If.
She heard the hesitation in his voice.
But as he said the words, he drew nearer to her. She had not been clinging to his arm for this portion of the tour on account of the warmth in the orangery. Not even the opened window panels, designed to allow a breeze to pass through the structure, alleviated the heat.
“Do you think we should not? If you have changed your mind, I shall understand.”
The Duke of Longleigh, on the other hand, would not. She would suffer his wrath and pray he did not make another attempt at securing an heir. Robin was the only part of this dreadful mess that rendered it palatable.
He shook his head. “I have not changed my mind. However, I have not ruled out the possibility that you might, and that you are entirely within your right to tell me to go to the devil, and I shall.”
“I would never tell you that.”
“I dare say you may not always feel thus.”
Despite his insistence, she could not envision a future in which she would tell this wonderful man to go to the devil. If anything, she wanted to keep him close.
As close as she could.
For as long as she dared.
“Shall we worry ourselves with possibilities, then?” she asked.
A small smile curved his sensual mouth. “I do not think it wise to do so.”
“And whatdoyou deem wise, Mr. Carstairs?” She smiled to take the coolness from the formality of her words.
This was all new to her.
She knew not where to turn, which path to take.
“That we dedicate ourselves to developing our friendship, as you suggested yesterday,” he answered, taking her by surprise.
She tried not to acknowledge the rush of disappointment at his words. Yes, she had suggested they become friends. But two days into their acquaintance, it was obvious to her as the sun in the sky that she was attracted to him. That she wanted to be more than a mere friend to him.
But mayhap that was just her foolish heart, rushing to find a home for itself.
She tilted her head to the side, considering him. With the sun glinting through the windows and off his hair, he was truly debonair. “And how do you propose to develop this friendship of ours?”
He grinned. “A game, if you please. What say you to lawn tennis? I took note of the court this morning out the window of the dining room.”
Well.That had certainly not been the response she had been anticipating. Still, she found herself smiling back at him. His boyishness was infectious. She adored playing the game. During the few instances when Longleigh had required her to be a hostess for parties at Coddington Hall, she had developed an appreciation of the sport.
“This tour has already grown stale, hasn’t it, and only three rooms in.”
“Out of four bloody hundred.”
“There are only one hundred twenty-three,” she pointed out.
“Only.” He offered her his arm.
She took it. “Yes, only, though I do understand the sheer audacity in such a statement. Believe me, I had never seen anything to rival Coddington Hall before I first came to visit.”
And indeed, it was that visit, coupled with the urging of her parents, which had prompted her to accept the much older Duke of Longleigh’s proposal of marriage. If only she had known what the future held for her. She would have declined and run.
Run fast and furious in the opposite direction, never looking back.
“Nor have I,” Robin said, his tone grim, as he cast a glance about their surroundings.
