Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 94964 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94964 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
* * *
It does their minds good to be confounded now and then.
* * *
He dipped his head to hide the smirk, burying his face in the hymnal and singing the credo aloud. He could see the people in the row in front of him, casting glances backward, and was overcome by the urge to laugh.
* * *
Suddenly a lady shifted to the side and he had a clear view of the third row. Janice stood in a primrose yellow gown, her black hair gathered under a hat. She was staring down at a hymnal that she held in her gloved hands. On either side of her stood her sisters. They all shared the hymnal, while her father and brother shared another. The rest of the bench was taken up by her aunt and uncle. The permanent guest, Rhys, stood at the end of the bench, next to Anne.
* * *
He stopped singing, his awareness of the rest of the church fading as he stared at Janice. She did not once lift her head until the song was done. Then she dropped her hands, still holding the hymnal, and stared forward. Her sisters straightened up from the huddle they’d been in and also faced the front, although they still looked as if they were guarding her from both sides.
* * *
The priest was droning on about something but Arthur was not listening. He noted every cock of Janice’s head, every twitch of her hand, every time she shifted from foot to foot. She seemed to be paying as much attention to the homily as he was.
* * *
He wondered if he should go up to her after mass and try to speak to her. Her shoulders seemed to be hunched over, even when she was sitting down, as if she was protecting herself from something. She held herself differently, as if she wanted to be smaller.
* * *
He did not like it at all.
* * *
Where was her self-assurance?
* * *
Her devil may care air?
* * *
How long had she been like this?
* * *
His heart twisted with guilt and shame.
* * *
Perhaps I should have asked her to marry me.
* * *
But no. He knew that wasn’t the solution. Not with his life the unmitigated disaster that it was. If she had any hope of regaining her confidence, she’d do better to stay far away from him. Or rather, it would behoove him to stay away from her.
* * *
He licked his lips, as they tingled with remembered passion.
* * *
One more kiss…I wish I could have one more kiss.
Janice stepped out of her row behind her brother, her head lowered. Ever since the incident with Lord Hemsworth, she’d been a little fearful of crowds, not knowing who else might decide to pour their ire onto her. She prayed daily that it would never happen while she was in the company of her family but one just never knew.
* * *
She felt eyes on her all the time now but something made her look up this time. When she caught the duke’s eye, she almost froze, in shock and something like horror. She had not been aware that he’d come back but there he was, staring at her, his icy gray gaze filled with sadness and regret.
* * *
She could not blame him for that but it still hurt to think he might regret what they’d done. Despite the consequences, she cherished the way she had felt in the moment with his mouth on hers, when everything else ceased to exist.
* * *
She looked away quickly and walked faster, wanting to get away from the look in his eyes. Emily gave her a quizzical glance even as she hastened her steps to keep up. Janice offered no explanation. If her sisters had not seen the duke, it was for the better. She didn’t want to see pity in their eyes when they realized why she was suddenly upset. She climbed into the carriage and sat, staring ahead, waiting for the rest of her family to finish socializing so they could go. Aware of her upset, Emily chivvied everyone along and it wasn’t long before they were leaving the church compound.
* * *
It was a beautiful day, sunny and warm. Janice sighed with regret at not being able to fully enjoy it because of her emotions.
* * *
When they turned into her lane, she leaned forward. “Stop the carriage please.”
* * *
Her sisters looked at her in surprise. “What? Why?”
* * *
“I’d like to walk from here.”
* * *
Emily opened her mouth to say something but Janice lifted a finger to stop her.
* * *
“Alone please.”
* * *
Emily sighed in resignation and hit the roof of the carriage. The coachman came to a stop and Janice descended the carriage. Her entire family was looking at her so she forced herself to smile. “It’s a nice day and I would like to walk about a bit. I’ll be home for lunch shortly.”