Page 73 of A Mismatch Made in London

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As Jeremy Beaumont and I walked out of the woods in sight of the house, he said, “Here we are. Do you think we were missed?” He turned his head and stopped, gazing into my eyes in that way that made me wonder if he was thinking about kissing me.

“They could be watching us right now ... out of the window.” I sounded as if I were out of breath, although there was no reason for me to be.

“They could.” He still did not look away. But then he seemed to notice something. “I believe you have a twig in your hair.” He lifted his hand to my head, then showed me the little stick before throwing it on the ground.

“I must look a mess.” I patted my hair, then looked down at my dress, which thankfully was not my best one, because the fabric had a few snags and streaks of dirt near the hem.

“You look very pretty,” Jeremy said, gazing at my face, “like a woman who has just enjoyed at nice ramble in the woods in the cool morning air.”

“I do love a good ramble,” I mumbled, staring at his lips. Oh, how I wanted to kiss them. But I shouldn’t, especially since someonemight be watching. Still, if he did try to kiss me, I wouldn’t stop him.

He was still holding my hand from when he helped me over the log in the woods. He suddenly squeezed it and turned toward the house. And by the look on his face, I imagined he was wishing he had kissed me when we were still in the woods.

But perhaps that was only me.

We entered through a side door and went up to the breakfast room.

Juliet, Mr. Shelley, and Miss Freeman all looked up at us.

“Look who has been for an early morning walk,” Mr. Shelley said, obviously amused.

“Strictly unplanned,” I said.

Jeremy said at the same time, “We happened to encounter each other at the waterfall. We both had the same idea, apparently.”

“Hmm,” Miss Freeman said, her brows raised. Her lips were pressed together in a bit of a smirk, which she hid by taking a sip of her tea.

Even Juliet’s eyes were wide as she looked from me to Jeremy and back to me. But everyone was too proper and polite, apparently, to say anything else on the subject as we chatted and ate our breakfast together.

I asked about Juliet’s sore throat. When I did, Jeremy looked concerned, staring at his sister.

“It is better. I think I just needed a bit more sleep.” Then she whispered in my ear, “And apparently to give you some time alone with my brother.”

I whispered back, “Stop. You know nothing happened. Nothing at all.” Well, holding hands wasn’tnothing.

Half an hour later, as we spoke of what we might do to entertain ourselves for the day, Mr. Shelley said, “I had planned to ask if you’d like to walk to the waterfall, but some of our party have already done so.”

Jeremy said, “I would like to go. I could finish the sketch I started if we go back again.”

“I would like to walk there again as well,” I said. “It isn’t far, and it’s so lovely.”

Soon we had all readied ourselves and were walking on the trail through the woods. Jeremy walked with Mr. Shelley, while Juliet and Miss Freeman were with me.

“Do you still assert that there is no close attachment between you and Juliet’s brother?” Miss Freeman said in a low voice meant for only Juliet and me to hear.

“I do not know,” I said. “Perhaps not.”

“When no one was looking,” Miss Freeman whispered, “I took a peek at his sketchbook.”

Juliet said, “He won’t even let me—”

“Sh!” Miss Freeman and I both said.

Lowering her voice, Juliet said, “What did you see?”

“He has been sketching Miss Moore. I only had time to look at one of them, but it was Miss Moore’s profile, there was no mistaking it.”