Chapter 6 #2
His instincts urged him to bring her hand to his lips and insist again that she call him Hart, but he restrained himself. “Think nothing of it.”
“I thank you also for procuring our cards for the Reading Room.” Her eyes shone. “Now Louise and I can truly begin our work, and you will be free to pursue your other pleasures.”
“Yes.” He took a step backward. “Just so.”
Emeline turned and walked lightly toward the house, pausing only to wave and send him another fetching smile before she disappeared inside.
Hart stood there for a long moment, staring at the green front door. Now, he wondered, what the devil was he to do for the rest of the day?
Having just left Anthony’s home, Justin St. Briac paused with Mouette on the corner of Charles Street and witnessed the scene of parting between Emeline and Hartcliffe.
“Oh, look!” Mouette tugged at Justin’s sleeve. “Who is that man with Emmie?”
They both stared as their daughter extended her hand and the man held it for a moment too long.
“Shh.” He sensed that Mouette might start forward. “Wait.”
A sixth sense Justin didn’t fully understand compelled him to remain on the corner, watching until Emmie went into the house and Lord Hartcliffe turned away and started south toward Piccadilly.
“That was Lord Jasper Hartcliffe, the fellow I told you about,” Justin told Mouette. “The one who is…employing the girls.”
“My goodness.” She seemed to be having a great many thoughts as she gazed after his lordship’s tall, broad-shouldered figure. “Is their employment genuine?”
If there was one thing Justin dreaded, it was being caught in a bit of subterfuge by his exceedingly clever wife. “Of course. I told you, it was a stroke of luck, encountering Hartcliffe at the very time he desired someone to do research for him.”
“Oh yes. How fortuitous for you, darling. You didn’t have to deceive our daughter after all!” She was watching him, but he pretended not to notice.
He nodded. “C’est vrai!”
Before Mouette could press him further, Justin took her arm, and they started toward Chesterfield Street.
“I didn’t realize his lordship was so handsome,” she said after a few moments. “Don’t you think so? He has a very compelling air about him.”
Justin gave a harsh laugh. “Handsome? Compelling? That is a great deal to observe from such a distance.”
“I now recall that we have met in the past. His eyes…that hair. Very striking.” She lifted her brows, as if on the verge of a sigh.
“Are you trying to incite me to quarrel with you, madame?”
“Of course not.” Her blue eyes danced up at him. “But I am still a woman, still breathing. Do you never appreciate a beautiful female?”
“I might.” He wanted to take her in his arms at that very moment and kiss her in a way that would burn away thoughts of anyone else!
However, because it was broad daylight and they were approaching Emeline’s pretty green door, Justin refrained.
And even as he lifted the knocker, he realized that the small contretemps with Mouette had served to distract her from his hidden scheme for Hartcliffe’s “employment” of the two young women.
When Emeline heard her parents’ voices downstairs, she hurried to finish changing out of the stiff moiré gown and into a soft day dress patterned with sky-blue stripes. Without pausing to secure a few loosened curls, she went down to join her family.
Louise was already pouring tea for her parents who sat framed by the pale light streaming through the bow window. Emeline rushed over to embrace them and perched on the window seat, between their two chairs.
“We were just coming from Anthony’s,” Mouette explained. “Oliver is at the most delightful age, and we can’t resist popping in often to say hello. Since we were so close, we thought we would just stop here as well…”
“You have come at exactly the right moment!” Emeline exclaimed.
“I haven’t even told Louise the news yet.
” Reaching into the pocket of her skirt, she withdrew the two prized vouchers to the Reading Room and brandished them in the air.
“Behold! I have acquired the tickets we need to continue our research.”
Louise gasped. “Are you roasting us, Em? Can they truly be real?”
“Yes, yes, I have achieved the impossible!” She couldn’t help laughing and waving the cards under her father’s nose. “Can you believe it, Papa? Even Anthony failed in his quest for the tickets today, and he told me it might be impossible because we are female.”
Justin looked rather stunned. “I congratulate you, ma petite. But…how?”
Another irrepressible laugh escaped from Emeline.
