Wishing for Rainbows

Adelaide nodded her approval. “Long may it continue, I say.”

“I cannot help but feel a little sorry for him,” Ursula sighed after several moments of thoughtful silence.

“Well, don’t get too soft. He is the type that would lure you into a darkened corner somewhere just to talk to you. You don’t want to be compromised by the likes of him.”

Ursula choked as she was taking a sip of tea. Although she managed to keep her face bland, her hand trembled alarmingly as she placed her tea cup back into its saucer. “Why would I ever find myself in that kind of situation?”

“I wouldn’t trust that mother of his. In all the years I have been attending these social occasions, I have never seen anyone as pushy with their son before. Just be careful, that’s all I am saying,” Adelaide replied darkly.

“I cannot think of anything worse than being compromised by him,” Ursula confessed. “But I seriously doubt that they should consider me a catch worthy of such clandestine scheming.”

Before Adelaide could respond, the arrival of Isaac drew their attention. Rather than deliver another arrangement of flowers, he bowed toward Ursula.

“There is a gentleman here to see you, miss.”

“This early?” Adelaide gasped in outrage as she glared accusingly at the clock.

“He wishes to see Miss Ursula, ma’am.”

“Whoever is it?”

“Mr Brampton, ma’am.” The tone of the butler’s voice told her that he to

o had heard the rumours about the man and was less than pleased at having to let him into the house.

“Please show him to the morning room, Isaac. I shall be there in a moment,” Ursula instructed before her aunt could speak.

“I shall come with you,” Adelaide declared abruptly, and pushed away from the table before Ursula could argue.

“Good morning, ladies,” Brampton drawled when they both swept into the morning room. He bowed politely as they took a seat. “Please accept my apologies for calling this early. I know it is a little crass of me but I happened to be passing and was under instruction to drop in.”

He glanced pointedly at the clock on the mantle, aware that it was the ladies who were running late.

“How may we help you?” Adelaide replied snootily.

“I have been asked to deliver these invitations to you,” he said as he handed her one of two embossed envelopes.

When Adelaide tried to take both envelopes off him, Brampton tugged the second envelope out of her fingers. Ignoring Adelaide’s warning look, he turned and presented one to Ursula with a bow. “This one is for you, my dear.”

“Thank you,” she murmured with a smile, mentally applauding his behaviour. She issued him a winning smile that made him do a double-take and look at her in surprise for several seconds before he was snapped out of his daze by Adelaide’s next words.

“I am afraid our diaries are all booked up for the next several weeks,” Adelaide declared, carefully ignoring the fact that she hadn’t even opened the envelope.

“Ah, but this is for afternoon tea tomorrow. I take it from the gossips that there is very little going on then. My mother has invited several of your friends. She said to tell you that she will be most displeased if you decline this invitation too.” There was a hint of steel to his voice as he looked at Adelaide that made the old woman stare suspiciously at him. Even to Ursula, it was clear that Adelaide was being put on the spot and, unless she was inclined to shun not just Brampton, but his family too, she had no choice but to accept the invitation.

Clearly displeased at having to do so, she nodded gracefully. “Then we should be pleased to accept,” she said, although the tone of her voice it was clear she was anything but.

Brampton nodded and looked at Ursula with his brows lifted.

“I should be delighted, thank you,” she replied softly.

“I look forward to seeing you both there then,” he murmured. His eyes remained locked on Ursula for a moment but, before either lady could say anything else, he bowed politely and took his leave.

Ursula watched him go with a slight frown on her face. Sensing her aunt was about to launch into a vilification of him, she quickly stood and shook her skirts out. “I will write that letter to Papa while I remember,” she declared.

As she walked up the stairs, however, she thought over Brampton’s visit. Everything the man did was the epitome of smooth and sophisticated charm. He had stared deeply into her eyes as though he wanted to devour her. Why then did she feel as though she wanted to turn tail and run? Where was the attraction that had held her captive when Trenton had done the same? Trenton stared at her and her knees turned to mush, and her mind wouldn’t work properly. When Brampton looked at her with desire in his eyes, her mind wandered off somewhere else.

It was clear that there was no attraction at all toward Brampton; only Trenton. Did that mean that no man would ever create the same feelings within her that Trenton’s masterful kisses had wrought the other night? Was she ruined for any other man but Trenton? That thought left her more than a little unnerved. Especially given that Trenton was engaged. She shouldn’t be thinking of him in any other way than a mere acquaintance. Yet she couldn’t get what they had shared the other night out of her mind.