They rode in silence for nearly ten minutes, occasionally greeting familiar members of theton. Neither of them returned to their strangely concluded conversation. Edward tried not to bring it up in his thoughts. After a while, he caught her studying him with more intensity than she had when he first caught her gaze while getting into the phaeton.
“Penny for your thoughts?” He was nearly afraid to ask.
“Oh. I... nothing. I was not thinking of anything in particular.”
“Nothing at all? A busy mind such as yours was certainly thinking of something.”
“What do you mean, ‘a busy mind’?”
Avoiding the question—very well, he would play along.
“I only mean that you quite clearly have a lot going on in that pretty little head of yours. And no, I did not mean that to be an empty compliment. Your head is quite pretty.” He winked at her, and she narrowed her eyes at him. At least, she did until a carriage passed by, and she had to pause to wave to the inhabitants who were eyeing them curiously. But regardless, he was certain he had not imagined her light blush.
“And why exactly do you believe I have so much going on in my head?” She began playing with the tips of her fingers, and he fought the urge to intertwine them with his own.
“Oh, it is merely a guess. From the way you portray yourself, your impressively cutting remarks, even the way in which you have assimilated yourself into my household... it is clear that far more than just lace and ball gowns float about in your thoughts.” He said the words flippantly but suddenly felt the weight of her stare upon his profile. He glanced at her and sighed. “Have I offended you? I swear I meant no offense.”
“No. No, you did not. Only—”
“Lord Norwich! Is this your bride we have heardsomuch of yet seensolittle of?”
Edward tore his gaze from Amelia with frustration. They were finally having a conversation that did not center around anger or disagreement, and now they had to be interrupted. A chaise and four had pulled up near them, and two rather birdlike women stared at them in open curiosity. Edward dredged up a smile that he could only hope was charming and genteel.
“Mrs. Clifton, Miss Clifton. Well met indeed. Is that a new hat, Miss Clifton? Very fetching, I must say.” Edward moved to gesture toward Amelia at the same moment he heard her expel a sharp gust of air.
He looked questioningly at her, but she only nodded to the women, encouraging him to continue. There was no time to decipher her reaction.
He turned back to the intruders. “You are most correct, Mrs. Clifton. This is my beautiful wife, Lady Norwich, youngest daughter of the Duke of Stafford.”
Mrs. Clifton’s calculated gaze roved over Amelia, her cheeks pulled in and her brows raised. When she spoke, it was with the sugary sweetness that ladies of thetonseemed to be born with. Except for Amelia, it would appear. “How marvelous it is tofinallymeet you, Lady Norwich.” Amelia inclined her head and opened her mouth to speak, but Mrs. Clifton hurried on. “Lord Norwich, wherever have you been hiding her?”
“With a wife such as mine, would not any man wish to hide her away?” Edward winked at the women. “Now, ladies, if you will excuse us, it would seem we are holding up the queue.”
The woman and her daughter shared a conspiratorial glance before bidding them farewell. Edward sat back, his grip on the reins lessening as he congratulated himself in extricating them from that conversation. And so quickly too. Yet, when he looked to Amelia, he was surprised to see a crease between her brows.
“What is the matter now?”
Amelia angled her head from side to side as if deciding what to reveal. She had so many fascinating little mannerisms such as that. He wished to discover what they each meant.
“I suppose I was determining what Mrs. Clifton was going to share with the gossip mill.”
The corners of his mouth pulled down. “I would assume she would have nothing to share at all, save perhaps that she observed a newly married couple enjoying an outing together.”
“Now that is where you are wrong.”
“However do you mean?” Edward maneuvered the horses around a bend as he spoke.
Amelia turned in her seat, looking at him squarely. A gust of air flipped the ribbons from her bonnet over her shoulder, and she reached back to pull them forward as she spoke. “For someone who so often makes the rounds on the tabbies’ lips, you are woefully ignorant regarding Society’s gossiping habits, aren’t you?”
“I cannot say I have given it much thought before now.”
“I don’t suppose you would have.”
Edward clenched his jaw. Goodness, the woman enjoyed insulting him. It was a wonder he still managed to enjoy her company.
“Well, it is not as if I had to concern myself with their thoughts before now.”
“No. You certainly did not. But that is neither here nor there at the moment.” Amelia straightened her dress, sitting forward again. “Did you see the look the two shared?”
