Page 105 of The Virgin Who Humbled Lord Haslemere
“Youdoknow how to fall in love, Georgiana. You’ve already done that part. So don’t give up now, dearest. You’rehalfway there.”
Emma bent down to kiss her cheek, and then she was gone, leaving Georgiana alone in the window seat, staring out into an overgrown garden. She remained there for a long time, watching the shadows lengthen.
The building was perfect, everything Georgiana had hoped it would be. All she’d wanted when this adventure with Benedict began was this building, a school for her girls, but now…she couldn’t pinpoint the moment when it ceased to be all she needed tomake her happy.
But here she was.
It was getting late, and Lady Clifford would be expecting her home, but perhaps she’d take a little wander upstairs first. It might cheer her up, and in any case, she wanted another look at the bedchambers to see if they might fit a desk inwith the beds.
She lit a candle, mounted the stairs, and wandered down a long hallway on the first floor toward one of the largest of the bedchambers tucked into a back corner of the house. It was a spacious room with an attached sitting area, and had likely served as a grand bedchamber for some Earl of Haslemere or other.
There were still a few stray bits of furniture lying about, so Georgiana set her candle on a dusty table and, starting from one corner of the room, began to measure off the number of steps it took to reach the other corner. One, two, three…
Ping.
Four, five…
Ping.
She looked up at the noise, frowning. Dash it, it was interrupting her count. How many steps had she counted off, four or five? She retraced her steps to the corner and began again. One, two, three—
Ping.
Georgiana froze mid-step, her head jerking toward the window. That sound, it was familiar, like…pebbles hitting the glass. She flew toward the window, her heart rushing into her throat as she pushed aside a dusty,tattered drape.
And there was Benedict, standing on the dim street below as if he’d appeared there by magic. He was gazing up at the window, and as soon as he saw her a breathtaking smile rose to his lips, and he clasped his hands to his chest like some lovestruck hero in aGothic romance.
Then he crooked hisfinger at her.
Georgiana’s knees were shaking as she ran into the hallway and down the stairs. She tried to tell herself to calm, to remind her heart he might have come here to tell her goodbye, but it continued to flop about in her chest like a fish out of water.
Or no, nothat. That wasn’t a romantic image at all.
A fish in love?
Oh, Emma was right. She was hopeless when it came to romance, but love…well, that was something else altogether, because as soon as she lay eyes on Benedict beneath the window, her heart sprang to instant life, soaring inside her with such power and grace she might have skipped the stairs entirely, and floated to the ground floor below.
Benedict was waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs,arms open wide.
Georgiana didn’t hesitate. She didn’t pause to think or doubt or reason, but flew down the stairs and threw herself straight into his waiting embrace. “You’re back! Why didn’t yousend word you—”
That was as far as she got before Benedict’s lips were on hers, his kiss deep and wet and desperate, as if he’d been waiting a lifetime to kiss her. “God, I missed you so much, princess,” he choked out between kisses, burying his hands in her hair. “It’s been weeks and weeks.”
“It hasn’t even been two weeks,” Georgiana protested, grinning against his lips.
“This is no time for math, Georgiana.” He let out a low chuckle, his hands falling to her waist to tug her against him. “Anyway, it feels as if it’s been years. I’ve been dreaming about tasting you since I left Draven’s this afternoon. The ride to London nearlydrove me mad.”
“You, ah…you missed me, then?”
“Missedyou?” Benedict gave her an incredulous look. “There I was at Draven’s, Jane happier than I’ve ever seen her, Draven and Clara annoyingly in love, and Freddy and Augustus like brothers already, and all I could do was pout and snap at everyone, because all I wanted was you.”
Georgiana peeked up at him from under her lashes, suddenlyshy. “Really?”
“Yes,really, you maddening woman. Jane finally lost patience with me. She said I wasn’t fit for company, and sent me back here to you.”
Georgiana toyed with the buttons on his coat, avoiding his eyes. “I thought perhaps you’d thought better of…that you’dchanged your—”
“No.” He tipped her chin up and gazed down at her with dark eyes so filled with love it brought tears to Georgiana’s eyes. “Never. I’m afraid you’re stuck with me, because I’m mad for you, Georgiana. I love you to distraction, and I intend to…are youcrying?Again?”
