Page 60 of His One and Only Lady

Mercy had invited her for a Christmastide house party. Joy, Faith, and the others were also invited. Purity would like to attend, but would Theran permit it?

Probably.

He was nothing like the Ceddes.

Curious as to why Mrs. Shepherd had written, Purity cracked the seal. A few moments later, she gasped and clapped a hand to her mouth.

It couldn’t be true.

Heart racing and her stomach knotted, she reread the letter three times.

Dropping her hand holding the letter onto her lap, Purity stared blindly across the room.

A bevy of emotions assaulted her one right after the other: Disbelief. Joy. Anger. Exhilaration. Wonderment. Excitement. Confusion. Incredulousness. And finally, sorrow.

Her focus sank to the perfectly formed script lining the foolscap. Purity had an uncle, and not only had he been named her guardian by her father, but he was also a marquess. The Marquess of Ballister.

Theran’s neighbor.

This changed everything.

Did she want things to change?

I don’t know.

She loved Theran and Bernadine. How could she leave them? But Theran had made no mention of honorable intent after their kiss.

What if…?

Her mind shied away from the awful thought, but Purity forced herself to finish it. To face what might be the truth.

What if Theran only toyed with her affections?

Or had given into a moment’s lust?

With an almost hysterical laugh, Purity shook her head.

A soft knock at the door shook her from her reverie.

In a haze of shock and incredulity, she stood and crossed the room on shaky legs, still holding the letter. Filling her lungs with a bracing breath, she did what she had done for so many years and arranged her features into a tranquil, benign expression.

She opened the door.

Theran stood there, a shadow of concern sharpening the planes and angles of his face. His deep-blue coat was a near match for his midnight-blue eyes. Those eyes. Every time she glanced into them, she was lost.

He hadn’t been at breakfast. He tipped his mouth into one of his devastating smiles, and her whole body threatened to melt.

“I wanted to speak to you this morning, Purity, but there was an incident I had to attend to on Jordan’s behalf.” He scratched behind his ear. “You have a caller. Mother sent me up to fetch you.”

She jerked her head up, searching his eyes. “I have a caller?”

“You do.” He reverently touched her cheek with a bent finger. “Promise we’ll speak afterward, Purity. That you won’t make any decisions until we talk.”

A mixture of intensity and tenderness etched his dear features.

“All right, I promise.” How could she deny him anything?

“Is everything all right? You are pale.” Theran’s attention sank to the letter she still clutched before slowly lifting.