Chapter 16
CLARK
S unlight spilled through the tall windows of the Pump Room in pale gold ribbons, glinting against the crystal chandeliers. I hadn’t been eager to drink the water from the Roman Baths since arriving in town, but that was before I had any ailments in need of healing.
My attachment to Miss Sharp was a serious ailment, indeed.
A dangerous and severe one.
I took a glass of hot mineral water from a passing footman, taking a large mouthful.
The sharp, metallic flavor burned my tongue.
I stared into the glass in dismay as I forced the sip of water down my throat.
This was what thousands flocked to Bath in order to taste?
The crowds of people in the Pump Room drifted by with their glasses, some sipping gingerly, and others draining the water quickly to end the unpleasant experience as soon as possible.
Others didn’t have glasses of water at all.
I wished I was one of them.
Colin would not have reacted visibly to the flavor of the water.
So I took another sip, keeping my features stoic as I searched the room for any familiar faces.
One face, in particular, I was hoping to see.
I had heard Miss Sharp mention to Sir William the night before that she visited the Pump Room most mornings with her aunt.
I couldn’t have Sir William finding her here before I did.
The purpose of Colin’s ruse, in large part, was to protect Sir William and other men from Miss Sharp’s fortune-hunting schemes.
I told myself that that was the only reason I was eager to intervene, but I knew it wasn’t true. I had been jealous of the man.
I took another large sip from my glass. My ailment required swift healing if I was going to satisfy Colin’s demands.
I needed clients. I needed an allowance to survive comfortably.
On the contrary, I did not need a clear conscience.
I did not need Arabella Sharp to think highly of me.
I did not need anything from her at all.
Across the room, a cluster of dowagers parted just enough for me to glimpse Miss Sharp. A white muslin gown draped over her figure, a full glass of water resting in her right hand. My stomach swooped with nerves at the sight of her, and I scolded it for doing so.
I took a few strides forward before she saw me. She looked surprised at first, but then one dark eyebrow lifted. “You are following me. Do not deny it.”
I gave her a skeptical look. “Half the town is here.”
“I would have thought you to belong to the other half.”
“And miss this delightful experience?” I raised my glass. “Never.”
Miss Sharp’s lips twisted in a suppressed smile. Why did she do that with me and not with Sir William? She had been smiling openly with him the night before. “It tastes better with tea,” she said in a quiet voice, as if sharing a secret.
“And plenty of sugar, I imagine.”
She nodded, but then her brow furrowed, as if she were struggling to collect her thoughts. “Was this what you meant when you asked if you could see me today?” After a moment, her curious gaze lifted to mine.
“I did hope to find you here so I could extend my invitation in person.” Why did I feel so nervous? I gripped my glass of water too tightly. “Are you otherwise engaged later this morning?”
“I don’t believe so.” She tilted her head to one side. “Why do you ask?”
“I know how you like to be engaged.” I flashed a teasing smile. “May I claim an hour or two of your time?”
Her efforts to appear nonchalant were obvious. She cast her gaze upward as if deeply considering the offer before she finally nodded. “I suppose so.”
“I realized we never had the chance to use the watercolor paints during our picnic,” I said.
She looked startled, as if I had suggested something dreadful. “That’s right. We didn’t.”
I studied the apprehension in her features. “You did mention that you enjoy watercolor.”
“I did.” Her chin raised slightly. “But please bear in mind that I didn’t claim to have a talent for it.”
A laugh burst out of me, earning a smile from her lips. I leaned closer. “I will not judge you for your lack of skill if you don’t judge me for mine.”
“Very well.” The morning light brought out golden tones in her eyes, yet I was certain that she had no idea how beautiful she was standing in that ray of light.
“Consider the matter settled.” I interlocked my hands behind my back with a smile. “I will send a carriage for you at ten.”
“I have no objection to walking.” Her eyes widened with sincerity.
“But I do have an objection. You nearly fainted in the heat yesterday. I should like you to remain comfortable.”
She looked down at the floor, as if my consideration had made her shy. After a few seconds, she looked up. “But have you removed the bees from your garden? I fear my aunt will not accompany me otherwise.”
I gave a rueful smile. “Unfortunately, they remain. I’ll have the bench moved away from the rose bushes. Will that suffice?”
