very wealthy Englishman she had yet to meet, in order to save herself from destitution. Now that sounded exactly like the plot of a novel!
How would she ever be able to find a husband who would support her writing career, let alone encourage her? It didn’t seem possible.
In general, men were very dismissive of the pursuits of women, but husbands seemed to be downright against anything their wives wished to do on their own. Becoming a married woman who had to bow to her husband’s wishes, while denying that she had any ambitions of her own, did not appeal to Meredith in the least.
She had been most fortunate that her father had been so immersed in his oil business that he’d been content to let Meredith pursue her interest in writing. But then again, her father had had no inkling of just how serious his daughter was about becoming a published author. He had always dismissed her little stories as a harmless hobby and gave it no more thought than that.
Wondering why her life, and those of most women, had to be so complicated, Meredith glanced up from the pages of her book and found the eyes of a man upon her.
He hastily turned away when she looked over at him, but he had definitely been staring at her.
My, my! He was quite the handsome fellow!
He was young, perhaps not much older than she was. He had black hair combed rather rakishly back from a clean-shaven face that accentuated a strong jawline and straight nose. His intelligent green eyes, which had remarkably long lashes for a man, were framed by thick, dark brows, giving his face an intriguing appearance. He lounged his tall and broad figure rather casually against the front counter near the entrance, his elbow propped up on the surface and his chin resting in his hand, while his coat was draped over one arm, hat in hand. He looked a trifle bored.
There he was.
A typical entitled English lord. He just had to be. He carried himself with a privileged air, as if the world and all that was in it belonged to him and him alone.
His eyes turned toward her again. For the briefest of moments they held each other’s gaze.
Then Meredith quickly looked down, a bit embarrassed to be caught perusing him so boldly. She attempted to be absorbed in Tess’s story, but she could still feel his inquisitive eyes upon her, and her skin tingled.
She couldn’t help herself. . . . She looked up again.
As he glanced away, she studied him a bit more.
He was really rather gorgeous. Perfect looking, if the truth was told. She had never seen a man so rivetingly handsome. And it wasn’t just his classically masculine features. It was his entire presence. The man practically oozed charm and strength and decadence. He would be just the sort of man she would write about as a wicked villain in one of her stories.
His eyes moved back to her, and she hastily glanced back down at her book.
It was infuriating the way he stared at her so boldly!
Peeking back up at him once more, she caught his gaze again. This time he did not avert his eyes.
He stared directly at her. A lazy half-smile played across his suggestive lips, almost as if he were daring her to keep staring at him.
Not one to back down from a challenge, Meredith kept her eyes firmly on the audaciously handsome gentleman, yet her heart raced a little and her cheeks warmed under his blatant regard.
His charismatic smile broadened, revealing straight white teeth and the hint of a dimple on one side, and she was momentarily blinded by the impact of it. The man was devastatingly handsome, and he knew it. Which annoyed her. He was probably used to women swooning over him. Flirting with him.
Well, Meredith Rose Remington would not be one of them!
She refocused her gaze, giving him an imperious look. She was not going to be intimidated by him. And just what was he doing there anyway? As he lolled against the counter, he clearly wasn’t looking to purchase a book. It almost seemed as if he was waiting for someone.
Then he winked at her.
Meredith blinked with surprise but did not look askance. She remained fixed on his bold eyes.
How dare he wink at her so brazenly! The effrontery!
They hadn’t even been properly introduced! Shameless man! She gave him a pointedly disdainful and frosty look. His smile deepened, and he looked as if he was going to laugh at her.
Meredith had had enough.
She turned her attention back to Tess of the d’Urbervilles, but the words on the page made no sense to her. Insolent beast! If all the men in England were like him, she would sail on the next ship back to New York and gladly starve on the streets.
The bells above the door of the bookshop jingled, causing Meredith to look in his direction once more. He seemed about to move toward her, which caused her a moment of pure, undiluted panic, but then he hesitated when two young children barreled past him.
“Merry! Merry!”
Her young cousins, Harry and Lilly, had spied her immediately and scampered to where she sat reading.
“Mother told us to come get you, Merry. She’s ready to return home now,” Harry announced, full of importance.
His ten-year-old face was alight with excitement at having been given such a significant task as fetching his older cousin. With his straight brown hair and light blue eyes, he looked up at her with a sense of urgency on his little freckled face.
“The carriage is waiting outside for us,” he added.
“Thank you, Harry.” Aunt Delilah must have one of her headaches if she sent the children in to fetch her.
Meredith rose to her feet, trying to remain nonchalant, as she knew the handsome English gentleman was still watching her every move. There was an expression of amusement on his face as he observed her interact with the children.
“Hello, Lilly,” she said with a smile at her cousin, ignoring the Englishman.
Lilly Remington, with her long brown curls and chubby cheeks, was only six years old and a shy little thing, peeking out from beneath her wide-brimmed bonnet. Immediately, the young girl grasped Meredith’s hand and held on tightly.
Now with the children at her side, Meredith had to maneuver her way over to the counter to pay for the book, the counter where the impudent and handsome gentleman still waited, watching her with an unashamed regard.
Although now he stood up straight and a wicked smile played across his face. He made an elegant gesture with his arm as if clearing a path for her.
She raised her chin and ignored him, giving her attention to the young female clerk who worked there. As she paid for her purchase, Meredith could feel the eyes of the gentleman boring into the back of her head. She’d never felt so self-conscious in her life.
“What are you buying, Merry?” Harry’s little voice piped up next to her.
“A book,” she responded. “Would you like to carry it for me?”
“Oh
