She only smiled.
He straightened and traced a tendril of her hair. “Come on, then.” He took her arm, leading her toward the door.
“Ask yourself this, Kitty.” Hand on the door lever, he lowered his mouth to her ear. “Will your paragon of a boring husband make you want to be touched in places you never knew existed?”
He yanked open the door and ushered her ahead of him.
She stumbled inside and stared at him, wide-eyed, looking, to his mind, more than a little intrigued.
He gave her a lazy grin. “I’m giving you ’til tomorrow to accept my offer. I expect you’ll come to your senses by then.”
“And if I don’t?” she said in a belatedly peevish tone.
He winked, and refrained from laughing at her delayed show of resistance. “I’ll cross that bridge if I come to it.”
At the moment, he was more concerned with getting the bulge in his pants to subside before they reached the dining hall. That was going to be a real feat.
***
The following morning Kitty sat beside the earl at the breakfast table, quietly brooding. She’d reached one decision in the weehours of the morning. She would marry Zeke. He was right. It was the logical thing to do. Garrick would pose a threat so long as she remained unmarried, and, if she was being honest, imagining life without Zeke left her feeling desolate.
Maybe he was right, and that did make her weak.
“I see you’ve picked up one of Zeke’s habits,” the earl said.
She looked a question at him.
He had his nose in this morning’s copy of theTimes. Without looking her way, he inclined his head toward her fingers, poised over the white tablecloth beside her barely touched plate.
She’d been drumming her fingers. Very carefully, she laced her hands in her lap.
The earl folded his newspaper. He turned to Kitty, eyeing her with concern. “Kitty, I know you’re a private person, but I must ask. Is something troubling you anew?”
“I have a few things on my mind, but nothing overly troubling.”
She wrestled with when she ought to tell Zeke she’d decided to accept his offer of marriage. But that was nothing she could share with the earl. She had every intention of seeking the earl’s blessing on her and Zeke’s plan to wed. She just felt Zeke ought to know first.
“If you need someone to listen, I’m always here to lend an ear.”
She beamed at him. “I appreciate that, my lord.”
“Good morning.” Caden burst into the room on a cloud of energy and vigor, dashing in his sportsman tweeds. He headed straight for the sideboard. “I’ve come from overseeing the placement of the shooting targets. All is set. It’s going to be great fun.”
“I, for one, am looking forward to getting out-of-doors. This constant rain business gets old,” Randall said, strolling into the dining hall.
Zeke emerged from the corridor on Randall’s heels. He stole her breath in his crisp white shirtsleeves, his dark brown, fitted sports breeches and glossy boots.
The other two men were handsome and well dressed. But somehow they didn’t compare to Zeke. One glimpse and her heart set to racing.
He smiled at everyone in turn, saving Kitty for last. “You’re looking lovely this morning, my dear,” he said. He winked and sauntered for the sideboard.
His cocksure attitude made her decision for her. She would definitely tell him after the shooting match.
Lady Lillian entered the room, followed by Garrick.
“Gang’s all here,” Caden said, cheerfully. He lifted his coffee cup in a mock toast.
Rapid footsteps sounded in the hall.
