Chapter Twelve

E mmie pulled herself from a deep slumber. It took a lot of strength just to peel her eyes open. Exhaustion had taken its toll on her last night, and she felt as if she'd been running for three days straight. Her eyelids were heavy, and her head throbbed, yet at the same time, exhilaration blossomed in her chest. Her mother wasn't dead after all, and the thought of finding her lifted Emmie's spirits. Finally, they could be a family again. Perhaps then her father would cease this inane idea of trying to protect his corrupt brother.

Awareness surrounded her, and she realized she wasn't in the bed she occupied while staying at the Cramptons' house. As her mind started working properly, she recalled being in Broderick's arms and kissing him. He'd held her so tenderly last night, and just the thought made her sigh with happiness.

She turned her head to look at him, but he wasn't on the bed. Propped against a cushioned chair, Broderick slumbered on the floor with a blanket over him near the fireplace. He looked so handsome lying in an awkward position, and her heart melted to think he'd chosen to stay on the floor. Even though he didn't act like it at times, he really was a gentleman. It pleased her to know he wasn't going to take advantage of her situation and try to seduce her.

He'd been so gentle with her last night—so caring. It would be hard for her not to let her heart get involved. But she must stop this insanity now. Loving this man would come to no good. It didn't matter if kissing him felt so right—loving him would be so wrong.

Quietly, she slipped out of bed and threw on a wrapper Georgia had brought to her last evening. What a dear woman—to be so kind to two strangers. And to think, she was Emmie's grandmother.

Once the garment was around Emmie's waist and tied, she tiptoed to the full-length mirror in the room, fixing her hair so it wasn't so disheveled. For some reason, the weather of late must be helping with its fullness, because she hadn't had such wavy hair before. Acting as a lady's companion, she naturally wanted it pulled tightly back in a bun, but as she stared at her reflection, she realized that she didn't want it that way ever again. She wanted to be the enticing woman Broderick suggested she could be.

"Good morning, my lady."

Broderick's voice startled her. She jumped and turned around. He was still on the floor, stretching his arms over his head. His eyes met hers, and he smiled tenderly. Panic surged through her. Why did he refer to her as my lady ? He couldn't possibly know her true identity, and she prayed he hadn't gone to talk to Georgia sometime during the night to discover the real story.

"Forgive me. Did I wake you?" she asked.

"Not at all, my lady. I didn't sleep well, so hearing you awaken was quite a relief."

Good grief! He'd called her my lady again. Had she talked in her sleep? "Broderick, why are you calling me my lady ?"

Rubbing his forehead, he closed his eyes. "Oh, blast it. I'm not quite awake, forgive me." He looked at her again. "I should have called you princess, instead."

"But why?"

"Because of our wager. Remember? Today starts the beginning of the week."

She breathed a sigh of relief. "That's right. I had forgotten."

"Well, luckily, I have not." He whipped off the blanket and stood. Thankfully, he was back to wearing his regular clothes.

After another stretch, he ambled over to her and kissed her forehead. "How do you feel this morning, love?"

Her heart fluttered from his endearment. "I have a headache."

"That's to be expected. You received quite a shock last night."

She nodded. "I also did a lot of thinking."

"What about?"

"I want to find my mother."

"Of course you do." He winked.

"Will you help me?"

His expression wavered between panic and confusion as silence hung thick in the air. She waited for him to tell her he couldn't help her, but the longer he stared, the softer his gaze became.

"Yes, of course."

"Even if it means going to Brighton with me? I recall you saying how much you loathe places like that."

He chuckled lightly, sat on the edge of the bed, and took her hands loosely in his. "I cannot believe you remembered that. But yes, I will go with you."

She smiled. "Thank you. You are such an exceptional man. You may not be of noble birth, but your actions show you should be."

Broderick's expression changed slightly. His eyes turned darker—just the way she liked them—as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. His gaze held hers captive even as he lowered his head and placed his lips on hers. The kiss started out soft, but when sparks ignited inside her, she clung to his shoulders and answered his passionate kiss.

