His curiosity won out. “Why not?”
She shrugged slender shoulders. “I know all of the gentlemen in the area, and have no wish to marry any of them. Nor will I ever leave Banbury.”
This time Rufus had no doubts as to the longing, the ache, he could hear in Anna’s voice. “What if a gentleman were to take you away from here?”
She gave him a brief startled glance, whatever she saw in his face causing her to look quickly away again. “I told you,” her jaw was tight, “I am helpmate to my brother.”
“And what if your brother should marry and have children of his own?”
Anna gave a rueful smile, having no doubts that her brother would marry as he had recently taken quite an interest in Mary Turner, the pretty young daughter of the new estate manager at Banbury Hall. That Mark also hoped to entice Matthew Turner into his fold was no doubt an added incentive to that attraction. “Then no doubts I shall happily become the devoted sister-in-law to his wife and spinster aunt to his children.”
“And with each month and year that passes will you also become increasingly bitter as your own life passes you by?”
“How dare you?” Anna demanded indignantly, even as she knew this man, this duke, spoke the truth.
That he somehow knew her.
Rufus Drake knew of the yearnings she had in her heart; for excitement, freedom, to travel and to see the world outside Banbury. Of how she longed to be wholly loved and cherished by the man she would wholly love and cherish in return.
Yearnings that she would never voice, never acknowledge, but would keep hidden inside her like a bitter, festering wound.
“I dare, Anna, because I see that same restless spirit in you that I know is inside me.” He reached out to take a firm grasp of her chin as he tilted her face up towards his, so that Anna had no choice but to gaze up at him. “Admit it, Anna, you wanted me that day in the woods,” he encouraged gruffly. “You wanted me to kiss you, to make love to you.”
“No!” She gave a desperate shake of her head in denial of his words. Sweet, truthful, sinful words that caused her heart to clench painfully in her chest.
“You want me to kiss you now...”
“No!” She gave another frantic shake of her head.
“Yes, Anna.” Rufus raised her hand to stroke his lips across her knuckles, instantly aware of that same smell of mint he had tasted when he kissed her in the woods. “I love the way you smell,” he groaned as he rubbed her hand against his cheek.
A cheek that was hot with embarrassment.
Or desire?
“It is only mint from my herb garden,” she excused as she snatched her hand away from his and put it behind her back. “You must not do that. Anyone could walk by.”
“We have introduced ourselves now, you could invite me into the parsonage,” he suggested huskily.
“No, I— Our housekeeper will very soon be back from shopping in the village.”
“And is that your only reason for refusing me?”
“You must go! I cannot— We cannot!”
Rufus looked down at her as he heard the distress in her voice, and noted the look of panic in her expressive eyes as she looked up at him pleadingly. He gave a sigh before stepping back. “I am not going anywhere, Anna. And we will meet again.” It was a promise rather than a threat.
Anna’s emotions were in complete turmoil as she watched Rufus cross the garden to jump lithely back over the wall. He collected and put on his hat, nodding to her briefly before going on his way.
As if nothing had happened.
As if seeing her again had not shaken up his whole world in the same way that her own world had just been shaken on its foundations by seeing him again.
Chapter Five
Two more days passed before Anna saw Rufus again, and at a time and place she was completely unprepared for.
Hurrying out of the rain, on her way into the church to arrange the flowers for tomorrow’s Sunday services, she instead came to an abrupt halt as she saw a solitary man standing a short distance away in the churchyard.