“How good are you at those?”
“Fairly good, I think,” she said with a shrug.
“Does Fiona know this?”
“Yes, I’ve played for her whenever she asks me. She often hosts recitals when she is in residence. Nothing fancy, just the local gentry and other neighbors coming around for an evening musicale or afternoon tea.”
Knowing how modest this girl was, her shrug probably meant she had a voice of professional quality and an equal ability on the instrument. “Would you feel comfortable if I asked Fiona to feature your talents one night this week? Tonight or tomorrow night, since I would like to have you noticed as soon as possible. I’m sure Fiona can fit in a casual musicale after supper, or an afternoon recital.”
“I suppose,” she said, putting a hand to her cheek as she blushed. “As you may have gathered, I am not very good at being the center of attention.”
He cast her a wry smile. “I’ve noticed.”
“But I will perform if you arrange it with Fiona.”
“Good. I’ll speak to her about it as soon as we are through with the picnic.” He set aside his chicken and drank more ale. “Cherish, you haven’t asked me.”
She frowned. “Asked you what?”
“What I will provide for you in return for agreeing to marry my nephew.”
She appeared confused by his question. “He has to ask me first, don’t you think?”
Honestly, this girl needed a little of the mercenary in her. If he were not honorable, he could so easily cheat her. He wasn’t ever going to hurt her, of course. If anything, he had a surprisingly strong urge to protect her.
A ridiculously strong urge that would sabotage his best-laid plans if he weren’t careful. “Should you not look out for yourself if our matchmaking fails?”
She nibbled her fleshy lower lip in thought. “I suppose, but what would you suggest is fair?”
The notion of Reggie nibbling those luscious lips had his stomach roiling again.
There was something about the shape of her mouth that fascinated Gawain. It had a graceful, bow-like curve, and was the slightest bit too broad for her face. The bottom lip had a plump fullness to it. The whole of her mouth had him wishing for a taste…
Oh, blast.
This would not do at all.
“Well,” she said, continuing her thought when he did not immediately respond, “I could not demand a large sum of money from you to free me from my uncle. First of all, he would likely grab anything you gave me. I think my only safe way out is through marriage. So let us see how this week progresses.”
“We are already three days into the week, since my friends and I arrived late. There is little time left. I think we must have an immediate plan of action.”
“Ah, that’s the bull in you talking again. Are you always so impatient to charge ahead?” She cast him another of her delicious smiles. “If it is clear Reggie will never ask me, then perhaps you will agree to help me find someone else. Would you do this for me? You are sharp and know the character of these men. I would trust your judgment. This is the best reward I could have, to be safe and married to someone kind.”
He growled low in his throat. “I would kill anyone who ever dared hurt you.”
Gad, where had that come from?
Her eyes widened and she laughed. “That ought to scare every man away from me. But what a marvelously apish thing to say. Hopefully, a worthy man won’t need to be threatened by you, or he wouldn’t be all that worthy, would he? Do you think Reggie might ever desire to protect me in this way?”
He raked a hand through his hair, startled by the pang of jealousy now gripping him. Him? Jealous of his own nephew?
What was happening to him?
Chapter Four
The picnic wasfollowed by various afternoon entertainments, such as archery for the ladies and a ride through the countryside for the gentlemen, after which most guests retired to their chambers to rest up and prepare for the evening’s entertainments, which were scheduled to include Cherish’s singing a few tunes while accompanying herself on the pianoforte.
But Cherish did not bother to rest.