This was what she needed. This would help her feel better again. He definitely knew how to kiss a woman to make her swoon, because dizziness was assailing her quickly.

She participated fully in the kiss. With every breath, she seemed to draw closer to his body. She loved sliding her palms over his muscular shoulders and threading her fingers through his thick hair.

Although she took pleasure in kissing him, she knew she shouldn't. Nothing could ever become of her love if she chose to give her heart to him. Her father would definitely not approve of the match.

Emmie slowed the kiss before pulling away and gazing into his eyes. They were so dreamy they made her knees weak. "As much as I would love to stay and continue this, I need to find Georgia."

"What for?" he asked, his voice deeper than she'd ever heard.

Heat bathed her face. "Uh… womanly needs."

Chuckling, he withdrew and stood. "Then, by all means, go find Georgia."

Embarrassment washed over her, yet Broderick didn't seem to mind. As she moved toward the door, he kept his heated stare on her until she walked out of the room.

The house was remarkably quiet as Emmie glided downstairs to the first floor. In the front room, the roaring fire in the hearth warmed the air considerably. Daring to go further into the house, she moved to the next room and walked through the archway. The dining room remained empty, too, but as she turned to leave, a clanking of pots came from the adjoining room.

She opened the door and peeked inside. Georgia stood in front of the stove with a white apron pinned to her bodice. The older woman turned and looked her way.

Automatically, a friendly smile claimed her face. "Good morning, Emiline, dear."

"Good morning, Georgia." Emmie moved into the kitchen more. "Forgive me for disturbing you, but I wonder where you have placed my clothes."

"Amy is just finishing with them. She will bring them to your room when they are ready."

"Amy?"

"She is a lady who helps me out once in a while." Georgia's gaze roamed over Emmie's face and hair, then her smile widened. "Emiline? Would you like to borrow one of my daughter's dresses for today? I'm certain wearing a lovely gown will flatter your slender figure more than the old riding habit you had on last night."

As much as she would like to turn Georgia down, Emmie couldn't because she really wanted to feel like a lady today. Last night and this morning, Broderick had stirred such tender emotions inside her, and she wanted that feeling to continue. She also wanted to impress her grandmother and make her proud of what she'd turned out to be.

Emmie smiled. "As long as it's not an inconvenience."

"Heavens no." Georgia set down the wooden spoon then took the pot off the stove. "Come. Let me show you where my daughter's dresses are." Walking past Emmie, she led her to a room on the second floor.

The room was right next to the one she'd stayed in, except it looked more feminine, decorated in pink and blue flowers. Georgia went straight to the window and pulled open the drapes, letting the sunshine through.

"This room was my youngest daughter's. A few years ago, she married well, and so didn't think she needed any of her clothes." She chuckled. "Her husband buys her anything her heart desires. I worry that he is spoiling her rotten."

She walked to an armoire and opened it to reveal several dresses. "My youngest daughter, Victoria, has the same build as you do—slender. I just thought you might like to wear something that will highlight your lovely face and eyes."

Emmie studied each dress, realizing they were made from the finest silk. Every dress was lovely, but what was more thrilling than the pretty gowns was that these dresses were actually from an aunt she had never known, whom she knew her mother loved dearly.

"Pick anyone you would like. My daughter will not wear these anymore, so you might as well get some use out of them."

"I thank you, Georgia," Emmie told her with a catch in her voice.

Georgia moved toward the door to leave. "There are some undergarments in the drawers by the bed. Just snoop around to see what you need. Let me know if you need any help dressing. I will send Amy up if you do."

"No need. I have been dressing myself for quite a while now."

"All right. I will leave you to get dressed, then. But can I have her come fix your long, lovely hair?"

Broderick's words rang in her ears, reminding her that she hadn't had pretty hair since starting her role as lady's companion. "I would love that."