“I went to the British Museum today to appeal personally to Mr. Panizzi, the Keeper of the Printed Books—but to no avail. He was utterly set against the idea of two women being admitted to the all-male Reading Room, even though a few women have managed to breach its hallowed walls in the past.”
“I suspect none of them were as distractingly beautiful as you, love,” murmured Mouette.
Emeline threw her a smile before continuing, “To my own astonishment, Hart came to my rescue today when he saw that I was going to be unfairly turned away!”
Her father arched a brow above his eyepatch. “Did you say…Hart?”
“Yes, Papa! Lord Hartcliffe insists that we address him as Hart, and after all, it is so much nicer than ‘my lord,’ don’t you agree?”
Mouette blinked. “How did he happen to be present? Did he accompany you to the museum?”
“No, no, nothing like that! In fact, I was quite shocked to see him sitting at one of the tables in the Reading Room when I was speaking to Mr. Panizzi.” Turning toward Louise, who was listening with wide-eyed interest, Emeline added, “When Hart engaged us to do research for him, I surmised he didn’t know the first thing about the Reading Room, but that isn’t the case at all! ”
Looking a bit uncomfortable, her father spoke up. “As I understand it, his lordship has other pressing duties to attend to.”
Emeline shrugged. “Perhaps that’s so. In any event, when he saw that I was being turned away, he walked over and very firmly explained the situation to Mr. Panizzi. Minutes, later, I had these in my possession!” Once again, she triumphantly waggled them in the air.
“His lordship is quite a compelling character,” her mother said rather cryptically.
Justin, meanwhile, was frowning. “Well, now that you have the tickets, we won’t be seeing much of him in the future. He has passed the baton, as it were.” He paused. “Incidentally, Hartcliffe will only be here in London a few short weeks. Six as I recall.”
What? Emeline felt as if a stiff wind had jolted the room, taking her breath away, but she did not betray her consternation. “Indeed? Oh well, as long as Louise and I continue to receive remuneration, that is all that matters.”
“Which reminds me,” her father carried on without missing a beat, “you two beauties cannot shut yourselves away completely from the world. You should begin to go out in London society and meet people.”
“Papa, when have you ever cared a button for such things?” Emeline exclaimed, half laughing.
Looking a trifle uneasy, Louise rose and excused herself to fetch more biscuits. No sooner had she left the room than Justin pointed a finger at Emeline.
“Do you mean to just wither away here?” he demanded. “What a waste that would be! You may be independent, but that doesn’t mean you must renounce men.”
“Of course not!” She couldn’t resist teasing him. “Just because we are unmarried, we needn’t give up all pleasure.” After the briefest, strategic pause, she added, “You of all people should understand that.”
“Sangdieu! What are you implying?” he cried in outrage. “Do you mean to take lovers?”
Emeline shrugged lightly, amused, but she was beginning to realize that he might be truly concerned. And when her papa focused on such concerns, a plan to control her destiny could not be far behind.
The secret, Emeline had learned over her lifetime, was to intercept him before he could go too far.
Justin had bolted to his feet and paced across the parlor. “I cannot stand by and watch you squander your future, your beauty, your loving heart. And do you intend to deprive your dear mama and me of grandchildren?”
“You have Oliver!” she protested.
Her papa waved a dismissive hand. “I mean your precious babes, ma petite.”
From her chair near the window, Mouette shook her head. “Really, Justin, you are the outside of enough.”
“I love our daughter too much to be silent at such a time.” He turned to stare at Emeline.
“Now that you are here in London, I intend that you should meet some worthy men, and I already have a few names in mind! You are still young enough…there is still time before you are relegated to spinsterhood.” He inclined his head toward the back of the house and added in an undertone, “Like your poor cousin.”
Mouette pulled him back to sit beside her again. “For pity’s sake, Justin, do stop.”
Grasping control of the situation, Emeline rose and went to stand before her parents. “As it happens, I have been thinking about this very thing, Papa. In fact…I mean to compile my own list, so you needn’t put yourself to any trouble.”
His dark brows flew up. “A list…of men?”
Laughter bubbled up inside Emeline, but she pushed it down. “Exactly so.” In a burst of inspiration, she added, “I call it my Bridegroom List!”