His hand, rough and scarred from tooling such a tough material, was large and strong on hers. A shiver of anticipation shook her.
Apparently, one could confuse my intentions.She rolled her eyes.
His brow creased.
She pressed her bosom against his arm, and he sucked in another breath.
Ha. Men are so easy.“Do you really care? And why would you even ask?”
His chin drew back. “Of course, I care. I ask because it seems unlikely given your beauty and my…not.”
She blushed. Few things made her as uncomfortable as compliments. “Thank you, but you’ll allow me my own opinion of your appearance, I hope. However, I find I am unwilling to pass judgment until I’ve seen more of it.”
“Right, then. Shall we…” He appeared at a loss.
“Come now, Mr. Orford. You must know this place inside and out after being friends with Cheltie for so many years. Surely, there is somewhere we won’t be disturbed.” She raised her free hand to trace patterns on the back of his with one fingernail.
“Ahh.” He flushed.
“Mayhap you could show me your…leather?”
How can a friend of Cheltie’s not be able to read a woman’s nonverbal signals?Biting her lip, Beth waited for his answer. She’d pushed as hard as she was willing. At his silence, her confidence waned.Is he no longer interested?
“My workroom is this way. ’Twas the sitting room to my bedroom, and Evan kindly had it outfitted for me.”
“How—” She squeezed his arm. “—convenient. For you. You have a permanent suite here, eh? I suppose ’tis like my rooms at Althea’s house. Do you live here year-round, then?”
“No. I have a home in London also. I spend much of my time there because the raw materials for my pieces are more accessible there and are cumbersome to lug around.”
They gained the landing of the staircase and turned away from the wing that held her room. She suspected this was the family wing, which was surprising even for a close friend.
“Mr. Orford—”
“Please, I am Robert, or Ford, at your preference.”
“And I am Beth.”
“If your raw materials are in London, why do you have a workroom here?”
“Most of my pieces are custom orders. The customer’s location plays a factor if fittings are needed. For new designs I am testing or accessories that are—” He cleared his throat. “—adjustable, once I have the leather cut and know what fasteners I need, they are easier to transport. And I get a significant number of orders from this party each year.”
“How long does a design take, on average?”
“A few weeks.” He stopped at a door and opened it, gesturing her inside.
She smelled it before she saw it all. The rich, unique scent of leather permeated the air. Then the various shaped leather goods draped over almost every surface in the room registered. She stopped short in awe, her mouth agape.
Chapter Three
Robert bumped into Beth when she stopped abruptly. Stepping to the side, he closed the door and set a shaking hand against her lower spine to guide her forward.
Do I offer her a drink? I should offer her a drink. “Would you like a drink? Er, I only have whisky and ale, or I could call for something different.”
“Yes, please,” she murmured, running her hand over a piece laid across the chair closest to her.
He wondered what to do given the vagueness of her reply. He desperately needed a whisky, so he poured two at the sideboard. Then what? Mayhap they could sit— Oops, he needed to move a few things to make room for that.
She wandered the room and fingered strips of leather.