"Splendid. I'll send her up. Oh, and the chamber pot is behind that screen." Georgia left the room and closed the door behind her.

Emmie eyed each gown carefully. Most of them still looked new, and she could tell the cloth was an expensive cut, as well. Out of all the fine gowns, only one caught her eye. The blue- mint velvet dress had short sleeves and a scooped neckline. Without a second thought, she grabbed it and laid it on the bed. Looking through her Aunt Victoria's drawers, she found other things needed to make her attire complete and then proceeded to change.

After hurrying with her necessities, she stood in front of the full-length mirror fully dressed. An entirely different woman stared at her from the glass. She couldn't believe how pretty this dress made her appear. The color enhanced her face, which made her blue eyes stand out more.

The material hugged her bosom and emphasized womanly curves Emmie never thought she had. All in all, this dress fit her better than any dress she had ever worn. As if it was made for her.

She took pleasure in looking this pretty and wanted to look even lovelier, so she went to Aunt Victoria's vanity table and finished her toiletry by brushing her hair until it shone.

A knock came upon the door, and when she called out to have them enter, a woman—perhaps in her thirties—walked in and introduced herself as Amy. The woman took the brush from Emmie and fashioned her hair so beautifully, it left her in awe.

By adding a little blush to her cheeks and a rose-colored cream to her lips, Emmie tried making her face appear more feminine. She couldn't believe the difference it made. For the first time in her life, she thought she looked beautiful. Not just passively pretty, but exotically lovely. Maybe even more so than Anna. Emmie couldn't wait to show herself to her grandmother and, most importantly, to Broderick.

The more she thought about him, the more her mouth stretched into a grin. She couldn't believe she'd let him kiss her those few times, because certainly the earl's daughter didn't allow men such liberties. But how could she stop him? He was so very passionate and tender, unlike those men who tried to court her and forced their unwanted attention on her.

Amy smiled and gave Emmie an encouraging nod. Nervously, she left the room and made her way back downstairs. Voices rose from the dining room, those of Georgia and Broderick. Pausing before going in, Emmie took a deep breath for courage and tried to keep her heart rate under control. How would he act seeing her this way? She'd find out in a moment.

*

"And this is a miniature of my wonderful husband, God rest his soul."

Broderick smiled and sat patiently as Georgia showed him nearly every picture she had in her house. She was such a dear woman, and it was obvious she didn't have many guests stop by. It surprised him that her house was so grand, mainly because Emiline hadn't mentioned having a wealthy family.

"And after the birth of our youngest daughter, Victoria, my wonderful husband had this house built."

Broderick nodded, hoping the older woman hadn't realized he wasn't paying much attention to her storytelling. "And what a fine house it is, Georgia."

She smiled as her cheeks flourished with color—so much like her granddaughter.

There had to be a reason Emiline was fearful of getting to know her grandmother. But more importantly, how could he get the woman he couldn't stop thinking about to trust him—to open up and share her thoughts and dreams with him? To tell him about her life? Deep down inside, he worried that she was holding some deep, dark secret.

Then again, he held a secret from her, so he shouldn't expect something he wasn't ready to give himself.

When he had first come down the stairs and found Georgia, he asked about Emiline's whereabouts. Georgia told him she was upstairs in her daughter's bedroom changing. Now as he sat at the table talking with the older lady, he waited for the woman he wanted to cuddle with, to kiss. To hear the small sighs when he touched her. He didn't know how much time had passed since he'd last laid his lonely eyes on the pretty girl, but it seemed like hours.

This morning had been wonderful, and the kiss endearing. He hadn't wanted it to end, and even now, he wondered when he could kiss her again. Would she allow it? She hadn't seemed repulsed by what they'd shared earlier, so perhaps she was growing to have feelings for him just as he was for her.

When Georgia's chatter suddenly stopped, he snapped out of his thoughts. Her gaze was pinned to something behind him, and her blue eyes widened as a smile graced her face. She nodded as if approving of what she saw.

