He looked at her with such understanding that she could have sworn he knew the reason she had not eaten. Could discern that she had slept poorly and was plagued by fears every time she was away from his presence. But he said nothing. Didn’t prompt her or insist that she relax.
He led them to the stand and ordered two pies. When their fare arrived, she realized she now had a dilemma. She could not eat her food with her veil covering her face.
Gabriel brought his hands up, touching the edge of her veil, a question in his eyes. She knew what he meant. He was asking her permission to lift the veil, expose her face to the multitude of people on the street market. She gave a decisive nod, even though it would make her feel as exposed as if she were standing naked in the middle of the street. Anyone passing by could recognize her.
“Nobody here knows you, Hannah,” he reminded her gently, as he lifted the veil.
“I just can’t shake the feeling of being followed. Of being watched. I wouldn’t put it past Blackwell to do just that.”
“Would you feel more comfortable leaving the market? Maybe you would prefer wandering the less transited streets?There are many shops and establishments where we could seek refuge.”
She almost wept with relief when he suggested that. She was so tired of walking this treacherous edge between keeping their relationship a secret as it needed to be and not acting as if she were ashamed of him.
Nothing was further from the truth. If she were a free woman, she would be so proud to walk on the arm of this magnificent man. But circumstances demanded they kept their relationship as a dirty secret, and nothing pained her more than that.
He offered her his arm and led her away from the market, down one of the smaller streets, as they enjoyed their pies. They found a small square with a garden and would have sat to enjoy the peace and quiet after the buzz of the market, but as luck would have it, the skies, who had been gray all morning, opened up and a freezing rain poured down on them without warning.
Laughing, they ran and ducked into the nearest shop, which turned out to be a rather well-stocked bookstore.
“Oh, lovely. We could not have sought refuge from the rain in a better place,” she exclaimed, looking around at the thousands of volumes filling every square inch of space.
“I agree,” Gabriel replied from right behind her. So close she could feel the heat emanating from his body.
She turned, her womanly instincts singing at his nearness. Her eyes flared when they connected with his, and for a second, an unfulfilled kiss hung in the air between them, conjured by their mutual desire.
The moment fractured when a portly white-haired gentleman lumbered towards them from the back of the shop.
“Good morning, sir, madam. I’m Mr. Kent, the proprietor. May I help you find a book in particular?”
“Mr. Kent. A pleasure to meet you, sir. My wife and I were seeking shelter from the rain, but it is a most fortuitous coincidence that the shop we happened upon is a bookstore, as we are both avid readers. I believe we will have a wonderful time perusing your shelves as we wait for the rain to abate.”
Her breath seized in her throat at the casual way Gabriel introduced them as a married couple, and for a few seconds, she let her mind drift in the pleasant daydream. Ah, if only that was true. If only they were a middle-class couple on a relaxed morning stroll.
“Of course, of course. Browse to your heart’s content and let me know if anything catches your fancy. We also have a second story. That’s where we keep the more select books,” the bookseller said, marketing his more expensive wares, no doubt gauging their attire and manners and judging them as potential wealthy customers.
“Are you truly an avid reader?” she murmured to Gabriel as they ventured into the depths of the store.
“I am. Always have been. When I was a child, books were my escape and my refuge from the hostility in my home. And when I joined the army... Well, there was no better way to pass the endless hours of tedium between training and skirmishes.”
“How marvelous. As it happens, you didn’t lie to Mr. Kent, for I am an avid reader as well. Or had you known that?”
“I had not. But I am glad to discover it. I have long admired the grand library in Stanhope Abbey. I am glad it belongs to a book lover.”
A shadow crossed her face, and her smile was bittersweet. “The library. Yes, it is one of my favorite rooms in the entire house. I have added many volumes to it throughout the years.”
“It will remain in your possession,” he whispered, only for her ears, accurately discerning the reason for her mood.
Her eyes snapped to him. “You can’t guarantee that. No one can.”
He took her hand, and his thumb caressed the sensitive skin of her wrist, just above the glove. Such an innocent caress. And yet it produced a heat that was anything but innocent.
“I know. But I can do my best to ensure that outcome.”
The heated promise in his eyes was unmistakable. It called to something deeply feminine in her. To have this man’s child. To be his.When?was the pressing question in her mind.
The reasons had become less important than the means.
CHAPTER 21