She cast a quick glance in her aunt’s direction. “Let us hope so.”
“So our time is not cut short again?” I tipped my head down with a smile in an attempt to draw her gaze to mine.
“So my aunt isn’t stung,” she corrected. The blunt words were accompanied by a quick curtsy. “I shall see you later this morning.” I sensed more hesitation than usual in her movements and expressions.
Had she truly turned her attention to Sir William?
I bowed, and she turned quickly toward her aunt, leaving me standing alone with my glass of water.
I exhaled all the air from my chest as I watched her retreat into the crowd. What had Mrs. Aldworth said to her the night before? Had Mrs. Wickerton revealed more about my ‘brother’ when the ladies had been alone in the drawing room?
Something must have caused Miss Sharp to become reserved.
She was impossible to read, and even more impossible to outwit. My identity felt on the brink of discovery, and I didn’t know how much longer I could conceal the truth from her.
Or how much longer I wanted to.
“I wouldn’t be opposed to you watching from the window today,” I said in a dull voice as I stood in front of the chair Colin had been practically living in for the past week.
He frowned, leaning back with his arms crossed. “Why is that?”
“If Miss Sharp sees you, then it will be your fault that the ruse ends, and I shall not have to continue pretending to be you.” I adjusted my cravat with a firm tug. As always, the valet, Morris, had seemed determined to suffocate me.
Colin rested his hands on the desk in front of him with a laugh. “What makes it so miserable? You are doing a good deed by keeping a fortune hunter from running loose, and you look more fashionable than ever.”
“I have been cornered by eligible ladies at nearly every event I attend.” I cast him a look of long-suffering. “They are relentless.”
“Now you see what I endure constantly.” Colin glared at the wall behind me, his eyes reflecting deep thought. “They always have hidden motives.”
“Perhaps if you didn’t try to hide your relation to me, then we could reverse this charade at another time.
” I strode over to the side of his desk until he finally looked up.
“You could pretend to be me, a lowly solicitor, and find a woman who loves you for more than your possessions. She would only be pleasantly surprised to later learn that you do have a fortune.”
I had meant it as a joke, but Colin seemed to be considering the offer. He drummed his fingers on the table, that same scowl still etched deeply on his brow. He snapped out of his daze suddenly, shaking his head. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Do you doubt your ability to attract a woman solely with your charming personality?” I knew I was irking him, but I couldn’t help it. He was irking me . He had been for quite some time.
“I have no intentions of trying,” he muttered. “It is you who is tasked with that responsibility.”
I bit the inside of my cheek, a surge of anxiety rising in my chest. “At what point will you consider my debt repaid?” I hardly cared about the clients and allowance anymore. I wanted it all to be over.
Colin rubbed a circle over his chin slowly, eyes cast upward in thought. “It certainly hasn’t been long enough yet. She can’t have developed any real attachment to you in such a short time.”
I wanted to tell him that it was indeed possible, but I kept my mouth shut.
“If you manage to keep her occupied for a full fortnight before revealing the truth, I shall be satisfied with that. I am beginning to feel a bit imprisoned in this house.”
I groaned, raking a hand over my hair. How could I continue for another week?
Colin’s jaw lowered in dismay as he stared at the top of my head. “Morris will have to arrange your hair properly again before you meet Miss Sharp outside.”
Anger stirred inside my chest, my veins boiling under my skin. It was my fault that I had ever become indebted to Colin, but I hated being so controlled by him. It had been this way my entire life. He enjoyed giving me orders, and he had the power to do so.
I closed my eyes to calm my sudden vexation.
It would all be over soon enough. I could leave Bath with my debt repaid.
I could build a life away from the influence of my brother.
As he had said, one week was not enough time to form a real attachment.
Another week wouldn’t make a significant difference.
Miss Sharp would recover, and so would I.
Colin sent a footman to fetch Morris, who combed my hair back into place. My jaw was clenched so tightly it hurt. My heart leaped as the rumble of carriage wheels came from outside the front of the house.
Leaving Colin in his study, I waited for Morris to disappear down the corridor before running my fingers through my hair again, causing a few strands to fall over my forehead.
The small act of defiance was pathetic, really, but it did make me feel slightly better as I greeted Miss Sharp at the door.