“If I make it that long.”
“You have untold stores of strength, Your Grace. I have faith in you.”
She patted his shoulder, grabbed a book from the shelf, and went back down the hall. He watched the sway of her hips as she walked and realized that neither had resolved the issue that was keeping them awake.
Well, he’d respect her wishes. But she’d as much as told him that she wanted him as much as he wanted her, and he had some doubts about her ability to hold out until after the wedding. But he was not an animal; he could bide his time. She’d either succumb to her own lust and spend a night with him again, or their wedding night would be all the sweeter.
*
Hugh walked intothe club with a smile like the cat who got the cream. Lark found it unsettling.
“I cannot stay long,” Hugh said as he sat in the chair across from Lark. “I worry about what may happen if Adele and my mother spend too much time together. But I wanted your opinion.”
Lark narrowed his eyes. “Whymyopinion?”
“Well, not yours specifically. You fellows. But Fletcher and Owen are not here. Are they?”
“No. Both had other engagements this evening.”
“Are you drinking alone?”
Lark looked at the snifter in his hand. He knew he could trust the old Hugh, but he still wasn’t completely sure what Hugh knew and didn’t know, and if this new Hugh would accept things or not. Still, he said, “Well, if you must know, I’m meeting Beresford. Time is a bit of a loose concept for him, however, and he is running quite late.”
Hugh stared at him for a long moment. “You and Beresford are lovers, aren’t you?”
Lark looked down. “Yes,” he said quietly.
“It’s all right, you know. I don’t have those inclinations myself, but I know sometimes men prefer their own sex.”
Hugh sounded sincere, so Lark looked up and said, “I prefer everyone. Although right now, I prefer Beresford.”
“How long?”
“Oh, here and there for a few years, more regularly the last two months or so.”
Hugh nodded. “I thought you didn’t like him.”
“Me too. He grew on me.” Lark rubbed his head. “What did you want my opinion on?”
“Oh.” Hugh reached into his coat pocket and withdrew a large jewelry box. “I bought this for Adele. Do you think it’s too much?”
“How should I know?” But Lark waited while Hugh opened the box. “Wow.”
Hugh revealed a necklace with a huge emerald surrounded by diamonds. The necklace was gorgeous. Breathtaking. Lark struggled to picture it on the neck of someone as austere as Adele. “It’s lovely.”
“You think so?”
“A necklace befitting a duchess. Adele will think it too much.”
Hugh frowned. “I know. I could not resist it, though. I’ve never seen anything like it. When I saw it in the case I could picture exactly how it would look at Adele’s throat. I thought she could wear it to the wedding.”
“I do not know much about women’s fashion, but this is a very nice emerald. What if she wears a color not suited to emeralds to the wedding?”
“Then she can wear it to a ball or something. I don’t know anything about women’s fashion, either. I just thought it would look pretty on Adele. Or, hell, she could wear only the emerald and I would be happy.”
Lark laughed. “Well, of course.”
Hugh closed the box. “She’s going to hate it.”
