“Did you?” Helena interrupted, surprised he had a playful side to him. He seemed so serious every time she’d seen him. She got the impression he was a recluse by choice, but perhaps he’d been a recluse because he was forced into it.
“Yes.” Chuckling, he added, “I was younger, so I could fit into smaller spaces than he could. This made hiding easier, as you can imagine, and there were a few times he never did find me. I got bored and had to find him.”
“That was sneaky of you.”
“I don’t think my brother minded. He got a good laugh from it.”
“You were close to your brother then?”
“He was the kind of person who made friends easily. He talked to everyone, and he never said a bad word about anyone. You could trust him.”
“You must miss him.”
Camden’s smile faltered, and his gaze went back to the scone. “I do.” She debated whether or not to ask him more about his brother, but he asked, “Did you and your sisters play games while growing up?” He bit into the scone and waited for her reply.
Recalling she was supposed to be Miss Beacham, she nodded. “Yes. We were always close.” Or at least, she thought Miss Beacham was close to her sisters. “I don’t know what I’d do without them.” She paused then continued, “I’m sure Miss Beacham will share some stories from when she and her sisters were younger, like you did about your brother. Once she’s done and if there’s a lull in the conversation, you might suggest doing an activity. What do you enjoy doing?”
“I usually go for walks.”
She had noticed that about him. He not only walked here for their lessons, but she’d seen him at the park. “Walking is good for you, and it provides an excellent way to get to know someone better. You should ask her if there’s anything she wants to do, but if she would rather let you pick the activity, then go for a walk. From there, discuss whatever you see while you’re out, answer her questions, or ask her something. I believe once you’ve greeted her and had the small talk we just did, you’ll be able to think of things to say.”
“I hope so.”
“Don’t say ‘I hope so’. Say, ‘It will be that way’. Remember, you need to tell yourself positive things. Don’t allow room for anything negative.”
Placing the rest of the scone on the tray, he nodded. “I’m trying.”
“I know you are, and you’re doing a marvelous job. You’ve made great strides in this area. Lord Toplyn and the likes of him are going to be out a lot of money by the end of this month.”
“If today doesn’t go well, I’ll have to start over.”
“Camden, that’s a negative thought. Remember what I said? Keep it positive. Tell yourself, ‘Today will go well’.”
“I know. I keep forgetting.”
“I understand,” she assured him. “You’ve developed a habit over the years. It’ll take more than a couple weeks to overcome it, so I want you to keep working on it after you’re married. Promise me you’ll do that.”
“I don’t see the point since I’m only doing this to get a wife.”
The poor, poor gentleman. “Camden, if you don’t believe in yourself, then how can you expect anyone else to?”
He averted his gaze and stared at the wall, his eyebrows furrowed. She could only guess what he was thinking, but she suspected he’d never considered things from the perspective she’d just given him. Hopefully, he would from this point forward.
“I don’t know if there’s anything else I can do to prepare you for your visit with Miss Beacham,” she finally said.
“It’s unfortunate you can’t go with me.”
“Oh, you don’t need me there. I’d be in the way. Besides, it’d be like having your mother hold your hand. No lady wants a gentleman who can’t do things on his own.” She rose to her feet and motioned for him to stand up. When he did, she added, “You’ll do fine. Remember to compliment her on her dancing, tell her something about your estate so she can envision being a duchess, and ask her what she’d like to do this afternoon.”
With an uncertain chuckle, he said, “You make it seem easy.”
“It is easy. And be sure to repeat this to yourself.”
“I will. I promise.” A long moment passed before he bowed. “Thank you for seeing me.”
“That’s what I’m here for,” she replied with a curtsy, amused he had a tendency to be formal even after knowing her Christian name. “Let me know how things go.”
He offered a nod. She saw him out and watched as he headed down the street toward Miss Beacham’s residence. A flicker of apprehension came over her. What if things went well? What if Miss Beacham saw the same innocent charm that she did? And what if she liked it?
She took a deep breath. Then it would be good. This was what she wanted for Camden, for him to find a lady he could marry who’d make him happy. It would be good if it worked out well. She’d get paid. He’d be married. Then she’d continue working with her other clients. Life would go on as it had before.
With a sigh, she returned to the calendar to figure out where she was going to fit all her clients in for the upcoming week.
Chapter Fourteen
Camden reached Miss Beacham’s townhouse, making sure he wasn’t too early. Two o’clock. He was right on time. After the mishap with Miss Richie, he didn’t dare come too early again. As long as he didn’t do something foolish, everything would be fine. He was one step closer to securing a wife.
All he had to do was follow Helena’s instructions. After he and Miss Beacham said their greetings, he would ask her how she enjoyed the ball last evening. Then he would find something to compliment her on so she would overlook his inadequacies, and at some point, he would have to bring up his estate. It sounded easy enough. He just hoped he could do it. No. He wouldn’t hope for it. He would make it happen. Helena was right. He needed to stop doubting himself.
Straightening his spine, he knocked on the door. From the other side, he heard footsteps. He began to smile but recalled how Helena said he often looked as if he was in pain when he smiled. That being the case, he opted for a small grin.
