man who sees things my way. I am hoping the duke sees the sense in it too.”
“You do?”
“Well, yes. You see, I plan to buy a place in Bath and turn it into a wonderful school for young women where ladies can learn the best things in the world. Just like gentlemen learn at Eton and other places where Society sends their sons.”
He paused for a minute, looking up at the sky. “I daresay, that will take a good sum of money.”
“Oh, it’s not as if I am going to ask Roderick for a vast sum. I will be using my own money for that. Papa was quite wealthy in his own right.”
“Was he?”
Her eye sparkled with delight. Finally, a man who didn’t want her for her money. How refreshing. “Indeed, and he left half of his estate to me.” She shrugged. “But I have no need of all that money. There are better things to do with it anyway. Besides, Stephen is so afraid someone will marry me for my inheritance that I believe he would like to lock me up in a tower. My sister worries about me too, and that is the last thing I want for her. She is quite concerned about certain type of gentlemen suitors.”
Knightengale’s brows dipped. “Fortune hunters you mean. I suppose I would feel the same way if I were your guardian.”
She touched his arm. “I see we understand each other. But this way, I can kill two birds with one stone.”
He look a bit confused, but he raised his large hands to adjust the jacket sitting on her shoulders.
She looked up at him, her eyes crinkling with delight. “For one thing, I will rid myself of my money by the end of the year. That way, no fortune hunter will ever come near me. And second, my dream of a great school will be born.”
He frowned, letting a hand trail along her arm. “And does your family agree to your plans?”
She watched him, wondering if he was cold and wanted his jacket back. “Oh no. Stephen is a dear, but he would not agree to my plans. Did you know he is my guardian until I turn twenty-one? So, whoever wants to marry me has to go through him.”
“That is quite a plan, Miss Millicent. I hope you succeed.”
Happiness filled her. Finally, a man who listened to her. “Do you?”
His dark eyes gleamed like tiny flames in the moonlight, making her think he was quite a sympathetic man. “I understand the female mind a bit better than some of my fellow lords,” he said gently.
She grinned as she slid the coat off her shoulders. “You are so very kind. But before we return, I should give this back to you. Thank you for your gallantry.”
He took the jacket. “Thank you, Milli . You don’t mind me calling you by that name, do you?”
She avoided his steadfast gaze and shifted her gaze toward the sky. “Well...”
Lizzie had told her that since she was older now, in no uncertain terms should she let any gentleman who was not family call her Milli unless he was her fiancé. However, the kindness of Lord Knightengale touched her. Yet, the man was not her fiancé or anywhere near that.
“I am sorry, but I think not,” she said apologetically. “It is my name. The shortened version, of course.” She threw her palms in the air. “But people might think . . . things.”
He leaned toward her, taking her face in his huge hands. “What things, my dear?”
She pulled back, feeling a bit panicky. The feel of his cool skin shocked her. Lizzie had warned her that moonlight did funny things to gentlemen. “Uh, perhaps we should be heading back to the supper room?”
He stroked her cheek. “You’re a beautiful woman. Don’t you want me to kiss you?”
“Kiss me?” she squeaked. “I think n—”
But he didn’t let her finish. With one hand, he swept her onto the nearby bench, hauled her against him and pressed his mouth to hers.
Stunned, she grabbed his shoulders for support. She should have slapped him away, but at first, she was too stunned to react. Besides, a slap to a man this size would probably make him laugh. And then he might try kissing her
“You do?”
“Well, yes. You see, I plan to buy a place in Bath and turn it into a wonderful school for young women where ladies can learn the best things in the world. Just like gentlemen learn at Eton and other places where Society sends their sons.”
He paused for a minute, looking up at the sky. “I daresay, that will take a good sum of money.”
“Oh, it’s not as if I am going to ask Roderick for a vast sum. I will be using my own money for that. Papa was quite wealthy in his own right.”
“Was he?”
Her eye sparkled with delight. Finally, a man who didn’t want her for her money. How refreshing. “Indeed, and he left half of his estate to me.” She shrugged. “But I have no need of all that money. There are better things to do with it anyway. Besides, Stephen is so afraid someone will marry me for my inheritance that I believe he would like to lock me up in a tower. My sister worries about me too, and that is the last thing I want for her. She is quite concerned about certain type of gentlemen suitors.”
Knightengale’s brows dipped. “Fortune hunters you mean. I suppose I would feel the same way if I were your guardian.”
She touched his arm. “I see we understand each other. But this way, I can kill two birds with one stone.”
He look a bit confused, but he raised his large hands to adjust the jacket sitting on her shoulders.
She looked up at him, her eyes crinkling with delight. “For one thing, I will rid myself of my money by the end of the year. That way, no fortune hunter will ever come near me. And second, my dream of a great school will be born.”
He frowned, letting a hand trail along her arm. “And does your family agree to your plans?”
She watched him, wondering if he was cold and wanted his jacket back. “Oh no. Stephen is a dear, but he would not agree to my plans. Did you know he is my guardian until I turn twenty-one? So, whoever wants to marry me has to go through him.”
“That is quite a plan, Miss Millicent. I hope you succeed.”
Happiness filled her. Finally, a man who listened to her. “Do you?”
His dark eyes gleamed like tiny flames in the moonlight, making her think he was quite a sympathetic man. “I understand the female mind a bit better than some of my fellow lords,” he said gently.
She grinned as she slid the coat off her shoulders. “You are so very kind. But before we return, I should give this back to you. Thank you for your gallantry.”
He took the jacket. “Thank you, Milli . You don’t mind me calling you by that name, do you?”
She avoided his steadfast gaze and shifted her gaze toward the sky. “Well...”
Lizzie had told her that since she was older now, in no uncertain terms should she let any gentleman who was not family call her Milli unless he was her fiancé. However, the kindness of Lord Knightengale touched her. Yet, the man was not her fiancé or anywhere near that.
“I am sorry, but I think not,” she said apologetically. “It is my name. The shortened version, of course.” She threw her palms in the air. “But people might think . . . things.”
He leaned toward her, taking her face in his huge hands. “What things, my dear?”
She pulled back, feeling a bit panicky. The feel of his cool skin shocked her. Lizzie had warned her that moonlight did funny things to gentlemen. “Uh, perhaps we should be heading back to the supper room?”
He stroked her cheek. “You’re a beautiful woman. Don’t you want me to kiss you?”
“Kiss me?” she squeaked. “I think n—”
But he didn’t let her finish. With one hand, he swept her onto the nearby bench, hauled her against him and pressed his mouth to hers.
Stunned, she grabbed his shoulders for support. She should have slapped him away, but at first, she was too stunned to react. Besides, a slap to a man this size would probably make him laugh. And then he might try kissing her
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