Chapter 30
Estelle
Iwoke to Nora fussing with a vase of flowers next to my bed.
“Nora?” I blinked. She normally did not come to my room until I rang for her. “Is something the matter?”
“Ye tell me, miss.” She pointed to the large bouquet of colorful roses.
“They’re beautiful.”
“I ‘ave to agree. Lord Camden cut ‘em ‘imself. Though, his skills at arrangin’ are a bit lackin’.” She lifted a shorter pink rose from the center and placed it in front.
I sat up in bed, my mind not fully awake. “Did you say Lord Camden made this . . . for me?”
“I did.”
In a rush, a memory of last night ran through my mind. Lord Camden’s arms around me, his breath on my cheek, his lips devouring mine. Heat rushed to my face, and I threw my hand over my mouth. “Mercy!”
“I daresay,” Nora mumbled, leaving my roses and moving to pull open the curtains. I blinked against the bright sunlight and reached over to stroke a silky petal—immediately thinking of how my thumb had stroked Atlas’s cheek in nearly the same fashion. And to think he cared about me.
“What would yer mother say with the both of ye living in the same ‘ouse?”
I ignored Nora, my mind only capable of happy thoughts. I stroked another petal and another. It was then that I noticed the small card shoved between two flowers. I plucked it from its hiding place and opened it.
Will you, Estelle Lewis, allow me the pleasure of courting you?
-A
A thrill stole up my middle. I hugged the card to my chest. A man did not court a woman unless he had the intention of marrying her. He had said that he was committing to me, but this made it all the more real.
“Nora, he says he wants to court me!”
“As well ‘e should after them flowers,” she said, opening my closet.
The kind-hearted, handsome Lord Camden wanted me. Me! What would it be like to feel loved again? To feel cherished? It was too surreal. After all, I was a companion, a runaway, a liar . . .
I jumped from the bed, my chest heaving. “Nora!”
She startled and threw her hand to her throat. “What is it, miss?”
I lifted my chin. “I have to tell Lord Camden who I am.”
Her eyes widened.
“I must, Nora. He deserves to know. And . . . and . . . I love him.”
Nora reached for the chair by my dressing table and nearly missed it on her way down. She sat hard and stared at me. “But miss, what will ye do?”
I clutched my nightgown by my waist. “Whatever I do, I cannot continue to deceive him. Do you think he will despise me?”
“I don’t rightly know. But what about yer brother? Yer life back home?”
I bit my lip and started pacing. “I will have to have Reginald’s permission if we marry, won’t I?”
This was never part of my plan. I thought to return home in a few months, retrieve my dowry, and gain my independence.
I would be free to reenter Society on my own terms—and to marry, eventually, a man of my own choosing.
I had even thought of hiring an investigator to find Mr. Long—just to ease my worries. But now what would I do?
I shook my head. “It will work out. It must. It’s not the order I wanted, but I could not have dreamed for a better man to come into my life.
He cares so much about helping people that, surely, he can overlook my heritage—even if his mother cannot.
” My feet stopped in front of the fireplace.
“Oh, Nora!” I cried. “If you only knew the good he is doing right here in England. He is absolutely wonderful.” Hope swelled in my heart until it was ready to burst.
Nora’s shocked face melted into a sappy grin. She pushed up on her feet and crossed the room to me. “Oh, miss. I couldn’t be ‘appier for ye.”
We threw our arms around each other, and her sobs of joy pulled free tears of my own.
They were happy tears.
The first I could remember.
When Augusta caught me grinning over my breakfast for the third time, she slammed her fork on the table. “Enough! You must tell me what is so amusing. It isn’t fair to keep such gems of information to yourself.”
We were the only two in the breakfast room. Lady Camden was taking a tray in her bed, and I assumed Lord Camden had eaten already, since he had clearly been up early cutting flowers in the garden.
That thought made me smile again.
“Tell me!” Augusta insisted.
I leaned over the table. “I have much to confess.” I planned to tell Atlas about my true identity first, but soon I would reveal it to Augusta as well.
It would be freeing to have my dearest friend in the world call me by my true surname.
But first, the good news. “Your brother has asked to court me.”
“He did? What did you say? What about your stranger?”
“My dear Mr. Long?" I hesitated, glancing at my hands. "For months, he has dominated my thoughts. But now it is as if your brother has come in and filled every recess of my heart, and there is no room for anyone else.”
Augusta’s whole face lit up and she squealed. It was so loud that her mother had likely heard it upstairs. She darted around the table and dragged me to my feet. “I knew we were meant to be sisters.”
“Sisters?” I could not wrap my head around that wonderful idea. Did she care about me enough to want me in her life for that long?
Clasping both my hands, Augusta started skipping around the table with me, shouting, “Huzzah! Huzzah!”
