The Lady Confesses. Carole Mortimer

most passionately with one of her coachmen as she strode determinedly across the park towards where Elizabeth held the runaway dog in her arms.

      The reunion between dog and mistress had brought an emotional tear to Elizabeth’s eyes—for a completely different reason than that of the poor coachman, who stood beside his mistress rubbing his ringing ears!

      Once reassured of her ‘darling Hector’s’ well-being, Mrs Wilson had turned her narrow-eyed attention to his rescuer, insisting that Elizabeth must return home in her carriage with her and receive more thanks over a cup of tea. Once inside the opulence of that comfortable house, Mrs Wilson had demanded to know what a young lady such as Elizabeth had been doing walking alone in the park at all. Upon hearing that she was merely crossing the park to cheer herself after failing to secure a position in a haberdashery, that lady had insisted that she must come and work for her, that her ‘darling Hector’ had obviously taken such a liking to her there could be no other course of action.

      Before Elizabeth had been able to draw a breath, it seemed, she had found herself, and the few belongings she had brought to London with her, moved into Mrs Wilson’s home and herself charged with the care of the mischievous and totally lovable Hector.

      If Mrs Wilson had now decided to turn that considerable attention to finding her nephew a suitable wife, then she had no doubts that lady would succeed—whether the Earl of Osbourne wished it or not!

      ‘—it is fortuitous that the Millers have not gone up to town for the Season this year, as they are still in mourning following Lord Miller’s demise,’ Elizabeth heard Mrs Wilson state with satisfaction as her attention returned to that lady’s conversation with her nephew.

      ‘I doubt that Lord Miller sees it as being in the least fortuitous!’ the earl drawled drily.

      Elizabeth repressed another smile, only for the humour on her face to fade completely as she looked up and found herself the focus of Lord Thorne’s intent gaze.

      She looked quickly away again to engage the elderly Letitia Grant in conversation, all the time aware that the rakishly handsome earl continued to observe her broodingly …

      Nathaniel was only half listening to the twittering of his aunt as she continued to list the guests she proposed inviting to her dinner party on Saturday evening, having absolutely no interest in any of his aunt’s guests, least of all the two Miss Millers and their mother, or Miss Penelope Rutledge, the equally eligible daughter of the local magistrate, Viscount Rutledge.

      His aunt would no doubt be outraged to learn the only female that in the least piqued Nathaniel’s interest at this moment in time was now seated on the chaise at the back of the drawing room and engaged in muted conversation with Letitia Grant—and that his intentions towards Betsy earlier this afternoon had been entirely dishonourable!

      Nathaniel had been aware of that young woman’s presence the moment she slipped quietly into the room to curtsy politely before joining Letitia on the chaise, the simply styled cream gown she wore a perfect foil for those ebony curls that clustered at her crown and framed the ivory oval of her face, its high waist and low neckline leaving bare her throat and the tops of the breasts Nathaniel had so admired earlier this afternoon.

      Miss Betsy Thompson, Nathaniel had decided after she’d left his bedchamber earlier, was a contradiction that warranted further investigation. Discreet enquiries from Letitia Grant earlier had revealed that as far as she was aware his aunt knew absolutely nothing about the young lady she had so recently employed, other than that Hector obviously adored her—which in Aunt Gertrude’s eyes appeared to be reference enough!

      Nathaniel had a far different opinion—for all any of them knew Betsy could be a runaway wife avoiding detection by her aggrieved husband, or, worse, she might be a felon hiding from justice!

      At least, those were the excuses Nathaniel had given himself for his lingering interest in that young lady …

      ‘—are you even listening to me, Osbourne?’ his aunt now snapped as she obviously became aware of his inattentiveness.

      Nathaniel turned his lazy gaze onto his slightly irate aunt. ‘You were extolling the virtues of Miss Rutledge, I believe,’ he drawled uninterestedly. ‘How accomplished she is upon the piano. That you and others consider her needlework and painting to be of a particularly high standard. That she has acted as competent and gracious mistress of the Viscount’s home since her mother’s death three years ago. How—’

      ‘I trust you are not mocking me, Osbourne?’ His prettily plump, and totally well-meaning, aunt prompted severely.

      ‘I assure you, Aunt Gertrude, that a man as in need of his dinner as I rarely feels the inclination to mock.’ Nathaniel presented his arm to his aunt as the butler appeared in the doorway and announced that dinner was now ready to be served.

      Elizabeth could not help but appreciate how smoothly the earl had extricated himself from the awkwardness of that conversation as she fell into step beside Letitia to follow Nathaniel Thorne and his aunt through to the small family dining room. Many fashionable young gentlemen—in need of their dinner or otherwise!—would have dealt most severely with Mrs Wilson for being so blatant in their matchmaking. It was a testament of the genuine affection in which Lord Thorne held his aunt that he had chosen not to do so.

      Although this did not in any way excuse the set-down he had given Elizabeth earlier in regard to what she considered her perfectly justified outspokenness concerning the scandalous behaviour of his friend, Lord Faulkner.

      Or the over-familiar behaviour she had suffered at his hands prior to that …

      Which was perhaps not the memory Elizabeth should have been dwelling upon as the earl, having seen to the seating of his aunt and Letitia Grant, now loomed over her attentively as he stood behind her own chair.

      ‘Dare I hope that blush is on my behalf, Betsy?’ he murmured, the warmth of his breath caressing the dark curls at Elizabeth’s nape as he bent forwards to place her chair beneath her.

      Elizabeth tensed brief ly before continuing to sit, presenting her stiffly disapproving back and shoulders to the earl as she did so. She couldn’t help feeling a little chagrined that he had been correct in his assumption as to the direction of her wayward thoughts! She had been too shocked earlier by the suddenness of this man’s advances to completely gauge her own reaction to being held in his arms as he had attempted to kiss her.

      Unfortunately, that had not proved to be the case as Elizabeth had later walked Hector in the peace and quiet of the woods adjoining Hepworth Manor … Her thoughts had then returned again and again to the hard warmth of Nathaniel Thorne’s body as he’d held her against his muscled chest, the thrill of briefly feeling his lips against hers and the shiver of pleasure that had coursed through her as those same lips travelled the length of her throat. As to the lascivious way in which he had eyed the swell of her breasts, she tingled all over just thinking about it.

      The life Elizabeth had led at Shoreley Park had been a sheltered one, with very few young men living in the area, and hardly any of those considered by Marcus Copeland to be suitable company for his three young daughters. The exception to that rule had been Malcolm Castle, the son of the local squire, but as he had always shown a preference for her sister Diana’s company from childhood, that particular avenue of flirtation had been closed to Elizabeth and Caroline.

      Even if it had not, Nathaniel Thorne’s earlier familiarity could not possibly be called merely flirtatious! The liberties he had attempted to take had implied that he considered Elizabeth as being no more respectable than a—than a woman with whom he had paid to spend the night! No doubt her lowly position in his aunt’s household was responsible for that familiarity, but even so …

      ‘I would be as inclined to blush at thoughts of a viper as you, my lord.’ Elizabeth muttered back as she turned to smile up at him for the benefit of the watching Mrs Wilson and Letitia, as if she were thanking the earl for his attentiveness rather than insulting him.

      Nathaniel’s own smile was one of wolfish appreciation for her spirited reply as he slowly straightened before