Page 26 of Miss Ellis Unleashed

“Your face is turning red, and you appear to be breathing faster than normal,” he murmured, his expression full of concern. “I should not like you to faint on the street.”

If she fainted, would Throsby scoop her up in his arms and carry her home?

No matter how much she tried not to, Daisy blushed even harder at the thought. Her pulse sped up every time she thought of how Throsby had kissed her witless as soon as the guardianship had ended. She fanned her face with her free hand. “It is a little warmer than I expected it to be.”

“Yes, we’re having exceptionally warm weather of late.” Throsby chuckled suddenly. “Do you realize this is the first long and entirely honest conversation we’ve ever had with each other?”

She gaped at him. “I have always spoken to you with great civility.”

“Civility but not exactly patience. No, not at all.”

She shook her head. “You were my bossy guardian and never let me forget it.”

“Because I could not allow myself to forget my place, either. You were my responsibility, but you expected me to be like everyone else in your life. To become your friend. I could not have anyone assuming there was an intimate connection between us that might damage your reputation and end your chances of making a good match.”

Daisy gaped, finally seeing their relationship from his side. Throsby had been concerned with appearances.

He’d been a stranger to her, a bachelor, and suddenly made her guardian. Daisy had been a young woman approaching marriageable age then. If he’d been friendlier, would some small-minded fools have whispered about them and assumed they were to make a match, too, or worse…already intimate?

It was very likely someone would have started a rumor.

Daisy hadn’t thought of him in that light herself. Not with the way he’d behaved toward her then. But he seemed different, now he was no longer her guardian.

She liked him because of that, too.

She liked him a lot more, and she hadn’t the faintest idea what to do about that. A few more steps and they’d be back at her front door. Their time for conversation was again at an end. Soon, Throsby would leave her and go back to whatever he’d been doing these past weeks away from her, but she hoped with a lot less drunkenness in his days and nights.

One day, he’d take his leave of London, too, to pay his respects to the duke. Take up his duties as guardian, and perhaps marry his cousin’s widow or someone just like her. Someone who wanted to be a duchess and might not care about the dreams of the man she married.

Daisy didn’t know his dreams, either, but the thought that she might never see Throsby again filled her with incredible sadness.

He had a difficult future ahead of him. Throsby might not have been a man she wanted as a guardian, but he was the closest thing to a male friend she’d ever had. She couldn’t treat him as if he was family, nor as a stranger anymore.

He was something else entirely.

They stopped at the base of her front steps, and the maid scrambled up to the door to knock.

Throsby removed his hat and bowed to her, causing his longer hair to fall across his eyes. He pushed it back with an impatient hand. “Well, Miss Ellis. This is goodbye again. I’ll be on my way now. Again, my sincere apologies for any inconvenience I caused you and your staff during my last visit.”

“Yes, it does seem to be time to part ways,” she answered, regretting it must be so.

They had both suffered together through a guardianship neither had wanted. As a result of their disagreements, she knew very little about him and regretted that now. He had more family than she did, but he was still alone in the world.

“Would you care to join me for dinner tonight?” she blurted out suddenly.

Throsby’s eyes widened.

“If you’ve no other plans, that is. I know you’re probably very busy with your own life.” She shrugged awkwardly, astonished with her desire to endure another private dinner with Throsby. It would be just the two of them, as it used to be, and hovering servants as chaperones.

A meal much like any other they’d shared before. Only now Throsby was not her guardian, and that made him more appealing company.

She shook her head. “Well…perhaps we could talk another time.”

Throsby continued to regard her with obvious surprise at the unexpected invitation. She blushed and made no further comment, and that feeling of awkwardness grew as they stared at each other.

She wet her lips. “Cook fears that you’re not eating enough,” she explained at last, wincing at how lame an excuse that was for such a scandalous invitation.

He put a hand on his belly. “She’s probably right. I would love to join you for any dinner provided by your wonderful cook. What time should I arrive?”