She didn’t move. “Do you miss New York?”
“Sometimes.” He took a deep breath. “I miss the work more than anything else. Turns out…I don’t much enjoy being idle. Just like”—he drew her firmly against his side—“I don’t enjoy being on this side of the carriage when you’re on the other.”
Nor did she enjoy being separated from him. She settled back against his side.
Just as he had before, he threaded his fingers through hers. “When all’s said and done, I’m afraid I’m going to have to thank Farring—and he’ll never let me forget it, either.”
“Why?”
He half-smiled as he traced a finger down her palm. “For not letting me leave the church until I agreed to deliver this coach to the dowager. Of course, he had no idea what you were planning.”
She bit her bottom lip. “Did he give you a reason why he wanted you to take the coach?”
“He wanted to ride with Kitt—with Mrs. Van Heldt.”
Her chest contracted. She covered her reaction with a forced cough. He studied her anyway, correctly reading, she suspected, her unintentional flare of jealousy.
“I’m going to tell you something only a few people know for certain.” He rested his hand on her neck as he placed his lips against her hair. “Not only is Katerinanotmy lover, we wereneverlovers—not even close.”
She turned up her face. “Are you telling me Katerina van Heldt,widely knownto have been your lover, never actually was?”
“She never was.”
“Then why did you let me believe she was?”
“We had good reason to let people draw the conclusions they did.” His fingers tightened in her hand. “The rest is not my secret to share… Although your curiosity will, no doubt, be satisfied once we reach Periwinkle Gate.”
“Does Farring know you were never lovers?”
“Yes. Farring suggested the ruse. He was protecting…” He paused. “He was taking charge. As he does any time someone he loves is in danger.”
Was he speaking of Farring’s love for Katerina—or someone else? She stopped trying to puzzle together something Rayne had no intention of fully explaining. She couldn’t think, anyway. His tracing thumb did melty things to her anger…not to mention a few other choice parts.
“That makes another noble deed,” she said.
“Just a favor for a friend.” His thumb stopped moving. “I warned you last night—I’mnotnoble.”
“But youarenoble and…unexpectedly chivalrous. And brave.”
She heard him swallow.
“Why don’t you try it?” he suggested.
“Try what?”
“Emptying your mind of thoughts.” He tightened his embrace.
Impossible.
She turned her cheek into his neck.
No one could sit quietly and notthink…even when resting against the chest of a large, handsome man they loved.
And she could never, ever feel calm and content enough to fall asleep inside a moving carriage.
…
“What do you mean we’re almost there?” Julia gasped, indignant. She brushed away the hair that clung to her cheek. “You can’t mean to say I slept through no less than five horse changes and goodness-knows-how-many watering stops?”
