Free A Shameful Secret by Anne Ireland Page B

that you should care for my welfare, Miss Weston.” There was a smile in his voice, a deep caress in his eyes as they dwelled on her anxious face.
    Hester blushed as she saw his eyebrows lift. How strangely odd her heart behaved when he teased her. She felt much like a giddy lamb in spring and wanted to leap for pure joy as they did when very young.
    “I believe we have become friends, sir. Naturally I should not wish harm to come to you.”
    “Naturally. I should be very distressed if anything were to harm you, Miss Weston.” His words were said teasingly, but something in his manner made her heart race. However, she could not reply for Lucinda, Josh, and Geraldine were all converging on them.”
    “Do you go to Lady Jersey’s dance, Captain Crawford?” she asked, her cheeks a little pink.
    “Yes, I believe so,” he replied. “I have decided that my business will wait. It behooves me to remain in Bath for the moment to keep an eye on Josh.”
    His words were for the benefit of his companions, but Hester suspected that he intended to stay for Geraldine’s sake—and perhaps her own. For a moment, she dared to hope, though in the next she recalled her shame. She must not allow herself to look for the happiness of being his wife. It could never be. The pain struck deep into the heart of her, and it was all she could do not to cry out.
    Paul’s eyes were on her face. She knew that he was sensitive to her mood and would understand that something had distressed her. Yet, how could she ever tell him the truth? To do so would cause him to turn from her in disgust, and that she could not bear.
    Forcing herself to behave naturally, she smiled at her friends and joined in the general laughter and chatter, which was mostly inconsequential. She must make the most of this fleeting chance of happiness, for it was unlikely to come her way again.
     
    * * * *
     
    Paul was thoughtful as he watched Hester’s expressive face. He wondered if she knew how faithfully her eyes reflected her moods, but thought not. She was skilled in the art of appearing serene while underneath something was distressing her. At the start, he had suspected that she had been badly hurt at sometime in the past, and he believed that Richard Mortimer might have been the one who had hurt her. She had given no hint of it when they spoke, but he felt every change of mood in her, and he trusted his instincts.
    What had Mortimer done to cause those shadows in her eyes? If he knew for certain . . .  He gripped the dish of hot, strong coffee he was holding so fiercely that his knuckles turned white. Mortimer should pay for whatever he had done to her!
    Paul felt an urgent desire to follow the rogue to London and thrash him, but another part of his mind urged caution. He ought to stay here to protect his cousin for the remainder of their stay in Bath.
    In two weeks, Geraldine would return to her home, and he believed it likely that her engagement might be announced quite soon. The Honorable Mr. Thomas Jones came from a respectable family. His lack of fortune could be remedied by their marriage, for Geraldine had money enough to see them well settled. There was no real objection to the match apart from her age, and after what had happened here, he had no doubt that her father would give his consent to it.
    Paul intended to speak to Lord Holbeach when he escorted his aunt and cousin home. He believed that his uncle would realize Geraldine’s safety would be assured by an engagement. She could still visit London the following year but with a ring on her finger. The wedding would not take place until next summer.
    With his fears for Geraldine set to rest, Paul intended to make the most of this visit. He would pay court to Hester Weston in a gentle, subtle manner that would not alarm her and hope to win her trust and with it, perhaps, her heart.
    Josh and Paul escorted the ladies to the Pump Room and then took their leave. They had no need of the waters for their own