The Last Eligible Bachelor - Ashtyn Newbold Page 0,69
trustworthy.” I recognized the nasally voice of the housekeeper. I could envision her dark hair with the streaks of silver and her high cheekbones, made more gaunt and hollow by the candlelight that now filled the room. Mr. Hill’s arm tightened around me, a warning in his eyes. I glanced to my other side, my heart leaping when I saw the hem of Mrs. Ollerton’s dress. When had she moved so close? I didn’t dare move a muscle, tipping my head down and squeezing my eyes shut. Mr. Hill inched toward the other end of the sofa, keeping his arm around my waist. With careful movements, I followed, any rustling drowned out by Mrs. Ollerton’s voice. I released the breath I had been holding, careful not to make a sound.
“I do trust them all. You are right.” Mrs. Ollerton’s voice came from above. If she took another step, she would see us for certain. A distressed sigh escaped her. “And I should hate to accuse any of my guests.”
“Miss Sedgwick’s maid…the one she brought along with her….she’s been giving herself airs of late.” The housekeeper’s voice was quiet, heavy with accusation. “She thinks she can do whatever she likes since she injured her leg.”
“Are you suggesting it was Miss Sedgwick’s maid who took the necklace?”
A surge of anger rose in my chest, and I nearly stood to defend Jessie. My heart pounded against my ribs as if trying to escape, and I had to force myself to remain still and silent.
“I think her innocence should be questioned, yes. I will not directly accuse her, but she should not be brushed aside without scrutiny.”
“Nor should Miss Sedgwick, herself, I daresay.” Mrs. Ollerton’s voice was distant, and my stomach sank. Had Miss Downsfield planted that idea in her mind? My blood boiled, and dread continued its course throughout my veins. I felt Mr. Hill grow tense beside me.
Though I was closer to the other side of the sofa, I still didn’t feel safe. All it would take would be one sound, one extra step from Mrs. Ollerton and we would be caught. Mr. Hill’s words burned in my mind. I suppose you would have to marry me.
He was just the sort of honorable man who would marry me if my reputation was at stake, or at least if I were actually Miss Sedgwick. There was no telling how far his honor went. Would he do the same if he knew who I really was? If he knew I had been lying about it and befriending him with the hope he could free my father? I took each breath silently, careful not to focus on the feeling of his hand around my waist, and the way his body pressed against my side and his breath rustled my hair against my forehead. I glanced up to meet his gaze. His eyes burned with anger, and for a moment I thought he would stand and defend me, just as I had been tempted to do for Jessie.
“There is simply something odd about Miss Sedgwick,” Mrs. Ollerton continued. “She is not nearly as elegant and pretty as her mother’s letters suggested.”
“A mother is likely to exaggerate her daughter’s virtues.”
“I suppose.” Mrs. Ollerton paused. “But I still do find her strange. And stranger yet, Mr. Hill’s decision to court her.”
The familiar sinking sensation started in my chest, reminding me just how far I was from truly being like Sophia. She had been a fool to think I could have ever portrayed her accurately.
Mr. Hill leaned impossibly close, making my shoulders tense. His voice was so soft—quieter than Mrs. Ollerton’s footfalls as she paced away from our hiding place—barely more than a breath. “And stranger yet, the fact that the two subjects of her conversation are listening to every word she is speaking.” His lips grazed my ear, and heat flooded my cheeks. I could hear the smile in his whisper, and I would have smiled too if I were able. Instead, I scolded my heart for leaping.
He replaced the distance between us—if just a few inches could be called distance—leaning his head against the back of the sofa once more. My smile finally came, but it was weak, and his eyes were too warm and mischievous as he studied my face, as if awaiting my reply. If he thought I would whisper in his ear in the same manner, he was mistaken.
I clamped my lips shut, relieved to hear Mrs. Ollerton’s voice growing more distant as she