“I’m just trying to leave Myles’s prospects open for him,” she said.
“His prospects?” Catherine said.
“Well, if he plans to stay here,” she said, backtracking.
“I don’t think that he plans to stay here,” Catherine said. “At least, from what I understand.”
“Well, I don’t think he has any plans,” Lady Emily said. “But I think if he finds England nice, he might stay.”
“Lady Emily,” Catherine said. “One would think that you are looking at Myles as a prospect”
“Don’t be silly,” she said. “I can’t do that.”
“Why not?” she asked. “Because he’s American?”
“That is part of it,” Lady Emily responded. “And partly because he doesn’t know his past.”
“Such a thing has never stopped you before from making such a leap,” Catherine said and Lady Emily smiled.
“Catherine,” she said, teasing her friend. “You are not suggesting that I do things on a whim, do you? Or just to be rebellious?”
“Not at all,” Catherine replied, although she knew her friend quiet well. “Although, to be honest, I’ve never heard you speak so deeply of someone’s past before.”
“What do you mean?” Lady Emily asked.
“Well…” Catherine paused. “I’ve never heard you say that you are considering someone else’s past as a reason not to continue with your future plans.”
Lady Emily paused. If anyone else had said that to her, she would have been offended. However, Catherine was a dear friend, and she understood exactly what she meant.
“Perhaps I haven’t considered it before,” she said. “But I will consider it now. At least, in the case of Myles.”
The gentleman in question finished his dance with Lady Jemima then, and came back over to Lady Emily and Catherine
“Ladies,” he said. “Will one of you rescue me?”
“Rescue you from what?” Lady Emily asked.
“From all these ladies who seem offended by my conversation,” Myles said. “Or at least, my accent. I know I have not done anything wrong, but the moment I open my mouth, they are shocked.”
“They are just not very worldly,” Lady Emily replied. “I will dance with you again, if you like.”
“That would be perfect,” Myles replied, and held out his hand. They stepped onto the dance floor, and Lady Emily felt the butterflies return to her stomach. She couldn’t imagine dancing with anyone else.
“Did you find anyone interesting to talk to?” she asked, as they danced.
“No,” he said. “None as interesting as you.”
Lady Emily blushed.
“I was talking to Catherine about how popular you seem,” she said. “Many of the women seem to want to dance to you.”
“Well, they want to dance with me until they figure out that I’m an American,” he said. “And then they are horrified.”
“I don’t know why,” Lady Emily said. “Every single one of them knows someone who has gone to the colonies.”
“Ah, but that’s different,” he said. “When the British come over, they want to have an adventure. When we are born in the colonies, we are somehow an entirely different breed of people.”
“Somehow,” she said, with a smile. She didn’t mean to, but somehow, the two of them continued to dance through three tunes. She knew everyone was staring at them, but by the time she finished, she didn’t care.
“I think I need a drop of something,” Myles said, when they finally finished. “I’m parched. Can I get you anything?”
“Oh no,” Lady Emily said. “I am happy to wait for you.”
“I won’t be long,” Myles replied, and disappeared.
Lady Emily was left smiling after him, until her father, Sir Preston, came up behind her.
“Emmie,” he said. “May I have a word with you?”
“Is this about dancing with Myles?” she said. “I was only dancing with him because no one else wanted to.”
Sir Preston raised an eyebrow.
“Is that so?” he asked. “I see lots of people dancing with him, you most of all.”
“Father,” she said. “Is it not polite, to dance with your guests?”
“Perhaps not that often,” he said. “I am just looking out for you, Emmie.”
“Would you feel better if I did not dance with him for the rest of the night?” she asked.
“It would,” Sir Preston said. “Except for the fact that the ball is almost over.”
“Well,” she said. “Father Isn’t it the thought that counts?”
“Uh...” he said. “Perhaps. Do you think Catherine would like to return home shortly?”
“I will ask her,” Lady Emily said, as she saw Myles return with two glasses of champagne. She went over to Catherine and pretended not to see Myles approaching.
“My father would like to know whether you’d like to go home?” she asked. “Are you tired?”