He turned to see what she was looking at… and almost fell out of his chair. Emiline stood just inside the room, a vision of loveliness swathed in a bluish-green dress. He'd never seen anything so beautiful before. For a moment, he had lost his breath until it all came out in a gust.

Although he'd seen her in dresses before, they had always looked out of place on her. Now he knew why. Emiline didn't belong in plain, ugly dresses. She belonged in a dress made for a princess, which was what she looked like now.

And her hair! Never had he seen it so beautiful—nor had he seen any woman's hair done so artfully and perfectly. Instead of being pulled tight in a bun, her hair was in a loose coil on top of her head as thick tendrils graced her ears.

Slowly, he stood, not taking his eyes off her. His mouth dropped open in awe. He took in every detail, from the top of her styled hair to the toes of her dainty slippers, and everything in between. This dress fitted her body perfectly, showing off all of her womanly curves—curves that were usually hidden by her other dresses.

He didn't even realize she had moved until she stood in front of him, peering into his eyes. He had no idea if she spoke, because all he could hear was his heart thumping wildly in his chest.

She smiled, and his heart melted even more. On impulse, he circled her waist, closing the space between them as he pulled her body next to his. He still couldn't think of any words to say because her beauty and grace left him dumbfounded—and really, the only thing he wanted to say was best said with his lips.

He bent his head and pressed his mouth to hers. Thankfully, she responded the way he wanted. Her arms circled his neck, and she kissed him back tenderly, yet passionately. It was really only a few kisses, but there was emotion behind each one that made the moment so special.

When she pulled away, her face flamed red. "Broderick, we mustn't do this in front of Georgia." Her voice squeaked.

He stared mystified at her again but at least managed a smile and a nod.

Beside him, Georgia laughed. "Oh, no, you two go right ahead with what you were doing. I will just go into the kitchen and fix our breakfast." She bustled off.

Although he wanted to pull Emiline back into his arms, he held himself back from doing so. They would only get interrupted when Georgia returned.

Emiline walked past him to the table. Before she sat, he quickly pulled out the chair for her.

Her bright gaze met his, sparkling as she smiled. "I thank you, Broderick."

He really needed to get a hold of this situation. He didn't understand why he was acting so lovestruck. Seeing her dressed like this was quite a shock, but he needed to somehow gain control and get his speech and actions back together the right way.

He sat, still without taking his eyes off her. He couldn't even if he wanted.

"Broderick." She giggled. "Would you stop staring at me like that? It's most embarrassing."

Chuckling lightly, he relaxed in his chair. "Forgive me, Emmie love. You have put me under a spell I have no wish to break. I'm not used to seeing you look so… so…" He partook of her loveliness once more. Slower this time, enjoying everything about her once again.

"Do I at least look like a lady?"

He brought his gaze to her sparkling eyes. "No. You look like a princess."

Her cheeks went red again. "I have never heard more flattering words." She presented him with a soft smile. "With me dressed this way, will that make it easier for you to follow through on our wager?"

He grinned. "Definitely."

Georgia hustled in, carrying a tray with three bowls on it. She set the bowls in front of Broderick and Emiline, then took one for herself.

"I hope oat porridge is all right."

Emiline nodded. "Yes, it is. I have not tasted porridge in such a long time."

She and Broderick were silent as they ate, although Georgia rattled on, trying to keep the conversation flowing. Broderick kept sneaking glances at the adorable woman next to him, and when she peeked back, he grinned even if food was still in his mouth.

He was extremely thankful that they were away from his uncle and aunt's house. With Emiline wearing such enthralling attire, his family would certainly swoon to see his making a total fool out of himself because of this enchantress.

Inwardly, he groaned as dread washed upon him. Reality hit him head-on. They had to return to the estate today. Emiline would change into those ugly, large dresses, and he could never kiss her again.