My own peals of laughter mixed with her exuberant cheers.
“What the devil is going on in here?”
We both stopped in our tracks as a baffled Atlas strolled into the breakfast room.
I wasn’t entirely sure, but I would have guessed my cheeks were as red as beets.
Mother would have expired then and there if she had not already passed.
She had wanted me to present myself as a perfect debutante to my suitors.
My antics were a better fit for a circus.
Wide-eyed, I turned to Augusta. Her face was screwed up in a scared yet comical fashion.
We took one look at each other and burst into laughter.
Atlas watched us for a moment before giving up and picking up a plate at the sideboard.
He filled it with a few things and took a seat at the table.
I wiped more happy tears from my eyes. I had never laughed that hard in my entire life.
Indeed, I do not remember laughing much at all. But now it was all I wanted to do.
I had never imagined leaving home and finding two generous, kind, trusting people who would care about me. My future was still unclear, and yet, I had never been more hopeful. What if I could stay here and marry Lord Camden? What if Augusta and I could be sisters someday? It was too wonderful!
“In fear of sounding like Mother, do not forget to finish your breakfast.” He pointed at our half-eaten plates.
Augusta and I returned to our seats.
He eyed us both. “Dare I ask about the dancing and yelling?”
Augusta gave a mock gasp. “How dare you ask us to betray each other’s confidence.”
“A secret celebration?” Atlas’s gaze swung toward me, and he lifted an amused brow. “Interesting.”
“Miss Estelle is very interesting,” Augusta said. “Don’t you agree?”
Atlas smiled. “I would have to agree.”
“And very pretty,” Augusta added with a raised brow.
Atlas nodded. “I agree to that too.”
I could not take their compliments or focused attention any longer. “You two are just as interesting and pretty. There. Now may we change the subject?”
“You think I’m pretty?” Atlas asked. He put his elbow on the table and set his chin on his fist. “What part do you favor? The hair? The jawline? The—”
“Your nose!” I shouted, cutting him off before he listed his mouth.
He sat back and coughed into his hand, likely smothering a laugh of his own.
Augusta shoved a bite of scone into her mouth. “Upon my word, I am positively stuffed.” She winked at me and pushed to her feet. “Estelle, I’ll be waiting for you in the library when you’re finished.”
What? She was leaving me now?
“I have a very intuitive sister,” Atlas said as soon as Augusta disappeared from the room.
“She certainly is determined when she gets an idea in her mind.”
I poked at my eggs, unable to eat with the butterflies swarming my stomach. I hadn’t expected to be alone with Atlas so soon.
“Indeed. She usually applies her energy into sending her governesses packing. She has never turned her scheming on me before. Though, I dare not question her methods. I enjoy how she conveniently keeps leaving us alone together.”
I could not withhold my smile. “She is rather adept at it.”
Atlas caressed my face with his soft gaze, his own plate completely abandoned. “Did you sleep well last night?”
“I did. Did you?”
“Indeed. I woke up thinking of you.”
My blush must have reached my toes. “And I woke to roses by my bedside. Thank you for your thoughtful gift. I love roses.”
“I know. And now when you see your favorite flower, you will also think of me. Wasn’t I clever?”
I put my napkin to my mouth to keep my giddy laugh from escaping. “Clever, intelligent, and generous.”
“Then I am delighted to have fooled you. Did you read the card?”
“I loved it.”
“Is that a yes?”
I pushed against the back of my chair. “It is.”
He grinned and reached for my hand, entwining his fingers through mine.
I anxiously glanced at the door. “Someone might see us.”
“I don’t care,” he said, tugging me closer. “Anyone can know my intentions.”
His words relaxed and comforted me. But they also reminded me of the promise I made myself. I had to tell him the truth before this went any further.
“There is an important matter I had hoped to discuss with you.”
The butler interrupted, stepping into the doorway. “Excuse me, Lord Camden.”
I instinctively tried to pull my hand out of Lord Camden’s grip, but he held it firm—even squeezing it to reassure me.
“Yes, Mr. Barnes?”
Mr. Barnes did not react to the sight before him but kept his expression neutral. “A Mr. Gregory is here to see you.”
Atlas gave Mr. Barnes a nod. “Please send him to my study. I will be there shortly.”
Mr. Barnes retreated and Atlas’s attention swung back to me. “I regret to end our time together, but Mr. Gregory has traveled some distance to see me.”
My shoulders sank. I had been ready to tell him everything. Why must he have company now? “May I speak with you later?”
He released my hand. “I should hope so. Augusta is going to have to share you, because I plan to monopolize all your time this afternoon.”
I was tempted to squeal with delight as Augusta had earlier, but I refused to embarrass myself further. I ought to at least try to remember Mother’s rules. Unless, of course, Atlas kissed me again. Then I would forget them entirely.