Page 44 of The Earl Next Door
He walked closer to her. With the backs of his fingers he brushed a strand of hair away from her face. “What?”
She looked into his dreamy eyes. The concerned look on his face and in his eyes had her suddenly wishing she could tell him, and share her burden. It wasn’t just idle curiosity that made him ask. He cared and wanted to help. That made her throat thicken and her gratitude run deep. Adeline knew she was feeling way too much for the earl. Against her wishes, against her best efforts, her heart was involved in what she felt for him. It was difficult for her to say no to him.
Her hesitation prompted him to say, “Tell me. I want to understand.”
His voice washed over her as silkily as an embroidery thread pulled through a delicate fabric. For reasons she couldn’t understand she was tempted to tell him what she went through, but where would she start and where would she end?
“No.” She stepped away from his touch. “Nothing in particular.”
“All right.” He slowly lowered his hand and accepted her words. “There’s something else I should tell you. Our neighbor across the street, Mrs. Feversham, saw me enter your house last night.”
That concerned Adeline more than her verbally accosting the gentlemen. That was done in daylight and she had good reason for entering his house.
“She saw you come inside? How could she see in the dark? Mrs. Lawton had already extinguished the outside lamps. Only one small light burned inside the house. Did Mrs. Feversham tell you this?”
“I’ve never met her. My aunt let me know this morning when she came over. Cordelia said she took care of the lady’s concerns and there will be no more talk about it.”
“Are you sure?” she asked more breathlessly than she would have liked. “I’m not fearful for myself but for the school. I wouldn’t want anything to happen that might cause someone to think the school needed to be closed because I behaved inappropriately.”
“I don’t believe there is any chance of that. If Cordelia Carbonall says she has it under control, she does.”
“You trust her that much?”
“I do. She can be fierce when she needs to be. Mrs. Feversham would listen to Cordelia because she’s the only one who has consistently visited with her sinceshe fell. She wouldn’t want to lose such a good friend. It’s troublesome that Mrs. Feversham doesn’t have much to do other than watch her neighbors.”
“Like you,” Adeline said with a sudden smile.
“Me?” Lyon grimaced.
She lifted her chin and tossed out, “You admitted to watching me from the window of your bedchamber, my lord.”
“That was different.” He smiled, too. “I did, but I didn’t have a spyglass.”
“Oh my,” she said, her lighter attitude fading as quickly as it had arrived. “Truly?”
He nodded.
“That is troublesome. Do you suppose it can see around the side of your house to where we are now?”
Lyon laughed. “No, I’m sure of that, but there are still risks to being out in my back garden together. You should go.”
She knew he wasn’t trying to get rid of her. He was sincerely worried about her reputation, but she couldn’t say it was worrying her overly much—except where the girls were concerned. Gossip about her might in some way endanger the well-being of the school. And while it hadn’t happened so far, she could be taken to task about it at any time. For the school she needed to be as proper as possible—when she wasn’t in the privacy of her own home.
“Yes, I agree. I probably shouldn’t have come over. I wanted you to know the girls are very happy.”
“I’m glad. And, Adeline?”
“Yes,” she said hopefully.
“I don’t want the girls to know the pianoforte came from me.”
“Why? They should know that—”
“That’s the way I want it, Adeline.”
Chapter 15
The water was just the way Lyon liked it. Cold. The day was starting as he preferred when he had no early meetings to attend, no plans to meet anyone for a ride in the park, or fencing competitions to watch or participate in. Sitting in a tub reading the morning’s newsprint while downing his morning coffee.
