’Tis not so deep as a well, nor so wide as a church door; but ’tis enough, ’twill serve.
—Romeo and Juliet, act 3, scene 1
Katherine, her maid, and her driver climbed the six steps that led to the front door of the large building that housed the small Potts Orphanage. They had been there three times before when it was Katherine’s turn to collect the clothing articles from the Wilted Tea ladies, so they knew the routine.
There was no use grasping the heavy iron door knocker because no one would answer it. The house was left unlocked during the day. If you had business inside, you simply went in and looked around until you found someone who could help you. Thankfully, they already knew where to deposit the clothing in the drafty old structure.
The foyer was an empty, sizable square room that had several corridors leading off it. The long corridors were mostly empty rooms, too. She remembered walking down three of them before she found someone to talk to the first time they visited. Mrs. Potts had told Katherine that she could fill the rooms with children if only she had the money and staff to do so.
As they passed one of the corridors, Katherine heard a voice that caused her to stop and look down the passageway. Her heart started beating a little faster. The man sounded just like the Earl of Greyhawke.
But why would he be at an orphanage?
Her maid and driver stopped, too. “No,” she told them. “You two go ahead and deliver the baskets. I will either catch up with you in a few minutes or meet you back at the front door.”
She stared down the wide corridor. The voices seemed to be coming from about the third door down. It probably wasn’t him, Katherine tried to convince herself. But she had to be sure. And even if it wasn’t His Lordship, she wanted to see the man who sounded so much like the elusive earl.
Slowly and with soft footsteps, she turned and tiptoed down the corridor. She didn’t know why she was walking so softly or slowly. It wasn’t as if she planned to eavesdrop on the conversation and didn’t want anyone to know she was there. She simply wanted to get closer and see who was in that room. Cautiously, she took a few more steps, then stopped when she saw the man was backing out of the doorway, talking to someone.
“Yes, Mrs. Potts. I would appreciate that. I look forward to hearing from you on the matter.”
He turned and stopped in his tracks when he saw her standing in the middle of the corridor not a dozen paces in front of him. Her skin prickled with anticipation. He held his black greatcoat over his arm and his hat in his hand. Katherine had never seen him look more dashingly handsome in fawn-colored riding breeches with shiny black knee-high boots and a camel-colored waistcoat and coat. And as certain as she knew her name, by his expression, Katherine knew that Lord Greyhawke was glad to see her. And by the racing of her pulse, she knew she was glad to see him, too.
“Miss Wright,” he said, striding in eagerness toward her. “What are you doing here?”
She gave him a ladylike shrug. “I was going to ask you the same question.”
“Ladies first,” he answered, stopping a respectable distance from her.
“I was dropping off some things the Wilted Tea Society collected for the children who live here.”
“Thank goodness,” he said, an easy smile coming to his lips. “When I first saw you, I thought you might be a mirage.”
“Do you see me as unreal or unattainable, my lord?”
His brandy-colored eyes met her stare for stare. “Perhaps. When I look at you as I am now.” He paused. The corners of his mouth lifted devilishly. “But when I realized you were actually standing in front of me and you were not an illusion, I wondered about the possibility that Miss Wright might be following me.”
Her eyebrows lifted a little and so did her chin. She made no effort to hide her amusement as she casually folded her gloved hands together in front of her. “And why would you suspect that, my lord?”
“It’s simple. I take a walk in the park and it just so happens I see you taking a walk in the park. I come to the orphanage and you come to the orphanage. Do you see why I might think this?”
She chuckled softly. “Yes, but you have it wrong. It must be you who is following me. You never told me why you are here, and I freely confessed my mission.”
“You’re right,” he admitted. “I didn’t. This is where Dixon was first left after his mother died. When he was found and brought to me on the coast, I was told some of his things had remained here. I came to ask about them for him.”
Her smile faded. “I hope they had them.”
“Yes. Thankfully. Mrs. Potts has them safely stored away in the attic. I made arrangements with her to have them picked up tomorrow.”
“That’s a kind thing for you to do, my lord. I’m sure he’ll appreciate having all his possessions with him.”
