Penelope snatched the package off the counter and sliced the cotton string binding it together.
She tried to calm her heart.The only reason Nicholas believed himself even cursorily attracted was due to an aromatic blend of chemical compounds.Not her personality.Any gifts he brought were therefore meaningless.
Her fingers trembled.What did she expect to find inside?Chocolates?An embarrassing flush heated her ears.Was that not what she wanted from him?To be wooed like any other woman, even if it wasn’t real?Muscles tense, she unfolded the paper and pushed it aside.
Flasks.
Her breath caught.
He’d bought herflasks.
Her heart beat out of control.She lifted one of the delicate glass cylinders to inspect it.
It was the same as the model she normally purchased, save for a few key modifications.The lip was not completely round, but contained an external dip on one side, allowing the wielder to control the pour of liquid with greater precision.
The base was the same roundness, the body the same thickness, but tiny indicators on the glass would allow her to gauge the volume of liquid inside and whether its value had changed.The design was perfect.
She clutched all four flasks to her chest.He did see her.He did know her.He understood her.She couldn’t stop smiling.This gift wasn’t the traditional fare any gentleman purchased for any woman, but something meant specifically forher.
So where on earth was he?Since delivering the gift, he had disappeared.Her smile dipped at the edges.
He was not promised to her.A rake, by definition, did not promise himself to anyone.The gift might mean nothing.
Perhaps his natural wanderlust had led him to other women.Those who could be won with a single red rose.She swallowed a sour taste.The moment he exitedDuchess’s scent range, she would no longer be foremost in his thoughts.
No matter.Science was the only thought she intended to keep in mind.Chemistry was the sole commitment she had time for.Anything else was an unnecessary complication.
She stared down at the flasks in her hands.Her shoulders curved.She would thank him for his thoughtful gift.He was a nice person.A temporary tourist who would soon return where he belonged.She placed the flasks back onto the table.There was no room in the equation for emotion.
She shouldn’t make more of it than what it was.
A knock sounded from outside.
She blew out the candle and went to answer.
Before she could finish opening the door, Nicholas barreled in hefting a large wicker basket.
Her heart filled with joy.“What are you doing?”
He grinned at her.“I come bearing gifts.”
“Frankincense, gold, and myrrh?”The corners of her mouth twitched.
“Close.”He strode past her into the kitchen and dropped the basket on her table with a thud.“Flour, sugar, and butter.”
“Howmuchflour, sugar, and butter?”she asked suspiciously.“That basket looks like it weighs two stone.”
“I panicked.”His eyes were impish.“Running out of biscuits is like running out of…”
“Oxygen?”she guessed.
He shook his head.“Hot chocolate.”
“Humans can live very long lives with no consumption of chocolate,” she informed him gently.
“But without chocolate, are we truly living?”He shot a stern glance over his shoulder before continuing to unload the basket.“I think that’s everything.I added each ingredient to my list when we made the last batch.”
“You did?I didn’t see you write anything down.”
