The man kept saying words to her that no one else ever had. It was reason enough to be shy of him. Except there was another reason, too.
The kiss.
Perhaps it had started with him kissing her, but it had definitely ended with her kissing him and not wanting to stop. Tilly had been slanting sly looks her way all morning suggesting that the truth was writ plain. Of course, there had been the not-subtle waggle of Tilly’s eyebrows, too.
Was it so obvious?
And yet another truth existed.
She was falling for him.
And she mustn’t.
Her time with the man beside her, whose thigh jostled against hers with every rut in the road, was meant to be a lark. She would likely never see him again after today. In other words, now was no time to be shy.
If today was to be a lark, then she would give over to it.
“So, Mr. Kendall,” she began.
He glanced at her, an easy smile curling about his mouth. “Yes, Miss Tait?”
“Oh, I think you can call me Nell by now.”
“Would you like that?”
“Yes, I would.”
“And would you consent to calling me Lucas?”
She laughed. She couldn’t help herself.
“Are you laughing at my name?”
“You can be so formal and proper. You’ve truly been around nobs too long.” She wondered if she should say what next came to mind and thought she should. “I like the name Lucas. It suits you.”
“What is it you wanted to know?” he asked before adding, “Nell.”
“Where is the duke now?” A beat. “Lucas.”
“Oh, somewhere in the countryside,” he said vaguely.
“And he doesn’t need you?” Something about his relationship with his employer felt…off. One and one didn’t make two, somehow.
“We have an understanding.”
“And you’re not afraid of losing your position?”
“Why would I be?” he asked, genuine curiosity in the glance he shot her.
She snorted. She couldn’t help herself. “If my employers didn’t need me, I’d be right worried they’d send me back to the East End, and I must admit I rather prefer Bond Street.”
He nodded slowly. “Good point.” He didn’t elaborate further as he maneuvered the matched pair of horses into a smooth right turn that led onto a shaded lane, dueling colonnades of oaks to either side.
“This looks like someone’s property,” Nell observed.
“Indeed.”
And it struck her. “This is the duke’s estate.”