“It’s the right thing to do, Miss Wright. I told Dixon I was coming to look into claiming his possessions. He said he wanted to come with me, but when we arrived, he refused to get out of the carriage.”
Her eyes softened. “Do you suppose he thought you might leave him here?”
“That could be it, I guess. But why didn’t he just tell me he didn’t want to come?”
“Maybe because he is five years old and not yet a young man who knows what he wants or what he can handle.”
“I think that could very well be true, Miss Wright. So it’s true. There is actually a society called Wilted Tea?”
She laughed a little. “Indeed there is. We know that not everyone sees the humor in our name, as do those of us who belong to the group. But yes, as odd as it sounds, that is what we call our little society.”
“You wouldn’t want to know the names of some of the groups that I belonged to when I was a younger man, and I wouldn’t tell you if by chance you did.”
“I’ve heard that gentlemen enjoy their secret societies.”
“We do, and it’s best that I not talk about them in front of a lady.”
“Why is that?”
His expression questioned her. “Is that a personal inquiry from you, Miss Wright?”
“If it is, I’m glad I was the first one to ask this time. It’s usually you who ventures headlong where only angels go.”
“It’s difficult to be a gentleman at all times, Miss Wright. It seems that at your uncle’s dinner party we aroused suspicions in a few people as to the real reason you were in my arms.”
“Unfortunately, that is so.”
His eyes and lips softened. “I didn’t want that to happen. Has the gossip been bad for you?”
“You could have called on me to find out.”
His expression changed to one of uncertainty, and she wondered if he felt she’d been too forward.
“You’re right. I could have. I wanted to. It’s just—”
“Nothing for you to worry about, my lord,” she interrupted, taking him off the hook she had just placed him on. “My aunt cleverly convinced everyone that I exchanged dinner plates with you because yours had a chip in it, and the duke has convinced everyone you were my savior that night by lifting his injured niece off the ground and rushing her into the house before she could catch consumption.”
He grimaced. “You’re right. I should have stopped by to see you. The reasons I didn’t are purely selfish ones.”
“You’ve been busy, I know.”
“You are not going to let me get off that easy, are you?”
“You chose not to call on me.”
“I didn’t because I know that you, Miss Wright, are wrong for me. It’s best I stay away from you.”
Katherine’s breath caught in her lungs. Did that mean he had been as affected by their kisses as she had? Did it mean that when he looked at her, he felt the same wonderful feelings she felt when she looked at him? And if he did, was the problem that he felt he was betraying the memory of his beloved wife?
Her gaze held fast to his. “Is that why I haven’t even seen you at any of the balls or parties?”
“I told you I didn’t come to London to attend the Season, that it’s mainly for those who want to be on the marriage mart.”
“Yet you came to my uncle’s for dinner.”
“Yes, but when we met, I realized that was a mistake. I shouldn’t have gone.”
“Because we kissed?”
He stepped closer to her, keeping his intense gaze on hers. “No, not because of it, but because of the way we kissed, because of the way it felt.” He stopped. “I came to London for business reasons, and as soon as I’ve accomplished them, I will be leaving.”
His words felt like a stab to her heart, and she took a step back. “Oh, I didn’t know you would be leaving.”
“Yes,” he said on a sharp intake of breath. “And you will be continuing to get to know and measure Lord Rudyard and other gentlemen who are pursuing you in your quest for a husband.”
“Yes, of course I will,” she agreed, feeling an odd sense of rejection. “I told you I promised my uncle I would settle on a husband by the end of the Season. I won’t go back on my word.”
“It’s a shame he’s put a time restraint on you about that.”
“He is past ready for me to be some other man’s responsibility. He feels he must fulfill his duty to my father and see me properly wed. I am holding up his fulfilling that obligation.” She paused and let her gaze gently, slowly, sweep up and down his face. “I will settle on someone. I must. But I want you to know I will never forget our kiss. And I am pleased that my first kiss came from you.”
Lord Greyhawke swore. He reached over and opened the door to his left and looked around. Then, without saying a word, he grabbed her wrist and gently pulled her inside with him.