temptation from your presence.”
She rose, her lips fixed in a knowing smile. “If you insist, my lord.”
The door burst open. “Mama!” A mop of blond and red curls streaming behind a miniature body ran into the room. Then the girl spotted him, and her pixie face lit up much the same as her mother’s had. “Ethan!”
Sophie Ashcroft’s little body plowed into his midsection. She had changed directions so swiftly and with such force that the assault caught him off-guard. The impact of her enthusiasm forced out a whoosh of air between his lips.
“Where have you been?” his assailant asked.
After catching his breath, he looked down at the newly minted seven-year-old clinging to his waist. Her sparkling blue eyes danced up at him. They had only been acquainted a few weeks, but she had taken a distinct liking to him on sight. When it came to him, she respected nothing. Not his clothing, his space, or his time. She had an affinity for his lap and putting her grubby hands on his face while speaking to him from a mere three inches away. Ethan had no notion of what to do with her or her overabundance of affection. In this instance, he patted her shoulder.
“Hello, banshee. Did you escape your grandmama again?”
Her grin broadened. “Have you come to take me for a ride in the park?”
“And have Teddy rip out my guts?” Ethan asked, recalling the stable lad who had been instrumental in thwarting a kidnapping attempt on his playmate. “I don’t think so.”
She bent back to see him better. “Don’t be a silly goose,” she said. “Teddy’s in Showbury. He’ll never know.”
“Sophie,” her grandmama said, coming into the room. “Do not call Lord Danforth a silly goose. It’s bad enough that you use his Christian name.”
“Yes, Grandmama.” The girl’s blue eyes gazed up at him with an eagerness that did strange things to his chest. “May we go for a ride in the park?”
Ethan grasped her narrow shoulders and stepped back at the same time, exerting pressure until her vine-like arms released their hold. “Just because your young man is miles away and will likely not hear of our escapades in the park doesn’t mean we should. Send him a letter and ask if he minds. If he gives you the nod, I will be happy to escort you about the park.”
She folded her arms over her chest. “Why should I ask him for permission? He’s not a relative.”
He inched toward the door. “A courtesy for saving your life.”
“But I’ve already thanked him, plus Bastian hired someone to fix his sick mama.”
Ethan glanced up to find Bastian , or Sebastian Danvers, Lord Somerton, in the doorway, looking upon the girl with fatherly affection. “All the same,” he said, feeling safer with another male nearby. “Get Teddy’s consent and then send me a note.”
Sophie huffed a discontented breath. “That’ll take days.”
Why, yes, it will . “Doing the right thing is not always the easiest path.” The sage advice sounded pompous, even to his ears. “Somerton, shall we begin our meeting?” He widened his eyes in a “help me” gesture, hoping his mentor would take the hint.
“By all means,” Somerton said, though he did not look pleased. “Sophie, I will take you for a ride in the park once my business is done with Lord Danforth. Will that suit?”
“Oh, yes, Bastian.” She lifted up onto her toes and clasped her hands together. “That would suit very well.” Her happiness dimmed a bit when she glanced at Ethan.
To Catherine, Sebastian said, “I’ll be back in a half hour.”
“Take your time,” she said. “Good day, Ethan.”
He nodded to the women and followed Somerton to the study, trying desperately to put Sophie’s miserable little face from his mind. She was not the first female he had made unhappy today. When had he shifted from charmer to destroyer of happiness? He shrugged off the unpleasant realization. With all his other responsibilities, he had no time left to play nursemaid
She rose, her lips fixed in a knowing smile. “If you insist, my lord.”
The door burst open. “Mama!” A mop of blond and red curls streaming behind a miniature body ran into the room. Then the girl spotted him, and her pixie face lit up much the same as her mother’s had. “Ethan!”
Sophie Ashcroft’s little body plowed into his midsection. She had changed directions so swiftly and with such force that the assault caught him off-guard. The impact of her enthusiasm forced out a whoosh of air between his lips.
“Where have you been?” his assailant asked.
After catching his breath, he looked down at the newly minted seven-year-old clinging to his waist. Her sparkling blue eyes danced up at him. They had only been acquainted a few weeks, but she had taken a distinct liking to him on sight. When it came to him, she respected nothing. Not his clothing, his space, or his time. She had an affinity for his lap and putting her grubby hands on his face while speaking to him from a mere three inches away. Ethan had no notion of what to do with her or her overabundance of affection. In this instance, he patted her shoulder.
“Hello, banshee. Did you escape your grandmama again?”
Her grin broadened. “Have you come to take me for a ride in the park?”
“And have Teddy rip out my guts?” Ethan asked, recalling the stable lad who had been instrumental in thwarting a kidnapping attempt on his playmate. “I don’t think so.”
She bent back to see him better. “Don’t be a silly goose,” she said. “Teddy’s in Showbury. He’ll never know.”
“Sophie,” her grandmama said, coming into the room. “Do not call Lord Danforth a silly goose. It’s bad enough that you use his Christian name.”
“Yes, Grandmama.” The girl’s blue eyes gazed up at him with an eagerness that did strange things to his chest. “May we go for a ride in the park?”
Ethan grasped her narrow shoulders and stepped back at the same time, exerting pressure until her vine-like arms released their hold. “Just because your young man is miles away and will likely not hear of our escapades in the park doesn’t mean we should. Send him a letter and ask if he minds. If he gives you the nod, I will be happy to escort you about the park.”
She folded her arms over her chest. “Why should I ask him for permission? He’s not a relative.”
He inched toward the door. “A courtesy for saving your life.”
“But I’ve already thanked him, plus Bastian hired someone to fix his sick mama.”
Ethan glanced up to find Bastian , or Sebastian Danvers, Lord Somerton, in the doorway, looking upon the girl with fatherly affection. “All the same,” he said, feeling safer with another male nearby. “Get Teddy’s consent and then send me a note.”
Sophie huffed a discontented breath. “That’ll take days.”
Why, yes, it will . “Doing the right thing is not always the easiest path.” The sage advice sounded pompous, even to his ears. “Somerton, shall we begin our meeting?” He widened his eyes in a “help me” gesture, hoping his mentor would take the hint.
“By all means,” Somerton said, though he did not look pleased. “Sophie, I will take you for a ride in the park once my business is done with Lord Danforth. Will that suit?”
“Oh, yes, Bastian.” She lifted up onto her toes and clasped her hands together. “That would suit very well.” Her happiness dimmed a bit when she glanced at Ethan.
To Catherine, Sebastian said, “I’ll be back in a half hour.”
“Take your time,” she said. “Good day, Ethan.”
He nodded to the women and followed Somerton to the study, trying desperately to put Sophie’s miserable little face from his mind. She was not the first female he had made unhappy today. When had he shifted from charmer to destroyer of happiness? He shrugged off the unpleasant realization. With all his other responsibilities, he had no time left to play nursemaid
Similar Books
