Chapter Nine #2
“Remarkably, I’m able to do two things at once.”
She wasn’t sure why that sounded rather scandalous.
Perhaps because the kiss was on her mind.
It had hardly left her thoughts since it had happened.
His kiss hadn’t repulsed her. In fact, she’d rather enjoyed it.
She sighed, tugged at her French kid gloves, then smoothed her skirts.
She was straightening her hat when he stared at her.
“You appear to be fidgeting. I hope you’re not too uncomfortable; we’ve a long journey ahead.”
She could hardly tell him her stays cut into her chest. Instead, the first thing she thought of popped out of her mouth. “Why did you kiss me?”
“Aah,” Harry said.
He could enrage her with one word. Not even a proper word, either. She narrowed her eyes at him. “Yes. Why?”
“Do you have a complaint?”
“Yes… No.” She huffed. “You haven’t answered my question.”
“Was it too short a kiss? Not to your liking? Should I have…?”
“Stop!” She put a hand on her hot cheek, sure her face was as red as Cook’s pickled onion. “Just tell me why.”
Harry laughed. “It doesn’t require a great deal of explanation. It’s not an army maneuver, or a complicated dance step. A pretty woman in her nightgown stood before me, and I wanted to kiss her.”
“You think I’m pretty?”
He glanced at her and then turned back to the road. “I do.”
Erina was unaccountably pleased. She wondered whether he would like to kiss her again. But she doubted he would. It seemed to have put him in a bad humor. She abandoned that thought before it became too complicated. “Are we to stop for the night?”
“I’ll need to rest the horses. I remember a good coaching inn near Shrewsbury. We’ll get a decent dinner there, and the bedding is always clean.”
“I have only a little money, which I need to keep to pay for the boat. Once I’m in Ireland, I can sell my jewelry. I’ll send you the money.”
“No matter. We could economize.”
“How?”
“Share a room?”
“Oh!” Her chest swelled with indignation. “You’re not serious!”
The corner of Harry’s mouth curled up in a half smile. “No, regrettably, Erina, I am not. I live in hope that you will change your mind and allow me to drive you home.”
She surreptitiously tried to ease her stays beneath her breasts. “I wish you wouldn’t tease.”
His laugh seemed rather bitter. “I have to get some amusement for my pains, don’t you think?”
So, he considered this trip to be a pain.
She firmed her lips, determined not to utter another word.
But it proved impossible to stay silent when a squall moved overhead, and she moaned when they were hit with a deluge filling the air with the scents of damp fields, mud, and wet grass.
The hood over the curricle did little to protect them.
“There’s an inn not far ahead. We’ll stop for luncheon,” Harry said encouragingly. “Hopefully, this rain shower will be brief.”
Fifteen minutes later, Harry drew into the forecourt of a small, ivy-covered inn, scattering chickens.
He produced an umbrella from the back of the curricle.
Helping her down, he instructed the ostler on the care of his horses.
As they were slapped by heavy rain, they hurried across to the entrance, skirting puddles.
In the foyer, she noticed Harry’s trousers were wet at the bottom and his boots muddy.
He wouldn’t like that. He was always immaculately dressed.
She picked up her damp skirts as they entered the parlor, where a forlorn group of travelers hovered close to the fireplace while others were eating at the tables. The food smelled delicious.
The innkeeper’s wife showed them to a table by the window, where the heavy rain ran down the glass. “Such a nasty day for travel, isn’t it?” she said sympathetically. “A nice, hot drink to warm you?” She rattled off the dishes on offer.
Erina discovered she was hungry and ordered the chicken pie while Harry chose the beef and kidney.
While they waited, facing each other across the table, her guilty thoughts returned.
She should not have forced Harry into this.
It was obvious he didn’t want to be here.
She’d been so intent on saving Cathleen that she hadn’t considered how this reckless flight might affect him.
How it might hurt his feelings that she didn’t want to marry him, and it could damage his reputation.
She didn’t care very much about hers; being viewed as a correct lady didn’t concern her.
But it did Harry, and he’d gone against his better instincts to keep her safe.
She lowered her head and arranged the silverware on the white, linen cloth.
“You’re fiddling again,” Harry said. “What’s the matter?”
“Nothing. I’m sorry.” She put down the cutlery and met his chocolate-brown eyes.
Why hadn’t she noticed how handsome his eyes were, fringed with thick, dark lashes?
A good face, especially when he smiled. A cleft in his strong chin, a well-shaped mouth.
A straight nose. He must have been sought after by many debutantes’ mamas during the Season.
And here he was wasting his time with her.
She was sure he could have dissuaded his father from the engagement easily enough.
Harry wasn’t cowardly. But he was caring. She wished he would smile at her.
“I’ve been horrible to you,” she said with a catch in her voice.
Harry widened his eyes and sat back in his chair. “Have you? When?”
She gave a half-laugh. “You know what I mean. Dragging you all this way. Placing you in this awful position.”
“Perfectly dreadful,” he agreed.
“Why have you indulged me?”
He drew in a breath and rubbed a hand over his jaw.
“I admire your determination. You know your own mind, Erina. Unfortunately, so many women I meet don’t seem able to express themselves.
I blame society for that.” He wiped the condensation off his tankard of ale with a finger.
“You were offering me an adventure, so I took it.”
“You said you were averse to adventures.”
“Not if I can travel in relative comfort.”
This wasn’t the whole of it, she was sure. “You wanted to protect me.”
He smiled. “That too.”
“You are a gallant gentleman.”
He shook his head. “Don’t put labels on me. I may disappoint you. I’m only human, and I am a man, after all.”
She was about to ask him to explain this rather unsettling remark, but the maid appeared at their table with two steaming plates, and their attention was given to the welcome, hot food.