She shook her head.
“It doesn’t matter anymore.”
“It does matter,” he replied. “Because I don’t think I can live the rest of my life knowing that you are angry at me.”
She cocked an eyebrow.
“Why would you think that I am angry?” she asked. “Because you left abruptly?”
“Lady Emily, I don’t mean to start a disagreement,” he said. “But...I thought that you did not want to talk to me at all. That I wasn’t worth talking to.”
In an instant, Lady Emily knew what this was about. He had overheard what she had said to Catherine and he had taken offence to it.
“I didn’t mean that,” she said.
“Then why did you say it?”
They held each other’s gazes for quite some time before Lady Emily sighed.
“I said it...because...I wanted to dissuade Catherine from...from falling for you,” she said.
“Yes, I got that,” Myles said. “I wasn’t good enough for either of you.”
“No!” she cried. “That is not why I said it.”
“Lady Emily,” he said. “With all due respect, I don’t know what you think of Americans, but we do hear just as well as the British. And I know what I heard. I am a good man, Lady Emily, despite what you may think.”
“I know you are a good man,” she said. “I know you are a good man...and you are good enough for me. But I was afraid, Myles. I have only ever known the world that I live in. I am not well travelled, like you. I have never seen outside Cornwall and London. In fact, women having those ideals are frowned upon.”
He looked surprised.
“What are you saying?” he asked her.
“I’m saying…” She drew up all her courage. “I am saying that I love you, and I don’t know what to do about it.”
Myles felt his shoulders drop.
“Oh Emmie,” he said, softly. “I wish you had told me that earlier.”
“I know,” she said, and she felt a tear slip down her face. “I know. I’m sorry, I should have been braver. I should have just told you how I feel instead of letting the ideals of my world get in the way. And now it’s too late.”
“It’s too late?” he asked. “Why is it too late?”
“Well because…” she paused. “Because you are betrothed to Catherine.”
His eyes widened.
“What?” he asked.
“Catherine said that you and she…”
“Oh no,” he replied. “No, no. Catherine and I aren’t betrothed, or even close to it. She’s a friend, yes, and I was happy to see a familiar face when I first came here. I met her and the baroness in the park, just after I had seen the lawyer. I had no idea what Regent Park was for...and I had no idea what I was going to do with the rest of my life. I just wanted to feel comfortable and they offered to have supper with me. Having a private supper rather than dining somewhere where everyone was looking at and talking about me was very appealing.”
“I see,” she said. “And so...that is all that is going on?”
“Yes,” he swore to her. “I love you, Lady Emily. I have loved you since the moment I set eyes on you.”
There were a lot of things that Lady Emily expected Myles to say at that moment, but that was not one of them.
“Really?” she asked.
“Yes,” he said and stepped forward. “Really.”
Their lips were just inches apart and she felt a tingling up and down her body that she had never experienced with anyone but him. He put his hand up to her face, and looked into her eyes.
“You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen,” he said. “You are the most beautiful and most intelligent woman that I have ever come across. You are enchanting, Lady Emily. I know that we come from different worlds, but you seem like my soulmate.”
No one had ever called her that before. No one had so much as touched her face before. And certainly, no one had ever kissed her like Myles Whitehall was suddenly kissing her.
His lips were soft, and passionate, and she knew now that she had kissed him that she would never be able to stop. They kissed and it seemed time had simply stopped. She and Myles, as far as she was concerned, were the only people in the world. Their lips were the only thing that mattered.
When they broke apart, she gazed into his eyes.
“I hope that was all right,” he said to her.
She could hardly speak. “Yes,” she managed, stuttering. “Yes, it’s all right.”
“Could I do it again?” Myles asked, and she nodded. He grinned and put both hands on her face this time, kissing her gently.
She leaned into him, feeling his strong body meld to hers.
“I love you,” Myles said to her, when he pulled apart from her a second time. “Do you hear me?”
“I love you too,” she said.
“And I have never loved anyone else.”
