purity to a risk to her heart.
* * *
"What shall we do tonight?"
Paige looked at Isabel and frowned. "If I know you, we're going to study."
Isabel laughed. "No, not tonight."
Her student's eyes went wide. "No studying? Impossible."
Isabel opened the schoolroom door. "Your parents went to the opera, so I felt you deserved a treat too. Perhaps we could sit in the drawing room? We could play cards or work on your scrapbook."
Paige grimaced as she followed her out into the hallway. "No, I hate that scrapbook. My mother makes me do it."
Isabel led the way down the stairs. "Then no scrapbook."
She heard heavy footsteps in the hall just as they got to the last landing. Had the Templeton's returned? Disappointment filled her.
Luck was on her side. It was Marshall.
Marshall said, "I thought I would keep the two of you company."
"Paige, can you get me the playing cards? I left them on my dressing table."
Paige grimaced, then walked out of the room.
Isabel turned back to Marshall. "You shouldn't be here. First you followed me to the park, then you brought me the flowers, and now you're--"
"Spending the night in my own house?"
"This isn't proper, Mr. Templeton."
"Proper, proper, proper! You're always saying that it's not proper. When will it be proper?"
She sighed, exasperated. "I'm not the one who makes these rules."
"Who in heaven does?"
"You should leave," she said.
Marshall smiled. "That's too bad because I'm staying. And we both know you want me to."
"I do, but . . ."
"Then it's settled," he said, sitting down on the horsehair sofa. "I don't understand what you're so up in arms about. I enjoy being in your company. Is that so wrong?"
Isabel shook her head, trying to ignore him just as she tried not to notice his dark blue coat and the way it draped his muscular upper body. She might have come up with another reason why he couldn't stay, but Paige returned too soon.
"Are you staying, Uncle?" she asked, offering Isabel a pointed look of distaste.
"Of course, Paige. Would I disappoint you?" He settled into and prepared to stay awhile. "Don't tell me you're going to play cards."
Paige ran her fingers along the edge of the cards. "Why not? I know how to play all the games."
"Never mind that," he said, standing up and moving toward the door. "We should play something more exciting. Like hide and seek."
Paige dropped the cards on a side table. "Could we, Miss Balfour?"
It wasn't surprising that Marshall wanted to play something so childish. Isabel sighed. "I suppose."
Paige clapped her hands with glee and ran up to Marshall. "Can I hide first?"
"Of course." He winked at Isabel when his niece turned her back. "I'll count to twenty while you find somewhere to hide. Then we'll come looking for you."
"You'll never find me!" she exclaimed, then urried out of the room.
Isabel stared at the empty doorframe. "She took to the idea rather quickly."
"I knew she would." He took a step toward her, smiling secretively.
"Shouldn't you be counting?"
"I'm counting up here," he said, pointing to his forehead. "Besides, if we give her a little extra time, what's the harm?"
"It's not . . . she . . ." With a flourish, she grabbed the playing cards and fanned them out in front of her. "Pick any card."
Marshall's fair eyebrows arched toward the ceiling. "You want me to pick a card?"
"Yes, any one you like." She smiled. Her chest puffed out as she tried to stifle a laugh. "I shall tell you your fortune."
"I would like that very much." His hand hovered over the cards. "Now, which shall I choose?"
Isabel's heartbeat increased the closer Marshall leaned. It wasn't possible he could hear it . . . was it?
Finally, after pulling a card from the center, Marshall straightened his back. He looked down at his card and laughed. "The Queen of Hearts. What can you divine from that?"
"Perhaps you will win the heart of a Queen."
"Perhaps? I need a little more to go on than that."
Isabel leaned back and tried to put a little
* * *
"What shall we do tonight?"
Paige looked at Isabel and frowned. "If I know you, we're going to study."
Isabel laughed. "No, not tonight."
Her student's eyes went wide. "No studying? Impossible."
Isabel opened the schoolroom door. "Your parents went to the opera, so I felt you deserved a treat too. Perhaps we could sit in the drawing room? We could play cards or work on your scrapbook."
Paige grimaced as she followed her out into the hallway. "No, I hate that scrapbook. My mother makes me do it."
Isabel led the way down the stairs. "Then no scrapbook."
She heard heavy footsteps in the hall just as they got to the last landing. Had the Templeton's returned? Disappointment filled her.
Luck was on her side. It was Marshall.
Marshall said, "I thought I would keep the two of you company."
"Paige, can you get me the playing cards? I left them on my dressing table."
Paige grimaced, then walked out of the room.
Isabel turned back to Marshall. "You shouldn't be here. First you followed me to the park, then you brought me the flowers, and now you're--"
"Spending the night in my own house?"
"This isn't proper, Mr. Templeton."
"Proper, proper, proper! You're always saying that it's not proper. When will it be proper?"
She sighed, exasperated. "I'm not the one who makes these rules."
"Who in heaven does?"
"You should leave," she said.
Marshall smiled. "That's too bad because I'm staying. And we both know you want me to."
"I do, but . . ."
"Then it's settled," he said, sitting down on the horsehair sofa. "I don't understand what you're so up in arms about. I enjoy being in your company. Is that so wrong?"
Isabel shook her head, trying to ignore him just as she tried not to notice his dark blue coat and the way it draped his muscular upper body. She might have come up with another reason why he couldn't stay, but Paige returned too soon.
"Are you staying, Uncle?" she asked, offering Isabel a pointed look of distaste.
"Of course, Paige. Would I disappoint you?" He settled into and prepared to stay awhile. "Don't tell me you're going to play cards."
Paige ran her fingers along the edge of the cards. "Why not? I know how to play all the games."
"Never mind that," he said, standing up and moving toward the door. "We should play something more exciting. Like hide and seek."
Paige dropped the cards on a side table. "Could we, Miss Balfour?"
It wasn't surprising that Marshall wanted to play something so childish. Isabel sighed. "I suppose."
Paige clapped her hands with glee and ran up to Marshall. "Can I hide first?"
"Of course." He winked at Isabel when his niece turned her back. "I'll count to twenty while you find somewhere to hide. Then we'll come looking for you."
"You'll never find me!" she exclaimed, then urried out of the room.
Isabel stared at the empty doorframe. "She took to the idea rather quickly."
"I knew she would." He took a step toward her, smiling secretively.
"Shouldn't you be counting?"
"I'm counting up here," he said, pointing to his forehead. "Besides, if we give her a little extra time, what's the harm?"
"It's not . . . she . . ." With a flourish, she grabbed the playing cards and fanned them out in front of her. "Pick any card."
Marshall's fair eyebrows arched toward the ceiling. "You want me to pick a card?"
"Yes, any one you like." She smiled. Her chest puffed out as she tried to stifle a laugh. "I shall tell you your fortune."
"I would like that very much." His hand hovered over the cards. "Now, which shall I choose?"
Isabel's heartbeat increased the closer Marshall leaned. It wasn't possible he could hear it . . . was it?
Finally, after pulling a card from the center, Marshall straightened his back. He looked down at his card and laughed. "The Queen of Hearts. What can you divine from that?"
"Perhaps you will win the heart of a Queen."
"Perhaps? I need a little more to go on than that."
Isabel leaned back and tried to put a little
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