone else!
“Come now. We will be late, and I am certain that is not the impression you wish to give.”
James had chuckled and hurried towards the door, reaching it before Lord Stoneleigh. This only made his friend laugh as he ambled towards the door and James joined in, finding his heart a good deal more uplifted than he had expected, given the present circumstances. It was as if his fortune did not matter as much anymore, now that he had Miss Shaw as a closer acquaintance.
“I am very much looking forward to walking with her,” he admitted as Lord Stoneleigh grinned. “And perhaps we will begin to talk about what she remembers of that night. But if she does not, I cannot pretend that I will be atalldisappointed. I am eager only to be in her company.”
“Goodness, you are quite captivated by her, are you not?” came Lord Stoneleigh’s response, although there was a broad smile on his lips as James glanced at him. “Let us hope that your discussion is profitable, one way or the other.”
* * *
“Good afternoon, Miss Shaw.”
Was it just his imagination, or did her smile seem brighter, her green and brown eyes a good deal more vivid? There was a fresh beauty about her that captured his heart, and he could not look away; did notwantto look away.
“I am very glad to see you here. I confess that I lay awake last night, a little uncertain as to whether or not everything that had happened truly took place.”
“I can assure you that it did.” He offered her his arm, and she took it at the next moment without even a fraction of hesitation. “I feel as though something wonderful has taken place,” he continued. “I do not mean to say that your telling me what you endured has made my situation much better, but rather that I find myself no longer alone. I do not know if you feel the same way, but that is all that is in my heart.”
Miss Shaw seemed to consider for a moment, her eyes shifting away from him as they meandered slowly through St James’s Park. Then she nodded and smiled softly, although it was not a smile of happiness.
“I will agree with everything that you have just stated,” she answered him. “But yes, there is a great deal of pain there also. I find myself wishing that there had been another choice that I had been able to make, another decision which would not have injured you so.”
“I am not fully injured yet,” he reminded her with a quick smile. “I have not yet paid my vowel.”
“But you will be required to do so, will you not?” she asked him, her eyes looking up, fixing themselves to his boldly, perhaps desperate to find out whether or not there was any way for him to escape what she had done.
“It is a legally binding document,” he informed her. “I am sure that the gentleman who did this particular deed made quite certain it could not be easily discarded.”
“I did hear mention of a Jerusalem room, so yes, it is clear that it was very well considered.” A heavy sigh broke from her lips. “If you do not pay it, then you will be ruined, your reputation and your honor destroyed, but if you do, then your fortune will be no more.”
“That is, unless I can find the fellow responsible and make him cancel my debt,” James replied. “I have taken the vowel to my solicitors, so that they might look at it in more depth, but their initial consideration is that it will be difficult, albeit not impossible, to avoid it. However, if I choose not to pay the debt, then I will be in a great deal of disgrace if thetonwere to hear of the debt itself, and even more so if the reason for my debt was made known.”
“Yoursupposedactions. Thetonwill be given the same lie as you first believed.”
James cleared his throat, trying not to recall the fact that this particular young lady had been next to him when he’d had not even a single stitch of clothing on.
“So we have the mystery of who this particular gentleman is. We do not know his face, for he hid it from both you and your sister. Do you remember anything about him? I know you said it was dark, but perhaps there was even a flicker of an illumination which might have given us something to consider.”