“What are we going to do?” she asked him.
“We’re going to figure out a way to make this work,” he said. “We have to, because I cannot bear to be apart from you.”
“I feel the same,” she said. “But I have no idea how we are going to make it work.”
“Trust me, my love,” he breathed to her softly. “Do you trust me?”
“Yes,” she said. “I have never trusted anyone as much as I trusted you.”
“Then trust me that we will find a way to be together,” he said and leaned in to kiss her a third time.
Lady Emily knew her father would be coming back inside soon, but she didn’t care. All that she cared about was Myles, and his lips, and his body. All that she cared about was that at last, her soul had met the mate that everyone said that she would.
Chapter 14
Myles was in a much better mood this morning than he had been previously. He felt like the sun was shining just for him, as he awoke in the room that he was still renting. He still hadn’t made a decision yet, but the fact that he knew Lady Emily wanted him made his day so much better.
He knew he would have to go and see the solicitor soon. Today, however, he thought he would just reflect on the dinner party the previous evening, and how wonderful he felt as he had gone home.
No one had seen them kiss, and Lady Emily had left soon after. He had bid the gathering goodnight when she had left and had spent the night dreaming of wonderful things.
Now that he was awake, he realized he was starving. He didn’t normally get up this early, but he was practically bouncing as he went down the steps.
“Mr. Whitehall,” the landlady said. “A letter came for you.”
“A letter?” Myles said. “From whom?”
“I don’t know,” she said, as she handed it over. “Would you like breakfast?”
“Yes, please,” he replied, and she bustled off.
Myles looked down at the letter in confusion. Everyone he knew in England was at the party last night, and so he hadn’t a clue who would send him a letter.
The envelope was high quality, and the paper inside was even finer quality. The script was beautiful and the letter was lightly perfumed. The scent reached his nose as he opened it.
Dear Mr. Whitehall,
You do not know me yet, but we are cousins. My name is Louisa, and your uncle was also mine. If I was born male, I would perhaps inherit the title and fortune, but alas, I was born female. I am writing to you today out of desperation. I thought that my uncle would leave me something to live on, as he was like a father to me while he was alive.
However, it seemed he was more old-fashioned than I thought, as he has left me nothing. We became quickly close to each other while he was in the last year of his life, and I wonder if he just did not update his will. Regardless, I am not writing to you out of greed. I have nothing, and will be living in the poorhouse if I do not receive some of the inheritance. Perhaps we could discuss my situation, as we are family?
Your cousin,
Louisa
Myles read the letter twice before
he understood exactly what was going on. He did not sense a letter of greed at all. Instead, he saw the handwriting of the last living family member he had, and a young woman who would be destitute if he did not respond.
Louisa had left her contact details at the bottom of the letter, and so he quickly called after the landlady.
“Actually,” he said. “I am going out right away. Would it be possible to have breakfast...later?”
“When?” the landlady asked, confused.
“Uh...perhaps later this afternoon?” he asked, as he went upstairs to grab his hat.
There was someone else who had his blood in her veins. There was a connection to this place that wasn’t six feet under the ground.
Because Myles was not quite familiar with the layout of London, it took him a little while to find Louisa's residence. He got lost twice, and he was in a bit of a mess when he finally knocked on the door.
It occurred to him, very briefly, that the letter could be a fake. He knew, especially from living in America, that there were a lot of people who were desperate for money, and would do anything to achieve it. He knew that news of his fortune had spread and everyone recognized him.
But as soon as Louisa opened the door, he knew that she wasn’t lying. She had the same eyes, the same cheekbones, and the same smile.
“Louisa?” he asked.
“Myles,” she said. “Myles Whitehall. Hello.”
“Hello,” he said, staring at her. “Oh my, you’ll have to forgive me. I didn’t think that there was any family left.”
“I didn’t think so either,” she said. “I had heard rumours of you, of course...but I didn’t think...I am so glad you came, just so I can lay eyes on you. Welcome.”
