kept secrets from her family before. She thought
about what had happened today by the brook for the zillionth time and she
blushed. "No, Father," she said as demurely as possible. "I am
just happy you are home, I have missed you." Quickly, she hugged him
again, but the look he gave her was doubtful.
The next morning, Nicole
again had two maids help her to dress for her rendezvous with the Duke.
Fortunately, both Chad and the Earl were out on the estate, tending to its
affairs, so they would not remark on her unusual attire and wonder just where
she had gone in her finery. She invariably accompanied them, but today she had
managed to lie and say she had a headache. Both men had looked at her
skeptically, and Chad had even burst out laughing.
"You?" he had
said incredulously. "You have a headache?" Still laughing, he
had ridden away with her father, and Nicole had wanted to throttle him.
She appeared at Chapman
Hall shortly after noon, unable to wait another moment. Before she had even
dismounted, a footman taking her reins in front of the house, she saw the Duke
step out from inside the Hall, as if he had been waiting for her.
Nicole flashed him a
blinding smile, but there was no response. His expression was stern. For an
instant unease assailed her, but then she thanked the footman and slipped to
the ground. When she looked up, the Duke was dismissing the footman and telling
him that a groom would not be necessary, perplexing Nicole. If they were going
riding again why had he not ordered his mount brought around?
She grew somber, her joy
fading as she realized how hard and closed his face actually was. There was no
warmth in his eyes as they finally settled on her countenance. "Has
something happened?" she asked, her heart beating uncertainly.
"I am afraid
so," he said firmly. "It appears that I am to be forever apologizing
to you. I have made a terrible mistake, but not as terrible as it could have
been."
"What—what
mistake?" Her heart started to sink. He could not mean he had mistaken his
feelings for her, she knew that he could not mean that!
His jaw clenched.
"I did not realize you were unwed."
At first Nicole did not
understand. He had not realized she was unmarried? So what? Then, horribly, the
first inkling of comprehension began. "What are you saying?"
"I assumed you to
be married, of course."
"You thought me
married?" she echoed.
He said nothing.
He had thought her
married. If
he had thought her married, his intention had not been to court her. She stared
at him, stricken. "But—you kissed me!"
He shifted impatiently.
"Certainly you cannot be so naive as to think a man would refrain from
kissing a woman just because she is married."
Her understanding
swelled, horribly. He had thought her married—he had not been intending to ask
her to marry him. He had thought her to be married, and not just to be married,
but to be a certain kind of married woman, one of no morals. He had not been
courting her; far from it. To use his own words, he had merely wanted to tumble
her! She gasped, hurt, anger and dismay overwhelming her at once. He had been
amusing himself at her expense!
Her dreams crumbled into
the dust at her feet.
"I am sorry. I know
I must appear a very low sort, but frankly, I am so used to married ladies
offering themselves to me that..."
"I did not offer
myself to you!" Nicole cried, crushed, devastated. Tears filled her eyes.
"I mistook your
manner, then. Obviously, Lady Shelton, you may not come here again." His
gaze held hers, dark and fathomless.
Nicole was in shock and
hurt beyond words. "Obviously," she managed with a ghost of her old
spirit, "I would be ten times the fool should I return here. You will
certainly never see me again!"
She yanked the reins
from his hand, and before he could assist her, she leapt into the saddle. It
was made for riding sidesaddle, and she had no choice but to do so. It did not
matter, the only thing that mattered was to escape him as quickly as
about what had happened today by the brook for the zillionth time and she
blushed. "No, Father," she said as demurely as possible. "I am
just happy you are home, I have missed you." Quickly, she hugged him
again, but the look he gave her was doubtful.
The next morning, Nicole
again had two maids help her to dress for her rendezvous with the Duke.
Fortunately, both Chad and the Earl were out on the estate, tending to its
affairs, so they would not remark on her unusual attire and wonder just where
she had gone in her finery. She invariably accompanied them, but today she had
managed to lie and say she had a headache. Both men had looked at her
skeptically, and Chad had even burst out laughing.
"You?" he had
said incredulously. "You have a headache?" Still laughing, he
had ridden away with her father, and Nicole had wanted to throttle him.
She appeared at Chapman
Hall shortly after noon, unable to wait another moment. Before she had even
dismounted, a footman taking her reins in front of the house, she saw the Duke
step out from inside the Hall, as if he had been waiting for her.
Nicole flashed him a
blinding smile, but there was no response. His expression was stern. For an
instant unease assailed her, but then she thanked the footman and slipped to
the ground. When she looked up, the Duke was dismissing the footman and telling
him that a groom would not be necessary, perplexing Nicole. If they were going
riding again why had he not ordered his mount brought around?
She grew somber, her joy
fading as she realized how hard and closed his face actually was. There was no
warmth in his eyes as they finally settled on her countenance. "Has
something happened?" she asked, her heart beating uncertainly.
"I am afraid
so," he said firmly. "It appears that I am to be forever apologizing
to you. I have made a terrible mistake, but not as terrible as it could have
been."
"What—what
mistake?" Her heart started to sink. He could not mean he had mistaken his
feelings for her, she knew that he could not mean that!
His jaw clenched.
"I did not realize you were unwed."
At first Nicole did not
understand. He had not realized she was unmarried? So what? Then, horribly, the
first inkling of comprehension began. "What are you saying?"
"I assumed you to
be married, of course."
"You thought me
married?" she echoed.
He said nothing.
He had thought her
married. If
he had thought her married, his intention had not been to court her. She stared
at him, stricken. "But—you kissed me!"
He shifted impatiently.
"Certainly you cannot be so naive as to think a man would refrain from
kissing a woman just because she is married."
Her understanding
swelled, horribly. He had thought her married—he had not been intending to ask
her to marry him. He had thought her to be married, and not just to be married,
but to be a certain kind of married woman, one of no morals. He had not been
courting her; far from it. To use his own words, he had merely wanted to tumble
her! She gasped, hurt, anger and dismay overwhelming her at once. He had been
amusing himself at her expense!
Her dreams crumbled into
the dust at her feet.
"I am sorry. I know
I must appear a very low sort, but frankly, I am so used to married ladies
offering themselves to me that..."
"I did not offer
myself to you!" Nicole cried, crushed, devastated. Tears filled her eyes.
"I mistook your
manner, then. Obviously, Lady Shelton, you may not come here again." His
gaze held hers, dark and fathomless.
Nicole was in shock and
hurt beyond words. "Obviously," she managed with a ghost of her old
spirit, "I would be ten times the fool should I return here. You will
certainly never see me again!"
She yanked the reins
from his hand, and before he could assist her, she leapt into the saddle. It
was made for riding sidesaddle, and she had no choice but to do so. It did not
matter, the only thing that mattered was to escape him as quickly as
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