To his amazement, she tentatively touched his tongue with hers and he groaned and pulled her closer until she practically sat on
his lap. He turned her head to take the kiss deeper and smiled when a slight moan escaped from her lips.
It took him some time to realize the coach had come to a stop. Reluctantly, he pulled back and gazed into her eyes.
Her glazed-over eyes.
“I think we’re at your boarding house.”
“Wh-what?”
He smiled. The poor girl was addled. “We’re at your home.”
“Oh.” She pulled away and patted her hair. “I s-see.”
Nick took both of her hands in his. “I am going to make some inquiries about your friend. Please promise me that you will take no further action to make anyone believe you find Miss Davenport’s disappearance odd.”
“B-but—”
He placed his finger against her lips. “No buts, Pamela. I will call on you in a few days. In the meantime, say nothing to anyone, and act as though nothing is amiss.” He gripped her shoulders. “Promise me.”
“Y-y-yes.” She shuddered and once again he had to tramp down the urge to have his driver take them both to his home where he could protect her. Instead, he stepped from the carriage and took her hand.
He walked her up to the door and stood while the man at the door identified her and let her in. Nick sighed as the door closed and returned to his carriage. It was past time for him to be at the club. It did not feel good leaving her, but he was determined to win her over and be the one who took care of her and made sure she was safe.
At least today with the way she responded to his kiss, he felt a bit more like she acknowledged their attraction. It was a small step, but a step nevertheless in the right direction.
Pamela kept mostly to herself the few days after her meeting with Mr. Smith. She continued to give her piano and voice lessons in the back parlor, but she found Mrs. O’Leary was always lurking about when Pamela spoke with anyone.
Although Mr. Smith had told her he would make inquiries and see her in a few days she had yet to hear from him. Hoping that was good news, that he hadn’t heard anything nefarious about Lizbeth, she began to relax more at home.
However, she had no intention of forgetting that her friend had disappeared and might be in danger. Even if she wanted to conduct some sort of a search herself, she had no idea how to do that, and Mr. Smith, with his background would certainly be a better person to help.
Every time his name drifted through her mind—which, much to her chagrin happened on a regular basis—she remembered the kiss they’d shared in the carriage and her reaction to it. Although she’d had messy, sloppy kisses from other men desperate enough to do so in want of her dowry, there was no comparison between those debacles and the feelings Mr. Smith had coaxed from her.
Her thoughts drifted back to her student who just finished a very difficult piece. “You are doing quite well, Miss Chambers.” She was quite happy with the progress her newest student was making. She came to her with some skill on the pianoforte, but in the last few weeks her playing had remarkedly improved.
“Thank you, my lady. I have been practicing a great deal.” The girl rose from the bench and gathered her reticule and gloves.
Pamela led her out of the room and to the front door. “That’s very good. The only way to get better at anything is to practice.” She smiled as the girl shrugged into her coat and left the house.
She checked her timepiece noting that she had some time before she needed to leave to meet Lottie and Addie at the bookstore. Addie had sold the store, but still had some things there that she wanted to retrieve. As a final goodbye to the store and all the wonderful memories she’d had there, Addie had invited her and Lottie to tea one last time. For more than a year it had been their habit to meet for tea every day at the bookstore at three o’clock.
Pamela missed those days. The three of them, all single, all enjoying the freedom awarded a woman firmly and happily ‘on the shelf.’ They had pledged to each other that they would not marry, since they were done with the husband hunt. Then Addie had met Grayson and Lottie had met Carter and now Pamela was the only single one left.
Not that she minded.
There was no one she disliked enough to foist herself on, with her stumbling, bumbling ways. Like her sister-in-law, anyone who had to be around her all the time would soon grow weary and embarrassed by her lack of grace and polish in Society.
Not Mr. Smith.
She huffed.
So he said. But he had no idea how difficult it was for her to speak in any normal way when confronted with an anxious situation, and most situations away from her home were anxious situations.
She really could do with a cup of tea now, but since it was nearing the time to leave to meet Addie and Lottie, she headed upstairs to her room instead. As she reached the top of the stairs, she noticed the door to Lizbeth’s room was slightly ajar.
Slowly she walked down the corridor and stopped at the door and peeked in. No one was in there. She turned and looked behind her, but all was silent. She edged the door open and stepped in.