The footman opened the door and offered a greeting. Once Camden introduced himself, the footman led him to the drawing room.
“I’ll let Miss Beacham know you’re here,” the footman told him. “Have a seat while you wait.”
Camden was ready to thank him, but the footman was already on his way out of the room. So far, this wasn’t going as he planned, but that was all right. He could still carry on the conversation he’d practiced with Helena.
Recalling her advice, he picked a chair across from the settee. He still didn’t know why Helena chose to sit next to him, but he had enjoyed it.
“It’s good to see you, Your Grace.”
Turning his attention to the doorway, he saw Miss Beacham enter. He bolted up, his leg pushing the chair back a bit. His face warm, he quickly put the chair back in its original position then bowed. “It’s good to see you, Miss Beacham.”
The butler followed in behind her then set the tray of tea and crumpets on the table. With a bow, he left the room.
She closed the doors then came over to him and curtsied. “Will you have a seat on the settee?”
“I thought I’d let you sit there,” he replied, his voice cracking. He cleared his throat. “You should sit in the more comfortable place.”
Just as he got ready to sit in the chair, she took his arm and gestured to the settee. “It’s big enough for the two of us.” She sat beside him and giggled. “There’s no need to be shy. I don’t mind if you’re close to me.”
He shifted as far to the edge of the settee as he could. “Well, I…um…don’t think it’s appropriate if we’re too close.”
“We aren’t doing anything we shouldn’t,” she told him.
Granted, that was true, but Helena had instructed him to sit somewhere else, and there was a good reason for it. But it seemed rude to get up and sit in the chair. After a moment of agonizing debate, he finally said, “
I’d feel better if we didn’t sit together until your sister is here to chaperone.”
He started to stand up, but she reached for his arm and pulled him back down.
“If you’re worried about the butler, don’t be,” she whispered. “He likes to spend his time with the scullery maid. As for the footman, he’ll be in his room sneaking a drink of brandy. The other servants won’t be coming by. So, it’s just the two of us.” With a wink, she picked up the teapot and poured tea into their cups.
“What about your sister? I thought you said she was going to chaperone.”
“She will. In an hour.” She turned toward him and handed him a cup.
Not sure why she should plan for her sister to be here an hour later than the time he said he’d come by, he lowered his gaze to the cup in his hands. One sip. All he had to do was drink one sip. Glancing at her, he saw her take her cup and drink from it. Since she wasn’t watching him, he took a quick sip then set it back on the tray. Good. He made it through the whole process without spilling anything. Now, he could start the conversation.
“Did you enjoy the ball last evening?” he asked.
“You should know the answer to that one,” she teased. “You were there.”
Helena hadn’t responded that way when she’d pretended to be Miss Beacham. So what was he supposed to say to that?
With another giggle, she placed her hand on his arm and leaned toward him. “Of course, I enjoyed the ball.”
Was it appropriate for her to be touching him like this? Helena didn’t seem to think so since she hadn’t done it. Shifting away from her so she stopped touching him, he let out an uneasy chuckle. “That’s good. I only asked because…” Why? What explanation could he possibly give her so she wouldn’t think there was something wrong with him? “Um, sometimes people seem to like something when they really don’t.”
“You make an excellent point.”
“I do?”
As soon as he asked the question, he wished he hadn’t. A gentleman who was confident wouldn’t have done it. Helena wouldn’t be happy if she’d heard of this. Miss Beacham scooted closer to him, and he tried to shift away from her but remembered he didn’t have enough room on the settee.
“I smiled and laughed whenever I played blind man’s bluff, but really, the game was absolutely dull,” she said.
“Blind man’s bluff?”
“Haven’t you heard of it?”
He shook his head.
“I haven’t played it since I was a child. My sisters and brothers loved it. One of us would wear a blindfold then find someone,” she said. “I wanted to play other games, but that was their favorite one.”
“You played a lot of games with your sisters and brothers?” Good. Now they were talking about her family. And that meant he could share the story about him and his brother playing games, too. That would establish a common ground.
“In the country, there was little else to do,” she replied. “I think the reason I didn’t care much for blind man’s bluff is because I was expected to be the one blindfolded every time. The youngest doesn’t often get to choose the games. Tell me, did you ever play games with your family?”
Relaxing, he nodded. “My brother and I played hide and seek.”
“Did you?”
“Yes. Um, the estate has lots of excellent hiding places.” Good. He was working in a way to hint at what she’d get by marrying him. “The estate is well cared for, and it has many rooms.”
She sipped her tea then set it down. He hoped she would return to her former spot on the settee, but she only moved so close to him that their arms were touching. “Does it?”
He gulped. “Does what?”
“Your estate have many rooms?”
“Uh, yes.” He glanced at the chair. Why did she insist on sitting so close to him and touching him? This couldn’t be something ladies often did if Helena had been sure to instruct him to keep his distance. He cleared his throat and shifted away from her. “It’s so big that you could get lost in it. A couple of times, I even hid so well, my brother couldn’t find me.”