“Oh,” Catherine replied. “I think that it’s very late, isn’t it? Some people are heading home anyway.”
“I agree,” Lady Emily said. “And my father is...a bit upset that I have not danced with anyone else.”
“Oh,” Catherine said. “I was afraid of that.”
“As was I,” Lady Emily replied. “I did not want people to get the wrong impression. I simply wanted Myles to feel welcome.”
“I’m sure he feels welcome,” Catherine said, as Myles approached again with his two glasses of champagne. Upon seeing that the two ladies were standing together, he promptly handed over the glasses rather than keeping one for himself.
“Oh,” Catherine said, in surprise “Thank you very much.”
“Of course,” he said. “A quick sip of that and I’m ready to dance all night.”
“Actually,” Lady Emily said and glanced to Catherine. “We were thinking about retiring for the evening.”
“Oh,” Myles said. “Are you not having an enjoyable night?”
“I am,” Lady Emily replied. “But my father believes that we needed to retire for the evening.”
“Oh,” Myles said. “Well, I am happy to leave as well.”
“Very well, I’ll tell my father,” Lady Emily replied. “Thank you for the champagne.”
“Is there anything else I can get you before we leave the party?” Myles said. “It certainly has been the most exciting time.”
“I agree,” she said. “But I’m sure there will be other balls. At least, if you stay.”
Myles's eyes flashed with something she didn’t recognize, but she didn’t say anything.
“Why don’t I find Reginald?” Myles asked. “And then we will meet you by the carriage, if your father wanted to get it ready?”
“Of course,” she said. “Thank you very much.”
Once they were gone, Lady Emily turned to Catherine.
“What do you think that look meant?” she asked.
“What look?” Catherine asked, confused.
“Just...when I said about staying,” she said.
“Oh,” Catherine said. “Perhaps it’s because he doesn’t know what he was going to do. Or perhaps he’s remembered something else.”
“I agree,” Lady Emily said. “And I’ll ask him about it tomorrow.”
“Do you think that he would tell us if he remembered everything?” Catherine asked.
“What do you mean?” Lady Emily asked. “You think he has something to hide?”
“Well, we don’t know,” Catherine pointed out, as Myles returned with Lord Reginald. The four of them headed towards the door and made sure to thank their host for the lovely party.
“What a wonderful night,” Myles said, when they finally got into one of the carriages. “Thank you so much for inviting me.”
“Thank you for coming,” Lady Emily said. “It couldn’t have been easy, to head into a room where you know nobody and be so brave.”
“Oh,” Myles said, with a shrug and grin. “It’s an
adventure.”
“Indeed,” Lady Emily replied, and glanced to Catherine to let her know she approved of such an attitude. Lady Emily didn’t know what Myles would remember in the coming days, but she was very excited to find out. Perhaps it would be something interesting; an adventure that he could tell her about. Or perhaps he would decide that he might go home and rob her of everything that she currently felt was worth living for. She hoped not, but from the look in Myles’s eyes, she had a feeling he had remembered something big.
Chapter 9
Lady Emily felt as though she was making some progress with Myles, because he did admit little details here and there that seemed to help his life make more sense. She still hadn’t figured out what he remembered the night of the ball, but it seemed to be that he was making more progress every day. She saw clarity start to appear in his eyes, and she did have hope that he would regain most of his memory. However, what that memory was, was a different story.
“Would you like to take a turn in the garden?” Myles asked her, one sunny day. Breakfast had just ended, and Lady Emily had actually been thinking of what to do with her day. She had hoped that Myles would ask her something, but she was glad that it was for a turn in the garden, because it meant they could speak in confidence. She had found that Myles was more willing to open up when they were alone.
She wasn’t sure if that was because he was uncomfortable with others, or he simply trusted her. Lady Emily tended to ask him about his past with a smile, and was always eager to hear the details, while the others seemed to think that these details were ways to condemn him. Lady Emily didn’t like the judgment that had come about whenever Myles spoke of his past, and so she tended not to ask him about anything until they were alone.
