Suddenly You(65)

The touch was fleeting, but Amanda felt it down to the marrow of her bones. She was confounded by the immediacy of her desire, the way her mouth turned dry, the nerve-rattling thrill of pleasure that went through her entire body. Abruptly she did not care that they were in a crowded drawing room. She wanted to sink to the polished floor with him, crush her mouth to his skin, tug his weight over her until she felt the intimate heat of him thrusting inside her. The primitive thoughts that raced through her head while she sat in these civilized surroundings made her horrified and dizzy.

Jack released her shod foot and rose before her. “Amanda,” he said quietly. She felt his gaze on her downbent head.

She could not look up at him, could barely speak. “Please leave me alone,” she finally managed to whisper. “Please.”

Strangely, he seemed to understand her dilemma, for, after giving her a polite bow, he complied.

Amanda took several long breaths to settle her thoughts. The time she had spent apart from Jack had not eased her desire for him…she was filled with a longing and loneliness that drove her close to despair. How was she to bear these infrequent encounters with him? Was she to suffer like this for the rest of her life? And if so, what was to be done about it?

“Miss Briars?”

A low-pitched voice fell pleasantly on Amanda’s ears. Raising her troubled gaze, she beheld a familiar face. A tall, brown-and-silver-haired man had approached her, his plain bearded face enhanced by a smile. His chocolate-colored eyes twinkled as he saw her hesitation. “I don’t expect you to remember me,” he said in a self-effacing way, “but we met at Mr. Devlin’s Christmas party. I’m—”

“Of course I remember,” Amanda said with a slight smile, relieved that his name had come to her mind. He was the popular author of children’s verse, with whom she’d shared an enjoyable conversation at Christmas. “How nice to see you again, Uncle Hartley. I had no idea you would be attending the party this evening.”

Hartley laughed at her use of his pen name. “I can’t comprehend why the most charming woman present would not be dancing. Perhaps you would favor me with a quadrille?”

She gave a regretful shake of her head. “The straps on my right slipper won’t tolerate it, I’m afraid. I will be fortunate if I can manage to keep the dratted thing on my foot for the rest of the evening.”

Hartley regarded her in the manner of a man who was uncertain if he was being rebuffed or not. Amanda alleviated his discomfort by giving him another smile. “However,” she added, “I do believe I could manage a trip to the refreshment table, if you would be kind enough to escort me?”

“I would be delighted,” came his sincere reply, and he proffered his arm in a show of courtesy. “I had hoped very much to see you again after our conversation at Mr. Devlin’s Christmas party,” he said as they proceeded slowly to the refreshment room. “Unfortunately, it seems that you have not moved in society very often of late.”

Amanda threw him a sharp glance, wondering if he had heard the rumors about her affair with Jack. But Hartley’s expression was kind and polite, with no trace of accusation or insinuation.

“I have been occupied with work,” she said abruptly, trying to dismiss a sudden pang of shame…the first time she had ever experienced such an emotion.

“Of course, a woman of your great talent…it takes time to create such memorable work.” Hartley brought her to the refreshment table and gestured for a servant to fill a plate for her.

“And you?” Amanda asked. “Have you been writing more children’s verse?”

“I’m afraid not,” Hartley said cheerfully. “I have been spending most of my time with my sister and her brood. She has five daughters and two sons, all of them as bright-eyed and mischievous as a pack of fox cubs.”

“You enjoy children,” Amanda remarked with a questioning lilt.

“Oh, completely. Children have a way of reminding one of the true purpose of life.”

“Which is?”

“Why, to love and be loved, of course.”

Amanda was startled by his simple sincerity. She felt a wondering smile touch her lips. How remarkable it was to find a man who was so unafraid of sentiment.

Hartley’s brown eyes were steady and warm, but his mouth softened with regret amid the neatly trimmed shape of his beard as he continued. “My late wife and I were never able to have children, to both our disappointment A house without children can be very quiet indeed.”

While they moved along the refreshment line, Amanda’s smile remained. Hartley was an impressive gentleman, kind and intelligent, and attractive despite his lack of true handsomeness. There was something about his broad, symmetrical face, with its large nose and rich brown eyes, that struck her as infinitely appealing. It was the kind of face that one could view every day and never tire of. She had been far too dazzled by Jack Devlin to notice Hartley before. Well, she vowed silently, she would not make that mistake again.

“Perhaps you will allow me to call on you sometime,” Hartley suggested. “I would enjoy taking you for an airing in my carriage when the weather turns.”

Mr. Charles Hartley was no fairy-tale hero, no dashing figure from a book, but a quiet, steady fellow who shared her interests. Hartley would never sweep her off her feet, but help her to keep them planted firmly on the ground. Although he was not what anyone would call exciting, Amanda had experienced enough excitement in her brief affair with Jack Devlin to last a lifetime. Now she wanted something—someone—who was solid and real, whose main ambition apparently was to lead a pleasant and ordinary life.