Chapter 17 #3
“Not Mr. Laverock?” Joanna looked at her curiously.
“I truly do not know.” Camilla did not want to commit either way.
For one thing, to say Mr. Laverock held no interest for her would be to admit there were no suitors on the horizon, especially now with Pembroke taken captive by Miss Eubank’s beauty.
But she could not be sure that Mr. Laverock was the right gentleman for her.
For all he was handsome and amusing and seemed to pay her most particular attention, she could not be sure of his sincerity.
For all Pembroke was perfidious, he was at the very least sincere.
Upon reaching Hookham’s, they each went by tacit agreement in different directions. Joanna strode to the section where the gentlemen tended to congregate that held the books on voyages and science, Camilla to the novels—after which she would find at least one improving book, she promised herself.
The large space was crowded with men and women milling about in search of a book, or standing in groups by one of the tables or near the windows. She began perusing the books that had most recently come out, skimming her finger along the spines as she read the titles.
“Camilla.” A masculine voice at her side caused her to jump. When she turned, Lord Pembroke stood beside her, looking down at her in a way that held her captive. She tried to catch her breath.
“Looking for something to read?” he asked, but his smile seemed nervous and not quite like himself.
She had found her composure by now and turned back to the bookshelves. “As you see.”
The ensuing silence was punctuated by two women describing a ridiculous bonnet they had just seen on someone before entering the circulating library. Camilla pinched her lips and lifted her gloved hand back to the spines of the books, her gaze fixed though she did not see anything.
“I am not interested in Miss Eubank.”
Her heart went still, and she betrayed her emotions at his words by the pause of her finger. She swallowed, unsure if she would be capable of answering him. But no. She was made of sterner stuff than this.
“You must not think me overly curious about where you decide to give your attention, Lord Pembroke.”
He gently but firmly gripped her elbow and steered her away from the books to face him. “Then you should be curious about the state of my heart, Lady Camilla, for it concerns you very nearly.”
She thought she was going to faint. This was direct. It was different. He had never shown this side of himself before, where he demanded her attention. And surely—surely—she could not mistake his meaning.
“Lord Pembroke.”
“Pembroke!”
Camilla turned with him to see both Joanna and Miss Eubank converging upon them at once. Both stopped short, and Miss Eubank gave them a shy smile.
“Forgive me. I should have seen that you were involved in a discussion.”
“I suppose I should have as well,” Joanna said with a guilty smile and a glance at Miss Eubank. “But I wanted to ask your thoughts on this book about Arabian bloodlines in horses.”
Pembroke had altered his stance to the one he showed to Society. “Lady Joanna, may I present to you Miss Eubank? I do not believe you are acquainted. Lady Camilla, you met her yesterday.”
“Indeed.” Camilla offered her a smile and a curtsy. It was not her fault that Lord Pembroke should be such a fickle man as to make two women believe him to be in love at the same time. “A pleasure to see you again.”
“The pleasure is mine, my lady,” she said curtsying, then turned to repeat the courtesy. “Lady Joanna.”
Pembroke answered Joanna. “I am at your service. It is only that…”
When he hesitated, Joanna seemed to understand his difficulty. “It can wait. After all, I can ask you the next time you come to our house.” She smiled and left the three of them standing together.
“I apologize,” Miss Eubank said, clearly troubled. “I had only wished to speak on a…a particular matter. But I see that I have interrupted you.”
“Not at all, Miss Eubank.” Lord Pembroke turned beseeching eyes to Camilla, and she understood his awkwardness as well as Joanna did, though she was less charitable.
“My lord, I beg you will excuse me. I am rather pressed for time and wish to search for another book before we are to leave.” She curtsied, then turned to Miss Eubank with as much warmth as she could offer despite her pain. “Good day, Miss Eubank.”
Camilla found Joanna waiting for her beside the clerk’s desk and joined her there. “I did not see anything I liked,” she told her.
Joanna sent her an inquiring look but let it pass and addressed herself to the clerk. When they walked into the fresh air of the outdoors, she handed her books to the waiting footman and peeked at Camilla.
“No. I do not want to talk about it,” Camilla said.
“I didn’t say anything,” Joanna protested, looking ahead again.
Camilla knew she could confide in her sister, but at present, she did not wish to confide in anyone at all. Not until she could sort through the events that had swept over her in recent days, sending her emotions into a tumble.