“Kindness would involve saving her from ending up on the street. You’re going beyond that, Steven. Evenings at Vauxhall, visiting museums, flying kites…the theatre. If I didn’t know any better I’d say you’re courting. And since you brought it up, why is she here on her own? How does a respectable woman, if she is indeed respectable, end up in a foreign country with no one to turn to save you?”
“I’ve no obligation or need to share those reasons with you. All I will say on the matter is that I owe her.”
“You owe her?” Nigel had never looked more stunned. “She’s practically a stranger yet you dress her up in fancy gowns, and don’t say you didn’t when no lowly miss can afford so much silk or such exquisite lace. Meanwhile, I am forced to beg for even the tiniest scraps.”
Steven stared down at Nigel. “Why must you always be jealous of other people’s good fortune? You envy Edward for being the eldest since that meant he got all the estates along with most of father’s fortune, and you envy me for growing my inheritance rather than squandering it as you did.”
“I had a string of bad luck yet you had no sympathy for my misfortune.”
“How could I when you lost everything at the tables?” Steven shook his head. “Had you failed in spite of hard work and dedication, I’d offer to help. But I’ll be damned if I will invest in foolish behavior and overall recklessness.”
Nigel answered with a contemptuous snort. “Edward is of a like mind.”
“He’s a sensible fellow,” Steven murmured, his tone a bit lighter than before. He took a deep breath, aware that the lights were dimming and the music beginning to play. “I know this isn’t what you wish to hear, but perhaps it is time for you to seek employment.”
Instead of waiting for the vocal protest he was certain this suggestion would lead to, Steven went to join Calista. Taking his seat beside her, he reached for her hand without second thought and wove his fingers with hers. She said nothing and neither did he, but her touch was a balm to his soul.
25
There was a comfortable pleasure to be found in the continued press of his hand against hers. While his words pertaining to the undesirability of an arranged marriage were hard to hear since they drove home her own reality all too well, Calista navigated past the potential hurt they might have caused. He’d spoken of himself, not of her. No sense in getting upset over it.
Instead, she held on to what he’d said about only wanting marriage if it was with the right woman. As silly as it was, a tiny piece of her heart hoped he’d been thinking of her while he’d spoken. She’d not been able to hear the exchange between him and his brother after, but judging from his expression, it hadn’t been an easy one. And then he’d grabbed her hand, clutching it at first as if seeking solace – a solace she was more than happy to provide.
Her heart gave a small flutter. She liked the idea of him turning to her for support – his doing so suggested a bond was forming between them.
In the carriage later, on their way back to the hotel, none of them spoke. It became clear then that Steven and Nigel’s argument placed them at odds with each other. Since Calista had no desire to interfere and didn’t know what to say anyway, she fixed her attention on the carriage window, even though the darkness beyond meant there was little to see.
“Are there any card games underway?” Steven asked a footman when they entered the hotel.
“I believe vingt-et-un and whist are being played in the gaming room,” the footman responded.
“Care to participate?” Steven asked his brother.
Nigel met Steven’s gaze, paused for a second, then asked, “Will you join me?”
“Yes. Allow me to stop by my office first. There’s something I need to take care of there but I won’t be long. Howard here can show you to the gaming room. I’ll meet you there in say…ten to fifteen minutes?”
“All right.” Nigel glanced at Calista. “Good night, Miss Smith.”
“Good night, Mr. Donahue.” She gave her attention to Steven next while fighting the disappointment that threatened to fill her because of the way their evening had ended. He would remain with a brother whose company she was fairly sure he’d no wish to keep while she would go up to bed, all too aware that they only had two days left with each other.
Was it so wrong of her to want to make the most of it? To wish he’d included her in the invitation to play cards? Or they could have played billiards instead if the card play was reserved for gentlemen.
But no.
She swallowed a knot in her throat and raised her chin, refusing to reveal her low spirits as she forced a smile she did not feel. “Thank you for a lovely evening, Mr. Donahue.”
Steven dipped his head in a short bow. “Good night, Miss Smith.”
“Good night.” Turning, she approached the stairs and proceeded to climb. Behind her, she heard the brothers exchange a few additional words before parting ways. She glanced down over the railing to see the top of Nigel’s head as he strode toward the gaming room, and sighed before resuming her progress. A pity he chose to be so critical of his brother’s success. It really wasn’t fair, but she supposed some people were like that, jealous of everyone else’s achievements.
When she reached the floor her room was on, she turned and made her way toward the end of the hallway. Caught up in her own thoughts, she’d almost reached her door before noticing Steven’s presence. He stood, one shoulder propped against the wall, his legs crossed at the ankles.
Calista blinked a few times. “How...?”
“I took the servants’ stairs,” he explained. “Stopping by my office was just an excuse I gave Nigel so he wouldn’t know my true intent.”
“Which is?” she carefully asked even as her heart leapt with expectation.
His eyes, dark and intense, held hers with extreme focus. “If you meant what you said this afternoon in the carriage, about the day not being over and another chance for a kiss perhaps presenting itself later, I would ask you to invite me into your room so we can explore that possibility in private.”
Calista wasn’t sure how she managed to stay upright when every word he spoke and suggestion he made weakened her knees. She drew a shuddering breath and retrieved the key from her reticule while stepping forward, toward him. A nod confirmed her interest, but her hand shook when she tried to push the key into the lock.
He steadied her hand with his own, the scent of him stirring her senses as he helped her open the door. A firm palm at the base of her spine steered her forward, and the snick of the door being closed swiftly followed. His hand caught hers and pulled her toward him, forcing a gasp from between her lips.
Stormy eyes held her captive. The sound of his ragged breaths matched her own. Gone was the easy calm he’d put on display all day, replaced by the same wild desperation that coursed through her veins. Her lungs drew tight as he dropped his gaze to her lips for a second before returning it to her eyes.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.” The word was but a whisper and yet it was perhaps the most powerful one she’d ever spoken, for in that faint utterance, she gave permission. And in so doing, she realized by the gleam in Steven’s eyes that she was about to learn what it meant to be thoroughly ravished.