What Happens in Piccadilly - Chasity Bowlin Page 0,39
a music teacher for her. I put her in jeopardy, Miss St. James. I placed that child directly in the path of a man who clearly glories in inflicting pain and torment upon others… all because I couldn’t be bothered,” he stated.
“Then it’s my fault, as well. Because I insisted that she had to have lessons and that they needed to begin as soon as possible,” Callie stated.
“These children are your charges but, ultimately, they are my responsibility,” he stated. “I shoulder the blame alone.”
“And what of Monsieur Dumont? Does he not shoulder any of this blame? What of your neighbor who wrote him such a glowing letter of recommendation, or the other letters of recommendation that he had? Do they not shoulder the blame as well?”
He looked back at her then, his eyes still glittering with fury. “You will not let this be, will you?”
“No. I will not. You cannot take it all upon yourself, my lord.”
“Why not?”
Callie smiled sadly. “Because you cannot control everything… no matter how much you like to believe that you can. He was a highly respected, highly recommended music instructor and we had no reason to suppose that he was cruel and wicked enough to willfully abuse a child in her own home. It is an unfortunate way to learn a lesson, but it is a lesson learned nonetheless. We will both be more careful going forward.”
“There is no going forward. I will never entrust these children to anyone in such a manner again.”
“Claudia must learn an instrument, my lord. I know it seems silly to you, but she will be in society in a very short number of years. To not have such an accomplishment would place her at a disadvantage. And I cannot teach the other children and her what they require academically and teach music, as well.”
“Then I will teach her,” he said.
“You play?”
“Yes… and rather well,” he said, crossing the room to the pianoforte.
Callie was rather surprised when he walked toward her and seated himself on the bench next to her. He was close enough that she could feel the heat of him. When he placed his hands on the keys, she could see blood on his knuckles where he’d struck the worthless Monsieur Dumont. Then his fingers began to fly over the keys, playing a tune she’d never heard before. And she was simply spellbound by it. The notes surrounded her, transported her, and the very complicated man who played them… well, he held her spellbound as much as the music did. He filled her senses and left her reeling. She was treading in very deep waters that she had no notion of how to navigate.
“I need to go,” Callie finally managed.
His hands stilled on the keys and then he turned to her. It wasn’t regret that she saw in his expression. In fact, it was so guarded that it was entirely unreadable.
“You don’t have to fear me,” he said. “I know my behavior yesterday was inappropriate, Miss St. James. I cannot and will not deny that I find you very appealing… more so than any woman I have encountered in years.”
Callie’s heart thundered in her chest. Those words pierced her deep and made her long for things she had never thought she wanted. “You should not say such things to me, my lord.”
“No. I shouldn’t. But I—it doesn’t matter. Go back to William and Charlotte. I’ll take Claudia to Gunter’s for an ice. She certainly deserves it after the experience of this morning and I have amends to make.”
“It was a mistake, my lord… nothing more than that. Luckily, we were here to intervene and halt his abuse of her. She will recover.”
“Will she?” he asked. “Did you?”
Callie looked away. “It was very different for me, my lord. When I was a child, there was no one to intervene. Not until Effie discovered me. But we all survive terrible things, do we not? Claudia will be fine once she feels secure again.”
She rose and turned to walk away, but his hand closed over her wrist and held her there for a moment. “Thank you,” he murmured softly.
“For what?”
“For being willing to risk everything for a child that you barely know. For being you, Miss St. James. Thank you simply for being you.”
Chapter Nine
A verston paused outside the door to the set of rooms he kept above the coffee house. Glancing to the right and then the left, certain he wasn’t being observed, he fitted the key into the