down at the precious, little girl in his arms, Pierce could not help but smile for he knew better than anyone that Daphne had untold powers. After all, she’d wormed her way into his heart after he’d thought it had turned to stone. No doubt, she’d melt Ash’s resolve in no more than a week’s time. No one had ever been able to resist those big, brown eyes of hers.
No one.
Not even him.
It was the one weakness he cherished.
As he would always cherish her.
Chapter Three
Across the Dance Floor
The Cavendish ball felt like a hothouse.
Tugging on her high collar, Caroline dragged her cousin through the crowd, her eyes sweeping her surroundings, searching for the refreshment table. That, in and of itself, was quite a difficult feat considering her sight was obstructed by a pair of monstrous spectacles. Still, her throat was dry, and she began to feel beads of sweat forming on her temple. Indeed, the trouble with modest, gentlemen-deterring attire was that it made one feel as though one were being boiled alive.
Of course, Rebecca could not help but point that out, a teasing twinkle in her dark green eyes. “Didn’t I suggest a lighter fabric? Or less fabric, to be precise?”
Indeed, the suggestion sounded heavenly! However, Caroline had a reputation to maintain and could ill-afford to draw a gentleman’s attention. Judging from the way Lord Coleridge more often than not seemed all but glued to her cousin’s side—much to Rebecca’s disgust!—proved said point nicely. “Where is the refreshment table? I fear I need something to drink.”
After elbowing their way through the crowd, Caroline gulped down a glass of lemonade, sighing as the cold liquid soothed her throat and at least momentarily counteracted the burning heat that lingered in her body. Perhaps she was getting ill!
“Are you all right?” Rebecca asked, her brows slightly drawn in concern. “You seem distracted, not quite like yourself.”
Caroline could not deny that her cousin’s observation was spot-on. However, appearances had to be maintained at all times. “I’m all right,” she replied quickly, cursing her thoughts as they drew her involuntarily back to the problem at hand. “It’s nothing.”
In fact, it was far from nothing.
A first estimate had shown that half the building the children’s home was currently housed in was in danger of crumbling to the ground like a house of cards at any moment. Mr. Wolsey, the children’s home director, however, did not seem to care, his attention span awfully limited by the disinterest he had in the children under his care. It had taken Caroline an hour as well as a hefty bribe to convince him to move the children into the other half of the building which, of course, meant that now they were living in even more cramped conditions.
The poor darlings!
Caroline sighed, dimly becoming aware that her cousin was watching her through narrowed eyes. Blast it! Her thoughts had pulled her out of the here and now again. Who knew what Rebecca was currently thinking! For her cousin had a quite shrewd way of seeing those around her, her intuition often guiding her to the very secret people fought to hide.
Quick, Caroline, she thought to herself. Think of something to distract her!
In that moment, her gaze fell on a gentleman with dark brown hair and deep blue eyes, who stood across the room and was currently very busy staring at Rebecca. Perfect!
Sighing, Caroline tried to appear calm and not near bouncing with jittery nerves. “That gentleman over there keeps looking at you,” she remarked as though she didn’t have a care in the world.
“What?” Fortunately, Rebecca’s attention immediately shifted to the gentleman across the room, who was most definitely not Lord Coleridge. Instantly, her cousin’s face lit up, and Caroline thought she saw Rebecca’s pulse quicken. Interesting!
“Is he not the man who spilled his drink on Lord Coleridge a little while back?”
“He is, indeed,” Rebecca replied, her voice almost breathless. “He’s that American heir people keep whispering about.”
“Lord Pembroke?” Indeed, Caroline had heard about him. She’d heard men whisper of his simple upbringing, that his father had made his fortune in America. Of course, these whispers were always accompanied by a hint of distaste. After all, an honorable man in his right mind would never dare stoop so low as to…work! Truly distasteful!
At the same time, Caroline knew that the matrons had begun to take notice of the fine, young gentleman thrust so unexpectedly into their midst. After all, he was still a peer, in possession of one of the