“What a beautiful day,” Lady Emily said, once they got outside. She felt brave enough to take Myles’s arm as they walk, and he smiled as she did. “Did you sleep well?”
“Yes,” he replied. “For the first time in a long while.”
“Oh my,” she said. “I didn’t realize that you hadn’t been sleeping well. Is the guest room uncomfortable? Or perhaps we could…”
“No, no, it’s nothing to do with that,” he said. “I’ve had trouble sleeping well my whole life. My mind is always whirling and trying to sort out the next day's problems, before they arise.”
“I believe we are quite alike,” Lady Emily said. “I am also one who does that, perhaps far more frequently than I should. I do not like to be caught off guard”
“I understand,” Myles replied. “When I was in America and someone would ask me something that I was not prepared for, it was akin to the worst feeling in the world.”
“Oh,” Lady Emily said. “Or if they knew a piece of news you did not remember, I’d spend half my nights recalling the previous day’s conversation, to make sure I never forget anything that may be useful.”
“You have quite the mind,” he said. “In America, that would be admirable.”
“It would be?” she asked. “Here, it is frowned upon.”
“Frowned upon?” Myles asked. “I don’t see why. That kind of mind could build a business.”
“No, you don’t understand,” Lady Emily said. “You don’t speak of such things here. Women don’t build businesses”
He gave her a sharp look.
“Why not?” he asked. “If a woman has an idea? Of course, things are not so forward in America that she can do it alone without scrutiny. But it is more accepted there.”
“Wow,” she said. “I cannot imagine such a different world.”
“Well, you’ll have to come and see the different world, sometimes,” he said. “Perhaps when I am done with business here.”
“Business?” she asked him. “Did you remember something?”
“I did,” he replied. “I remembered that I was here to meet my uncle’s solicitor."
“Oh,” she said in shock. “I think you mentioned something about that, but I am glad that you remembered it was for your uncle.”
“Yes,” he said. “It’s for my uncle, and I think I’m going to inherit something from him.”
“Oh my,” she replied. “Do you know what it is?”
“Not quite,” he answered. “But I’m sure it will spark eventually. By the way, solicitor is such an odd word.”
“What?” she asked, confused. “Do you call it something different in America?”
“Lawyer,” he said, and she shaped her lips around the foreign word.
“Never heard that before,” she said. “It’s almost like you are speaking a different language as well.”
“Indeed,” he said. “I’m glad I’ve remembered that, at least.”
“Did you remember anything else?” she asked.
“Oh yes,” he said. “My parents.”
“Your parents?” she said. “Are they here? In England?”
“No, I’m afraid that they had passed on,” he said. “But I remember their faces, and their names. My father was an officer of the military, and my mother was the most inspiring person I have ever met.”
“Was he a British officer?” she asked.
“Yes,” Myles replied. “He stayed in America after the revolutionary war. He always missed England and would talk about the grand life he had here. However, at the same time, he yearned for a simpler life, and wanted a life that supported democracy.”
“Oh,” she said. “So he stayed and then married your mother, I assume? Where were you born?”
“New York State,” he said. “It’s on the east side of the county. It’s the Hudson Valley, really.”
“And in America, is there school?” she enquired. He chuckled.
“Of course there is,” he replied. “And I would say I’m fairly well-educated, for an American”
She smiled.
“I’m sure you are fairly well-educated for any person,” she teased him. “But you also mentioned that you were a silversmith?”
“Yes,” he said. “I was an apprentice, but now I’m a master.”
“Why did you choose that career?” she asked him. “Were you always drawn to it?”
“I suppose I was,” he said with a shrug. “Being a silversmith has always been a passion of mine, and I was delighted when I turned it into a job. My father always liked the little things I would twist and carve as a child, and so it made sense to choose that as a career.”
“But your parents didn’t want you to marry well?” she asked. “Or go into the military?”
“No,” he said. “They were supportive of whatever I wanted to do.”
“Well, how lovely,” she said. He sensed genuine interest in her voice, but he also sensed a note of jealously.
A Lady's Taste For Temptation (Historical Regency Romance) Page 17