Will She Be Mine Read Online Free PDF Page A

their interrupted conversation. At last he
found the thread.
    “All the best solicitors are,” he observed. Her look of
confusion caused him to add, “Cunning, I mean. The law can be tricky and we
need men of business who are awake upon every suit.”
    “I agree. Mr. Smith handled Mr. Shufflebottom firmly and did
not back down even though Mr. Shufflebottom became quite nasty at the end. I
quaked in my seat, I assure you.”
    “I’m certain you accounted yourself bravely,” Thaddeus
praised her. She’s in my house. She’s in my house!
    “No, not at all,” Amelia asserted. “If Mr. Smith had not
been there to support me I do believe I would not have been able to discharge
that bounder.” She clutched her hands together and looked away from his earnest
expression. “I did not want to disappoint you, either.”
    “Amelia!” he exclaimed eagerly, moving to the edge of his
seat. But upon remembering Mrs. Edley, he looked over at her and discovered she
was busily examining the cornices as though she was working out how to build
and install them herself. He returned his gaze to his guest. “How pretty you
look today,” he praised her softly. Her countenance fairly glowed at that.
Before he could say more, however, the door opened and Angus came in bearing
the tea tray.
    “Ah. Tea.” Thaddeus stood and pulled the small tea table
over between his chair and the sofa. Angus placed the tray on it and moved to
leave the room. Thaddeus began to pour out and thought he overheard Mrs. Edley
hiss at his manservant, “Thou great git! Couldn’t you’ve waited five more
minutes? I could strike thee!”
    Amelia’s eyes met Thaddeus’ over the teacup rim and they
both had to purse their lips to keep from laughing out loud. Though the feeling
of intimacy remained, no further attempts were made to express anything more
personal. They spoke of polite social nothings. Acquaintances they had in
common—none. Places they’d both visited—he’d travelled extensively and she’d
been almost nowhere. What were Roman gardens like? Not as interesting as
Norwegian gardens. What made Norwegian gardens so fascinating? And so forth
until the tea had been drunk and all the teacakes consumed.
    “Goodness,” Amelia said, jumping a little when the casement
clock in the hall sounded. “How the time has flown!”
    “Yes.” Thaddeus wished the damn clock in Jericho. She was
going to leave. With desperate hope, he asked, “Perhaps you’d like to see my
specimens before you depart?”
     
    Amelia smiled and shook her head. “I really must go.” His expression
remained kindly but she could see his disappointment and it thrilled her.
“Perhaps another time?”
    “Indeed, yes,” Thaddeus agreed readily. He moved to her side
and solicitously helped her to rise. “The next time you visit, we’ll find you a
firmer seat. My sisters have told me that this sofa is the devil to get out of
once they’ve reached six months.”
    “It is, a bit,” she confessed, reluctantly withdrawing her
hand from his, and welcoming the ease with which he could discuss what so many
others refused to even see.
    Mrs. Edley opened the parlor door, breaking the spell
between them. When they all reached the front door, which Angus held open,
Amelia extended her hand to her host. He took hold of it and held it firmly
between his palms. He gazed down at her as if she alone could make him happy
and Amelia wanted to gasp aloud in reaction.
    “Miss Horton.”
    They studiously ignored their chaperones, who were doing
their best to fade into the walls anyway.
    “Yes, Mr. Milborough?”
    Thaddeus took a deep breath and then burst out, “Would you
do me the honor of allowing me to escort you to the village fête this
Saturday?”
    “Oh,” Amelia said in surprise.
     
    When she said “Oh,” again, Thaddeus was certain a refusal
was imminent. His stomach twisted into a knot and then miraculously unraveled
as soon as she beamed at him.
    “Mr. Milborough, it would