She had taken off her gloves while he was talking and now she felt his mouth against her bare skin.
Involuntarily her fingers tightened on his.
He raised his head and looked into her eyes, his face close to hers.
In that moment they were both very still.
Then the Marquis put his hat on his head.
“Goodbye, Mark,” he said. “Take care of your sister. She is a very special person.”
He climbed back into the phaeton, Sam released the horses’ heads and they started off before the groom had scrambled into the seat beside his Master.
Because she did not wish to see him go Rowena went into the house leaving Mark waving from the steps until the horses were out of sight.
Rowena had reached the top of the stairs when Mark hailed her from the hall.
“I say, Rowena, could anything be more marvell