“Sounds intriguing. It might be entertaining to play hide and seek in a place like that.” She leaned into him. “Tell me, Your Grace, what would you do with me if you found me?” He made a move to go to the chair, but she stopped him, giggling. “You aren’t going to go off and hide, are you?”
“N-no.” Good heavens. This wasn’t going at all like he planned. Though he didn’t think himself a prude, he couldn’t imagine himself doing anything inappropriate with her. Not until they were married, but at this rate, he wasn’t sure marriage was a good idea. Not when he had the urge to run from her. “I-I was thinking we should go out. Don’t you want to go to the museum or park or…or something?”
“My sister isn’t here yet,” she argued. Then with a mischievous grin, she whispered, “The truth is, she won’t be here at all. I didn’t tell her you asked to see me today, and my parents will be out all afternoon.”
He tried to ask her why she lied to him about her sister chaperoning, but she pressed her lips to his, and he was so shocked, he fell back and landed on the floor with a loud thud.
She stood up and knelt by him. “Oh my, Your Grace. You certainly are a nervous one, aren’t you?”
He scrambled to his feet and tried to regain his composure, but his hands were shaking too much. She reached for him. He jerked back and almost fell again, but at the last minute, he caught his footing and managed to avoid further embarrassment.
“I’m not sure we have the same idea for what should happen this afternoon,” he forced out, smoothing his hair.
“I’m bored of all the rules,” she said, keeping her voice low and approaching him.
Startled, he took a step back. “The rules are good. I like rules. They let you know what to expect.”
She shot him an amused smile and continued her approach. “You think my brothers and sisters always follow the rules?”
“They should. It’s only right they do.”
“Rules are boring. They don’t allow for any fun. Don’t be so modest, Your Grace. I know what you were thinking last evening when you asked to see me today.”
He doubted it. “I figured we’d go for a walk. Outside,” he clarified before she got the wrong idea.
“I can walk any time.”
His back hit the wall. Scanning the room, he caught sight of the window close by. He could probably fit through it. But it wasn’t open, and who knew if he could open it before she stopped him. “Miss Beacham, I don’t think we want the same thing.”
“Every gentleman wants what I have to offer, Your Grace. I have two older brothers and have heard them talk when they didn’t know I was there.” She closed the distance between them and ran her hand along his chest. “I want to know what it’s like to be intimately engaged with a gentleman.”
“What? Why?”
She shrugged. “Curiosity? Boredom? Desire to do something interesting for a change? Maybe all of these. It’s not fair only gentlemen get to have some entertaining times before they have to get married. Besides, you suggested you wanted things of a more intimate nature.”
He gasped, appalled. How could she think such a thing? Never once during their dance did he say he wanted to make love to her. “I-I never said anything of the sort.”
“Not in words, but you hinted at it.”
“I assure you, I did no such thing.”
“Oh, come now, Your Grace, you did, too. You kept lowering your gaze to my breasts, and you smiled at me in the same way the butler smiles at the scullery maid. Don’t think I didn’t understand what you were doing.”
Oh for heaven’s sake! He had the hardest time maintaining eye contact. He wasn’t trying to get a good look at her…at her… He couldn’t even think it. As for the smile… She thought it was a sensual one? He really needed to work on how he was smiling.
Clearing his throat, he made sure he kept his gaze on hers. “I apologize. I had no idea I was
giving you that impression. I promise you, it was never my intention to suggest we do anything like that. I only want to go for a walk or visit the museum or something. I wasn’t hinting that I wanted to be with you…that way.” He inched along the wall, hoping to slip around her, but she stepped to the side, an action which kept him successfully pinned in place.
“Fine. Then I choose to be here with you this afternoon.” She winked at him. “I promise I won’t tell anyone.”
She rose on her toes to kiss him, but he dodged her. In her shock, she stepped back. Seeing his opportunity, he bolted for the doors, praying she hadn’t locked them when she shut them. Thankfully, she hadn’t. He flung them open and rushed through the hall and out the front door. He didn’t bother looking back as she called out for him.
***
Camden’s first impulse was to go to Helena and tell her what happened, but he was too shaken up—and embarrassed—to do so. That was why he ended up going to White’s, despite the fact that Toplyn might be there.
When he entered the gentlemen’s club, he scanned the gentlemen there and was relieved to see Toplyn wasn’t in sight. Good. Maybe he’d get a reprieve from Toplyn’s criticisms today.
It wasn’t Camden’s habit to grab a glass of brandy, but desperate times called for desperate measures. He picked up a decanter and poured the brandy into a glass. He just didn’t understand it. How could he possibly be sending Miss Beacham such hints without realizing it? And weren’t single ladies supposed to be intimidated about private affairs?
He took a good swallow of the warm liquid then started to cough, and the more he tried to stop coughing, the worse it got.
“Don’t tell me you never had brandy before,” came a familiar voice.
Camden glanced over his shoulder and would have groaned if he wasn’t still coughing. Why did Toplyn have to enter the establishment right after he did?
Toplyn handed him a glass of water. “This will help.”
In no mood to argue, he grabbed the glass and gulped the water, relieved when the burning sensation in his throat stopped. Soon enough, he was no longer coughing either, another relief in and of itself.
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