In the Arms of an Earl (The Duke's Daughters Book 4)(13)
It was carefully said and yet Phillip understood precisely what she meant. Clearly, she was a little frustrated by the grasping way her cousin held onto her and, since she had seen as much in her expression at the theatre, Phillip felt a deep sense of relief flood his heart.
“Then I shall leave the invitation with you both,” he said, getting to his feet as he realized his time was gone. “Thank you for the tea, Lady Amelia, Lady Harmonia. I have had a very enjoyable afternoon.”
“As have I,” Lady Harmonia replied, her expression clear and honest, adding to Phillip’s hope that there might be something blossoming for them both. “I look forward to our outing to the bookshop.”
“Indeed,” Phillip smiled, knowing that he could not wait three days to see her again. “Might I take you tomorrow? Around the same time as today?”
Lady Harmonia blushed and nodded, her gaze dropping away from him for a moment. “I would very much like that, Lord Newford.”
He grinned, happiness blooming in his heart. “Then tomorrow it is,” he declared, taking her hand and bowing over it, resisting the urge to kiss the back of it. “I am already looking forward to it.”
“As am I,” Lady Harmonia replied, as he opened the door. “Good day, Lord Newford.”
“Good day, Lady Harmonia,” he replied, forgetting entirely about Lady Amelia as he took her in. She was beauty itself and, as he left the house, he could not help but smile in delight. What a wonderful afternoon it had been!
Chapter Seven
Harmonia drew in a sharp breath, her stomach tightening.
“Are you sure you’re ready to do this?”
Harmonia let her breath out slowly, her fingers slowly uncurling from where they had tightened into fists. “Yes, I think so. I need to show Luke that I am stronger than he knows, that I will not be intimidated by him simply because he thinks himself more determined than I.”
Amelia shook out her skirts, coming to stand next to her. “You are very brave to speak to him so. I am sure father would have been more than happy to make your wishes clear.”
“I know,” Harmonia replied, with a quick smile. “But this is something I need to do myself. He needs to hear it from me, not from papa, although I will, of course, seek his input should Luke not respond in the way I hope.”
“You give Luke far too much credit,” Amelia said, firmly. “He is a man used to getting what he puts his mind to and that includes you. Despite your clear rejection of him – which I think we have both made very clear – he continues to pursue you in the hope that you will, in fact, turn back to him. Foolish man that he is!”
Drawing in a long breath, Harmonia tried to settle her jangling nerves, knowing that Luke would appear at any moment. “Thank you for your support with this, Amelia. I could not have done it myself.”
“No, you could not,” Amelia agreed, with a small smile. “The man is a hurricane and you are a gentle flower. He can be quite overpowering when one is alone with him.”
Harmonia nodded, her mouth settling into a tight line.
“Most unlike your other gentleman caller,” Amelia continued, with a slight lift of her eyebrow. “Lord Newford took you to the bookshop yesterday, did he not?”
“I took my maid,” Harmonia exclaimed at once, thinking that Amelia was suggesting that she had behaved improperly.
Amelia held up her hands, laughing. “I did not mean that, Harmonia. I was merely wondering if you had a good time with him?”
“Oh,” Harmonia said, her cheeks heating with embarrassment. “I do apologize, Amelia. Yes, I did have a marvelous time. I thank you for asking.” She smiled to herself, her nerves fading as she recalled just how wonderful an afternoon it had been with Lord Newford. They had so much in common, although he had not yet convinced her to give up more of her prose in order to add poetry! The way they had laughed and smiled together had made her heart blossom with affection for him, even more so when he insisted on purchasing three separate books for her, on the proviso that one be a book of poetry.
“Goodness,” Amelia murmured, as Harmonia realized she had been caught in a daydream. “It is little wonder you want to speak to Luke so swiftly. Lord Newford has caught your attention, has he not?”
Finding it easy to be truthful with her sister, Harmonia nodded. “I think him a very amiable man, Amelia. He is kind and considerate, charming and polite. He is generous to a fault and we have so much in kind that I feel as though I have known him for a longer time than in actuality.” She shook her head, struggling to find the words to express what she felt. “Does any of that make sense?”
Amelia laughed, her eyes bright. “Well, Harmonia, I think you shall soon find yourself declaring that you love this man, which I, for one, am very glad of. I think him a proper gentleman and certainly a good match for you.”
Harmonia felt herself blush. “Do you think so?”
“Certainly, I do,” Amelia declared at once, smiling. “Now all you need to do is to push Luke away with such firmness that he will have very little choice but to do as you ask, and then the rest will fall into place.”
Harmonia smiled at her sister, her heart lifting in her chest. “I do hope so,” she murmured, softly, realizing that the thought of being married to Lord Newford was, in fact, a rather agreeable one. She made to comment further, only for the door to open and Luke to walk in.