Elizabeth Thornton by Whisper His Name Read Free Book Online

he made no response to this, she foundered a little before going on. “They came to see me last week, and … and … they’ve got the wrong idea about us.” She laughed lightly to convey just the right degree of amusement. “Oh, I should have foreseen how their minds would work. I should have known better than to ask you to carry letters for me.” She touched a hand to his sleeve and quickly withdrew it. “Was it very bad, Hugh? Did they … well … did they ask you a lot of personal questions?”
    “Well, they did, but I found your family quite … interesting.” He paused. “Oh, I see what it is. They feared I was going to ask you to marry me, and they posted down to Bath to warn you off. Is that it?”
    “Feared? It was no such thing! They
hoped
you were going to ask me to marry you, and they came to try and persuade me to bring you up to scratch. They won’t accept that I’m not the marrying kind of woman.”
    “No?”
    “No. They think every woman wants to be married. And they don’t care who I marry, just as long as—” She covered her mouth with her hand and peeked up at him. “That didn’t come out the way … that is … that’s not what I meant.”
    “Oh, don’t apologize. You’ve always been frank with me, Abbie. That’s one of the things I like about you. Butthis is interesting. Tell me what else you said to your family.”
    “I told them the truth.”
    “That I have ice in my veins, and that no warmblooded female would ever be interested in a dull stick like me?”
    When she began to protest, he waved her to silence. “Not all women are like you, Abbie. As a rule, they’re not interested in the breadth of my knowledge, the scope of my interests, or my prodigious … ah … intelligence. They want a man who knows how to charm a woman.”
    She shot him a quick look, but there was no hint of humor in his eyes. That shouldn’t have surprised her. Hugh didn’t have much of a sense of humor. She said, “All you lack is practice, Hugh, and that is easily come by.”
    “Is it? Now there’s a thought. Would you mind, Abbie, if I practiced with you? I mean, we are friends, and I know you won’t get the wrong idea if I make a fool of myself.”
    She’d never seen him look so uncertain. Not only did that look stir her softer feelings, but it also made her realize what a fool she’d been. This was Hugh. He hadn’t changed. She’d allowed her family to put ideas in her head, and her lurid imagination had done the rest. Poor Hugh. He really was a sweet man.
    “Of course I don’t mind,” she said. “What else are friends for?”
    “You won’t take offense?”
    “How could I take offense when you would only be following my advice?”
    “That settles it then.”
    With that, he tipped up her chin and kissed her.
    She froze. This wasn’t what she had in mind, but itwas no more than a slight pressure of his lips on hers, then it was over.
    “How did I do?” he asked.
    She dimpled up at him. “Hugh,” she said, “I’m not your grandmother. If you’re going to steal a kiss from a lady, do try to put a little feeling into it.”
    “Why don’t you show me?”
    “What?”
    “Show me.”
    Boldness could only take her so far, and this was going too far. She searched his face again, looking for signs of humor but his eyes were clear.
    It’s only a kiss
, she told herself fiercely. It didn’t mean anything. But what if … what if …
    He took the initiative away from her. He put his hands on her waist and exerted a little pressure to bring her closer. She looked up at him with a question in her eyes.
    “You feel good in my arms, Abbie,” he said. “Do I feel good to you?”
    Now that he’d made her think about it, she couldn’t deny that she liked being in his arms. In fact, she liked everything about Hugh—the broad shoulders, the manly features, the thick black hair that looked as though a woman’s fingers had just played with it. But she especially