He was warmed by her attitude and took off his hat.
“May I come in?” he asked. “I got your letter and I wanted to discuss it.”
“Yes, yes of course,” she said. “Please, right this way.”
When he stepped inside, he saw further evidence that her story was true. The house, although probably quite grand at one point, was now starting to fall apart. There was a bit of peeling on the wallpaper, and the entire house seemed quite dull. He looked around, and wondered how many generations of his family had stepped through here.
“This is lovely,’ he said to her, and he meant it.
“Thank you,” she said, with a smile. “It’s not...it’s not what it used to be.”
“It’s all right,” he replied. “You should see America.”
“I have heard great tales about it,” Louisa said. “But it sounds like a frightening land, full of tumbleweeds and the wild west.”
He chuckled.
“Not all of it is like that,” he said. “But some of the rumours are true. However, you know that most people in America came from England, of course.”
“Yes,” she said. “But it seems like the land changes people.”
“Oh, certainly,” he replied. “My father fell in love with it, and never came back.”
“Your father,” she said, softly. “He was so kind.”
“You knew him?”
“When I was a child,” Louisa answered. “I am a few years older than you; I believe I was only 7 or 8 when he left...but I have fond memories of him.”
“I see,” Myles said, with a half-smile. “I was starting to think that there was no one left who remembered him, if I am honest.”
“Oh no,” Louisa said. “I remember him very fondly. Would you like to stay for some tea or are you just here on business?”
“I would be delighted to stay for some tea,” Myles replied. He hadn’t thought that he would stay, but now that he saw her face to face, he knew that he must. She was his only living relative and the only person who would remember anything about the life he thought was lost to memory.
Louisa made him the tea herself. If they were in America, Myles would not think there was anything strange about this. However, they were in England, in what was once a grand house, and that made him realize how badly she was doing.
“Tell me about yourself,” she said, as they sat down.
“There isn’t much to tell,” he said.
“Oh?” she replied. “I am sure that you had a life in America before you came here.”
“Well, that’s the interesting part,” he said. “I only recently remembered my life in America.”
“What do you mean?”
“On my way over, I was involved in a shipwreck,” he said. “I was the only one who survived, and I was injured for quite a while.”
“What?” she gasped. “Really?”
“Yes,” he said. “I didn’t remember who I was, and I didn’t remember why I had come here. I didn’t remember what my name was, or what my job was.”
“Job?” she asked. “You have a job in America?”
“I do,” he said. “I’m a silversmith in America and I am involved in quite the community over there.”
“So it must have been hard to leave,” she said.
“Well, I thought it was just going to be a quick trip,” he said. “And then all of a sudden, I was over here for over a month and then two.”
“And what do you think of it?” she asked.
He shrugged. “I mean, I think it’s wonderful,” he said. “It’s very different, and I can see the charm. However...it’s not my home.”
“So...you don’t think you’ll stay?” she asked. “Because you know the conditions of the inheritance.”
“Yes,” he said. “I was quite surprised by them, but I hear that it’s normal.”
“Sometimes it is,” she said. “The baron wanted to make sure everything was secure and kept within the family.”
“That makes sense,” he said. “But...what if I don’t want to stay?”
She sipped tea and didn’t say anything for a long moment.
“You don’t want to stay?” she finally asked. He sighed.
“It’s not that I don’t want to stay…” he said. “It’s that there is no life for me here. I am a silversmith and I want to help my community...the stipulation about the English wife catches my eye...there is one girl I would maybe consider marrying, but she...I mean, we love each other. But she is not a suitable match.”
Louisa raised an eyebrow.
“She’s a lady,” Myles said. ‘I think that means something, like she has to marry a titled noble.”
“Do you love her?” Louisa asked and Myles nodded.
“Oh yes,” he replied. “I love her very much. I just…”
“Does she love you?”
“She does,” Myles said. “Another recent discovery.”
A Lady's Taste For Temptation (Historical Regency Romance) Page 26
