“I intend to become acquainted,” he corrected, “as closely as she wishes to be.”
“And you will work tirelessly to do that.”
“I hardly view courting a beautiful woman as work,” he said testily, and shoved back his chair.
“But it will be,” called his friend after him as he stalked from the room. “It must be, or it will not last. You cannot expect to keep anything you do not earn.”
Nonsense, thought Richard in ire. Earning and working did not come into matters of the heart. Gerhard didn’t understand, and that was no doubt why he still had never bared his heart to Clemency—or to any other lady, though Richard knew that he also had not been a saint when it came to women.
All he meant to do was spend time with Evangeline, and not only in bed. Hewantedto spend time with her. He did feel a strange certainty he would enjoy it, and he did sense that she was also drawn to him. Surely if both their wishes converged, falling in love would happen as easily as plunging over a waterfall.
And if it did not . . .
In the hall, he hesitated. He’d meant to proceed moderately, keeping his word to call upon her and talk to her until he knew her. He’d done so twice, but both times they ended up making love, despite his protestations that he wanted more.
But he didn’t want it to fizzle out once they had sated their obvious desire for each other. He did not want to stand here in several months and realize he knew little of Evangeline except what pleased her in bed. Even if theirs was not to be a love affair for the ages, he still wanted it to be full and rewarding, an affair between equals, as she had said.
He went into his study and found another of his travel notebooks. She listened to his stories with the most bewitching attention and interest. Then he put on his hat and coat and headed out to call on her. To earn her trust and affection.
Toknowher.
Chapter 16
Evangeline found herself looking forward to Richard’s visits with great anticipation, but he surprised her.
He did not come every day. When he did, he usually came on foot, a satchel slung over one shoulder and a walking stick in hand. He often brought flowers, cheerful bunches of whatever bloomed in the local lanes. And he insisted they would have tea and talk, opening his satchel to bring out a notebook or two which he’d kept on his travels. His handwriting was impossible to decipher, and many passages were in German, but he read them aloud to her, stopping for additional anecdotes and amusing stories—often involving his friend Mr. Rieger.
And the sketches. Evangeline stared, rapt, at the pencil sketches of towering waterfalls, wide plains under starry skies, lions lying in the shade of strange umbrella-like trees. There were spiral-horned creatures called kudus, and enormous hippopotamuses, and an entire herd of elephants.
“We only saw them from a distance,” Richard told her. “They are magnificent creatures, intelligent and feeling. When one of their own is in distress or dying, they all gather to help or to mourn. When a calf is born, the herd welcomes the young with almost congratulatory flapping of ears.”
“How fascinating,” said Evangeline, studying his drawing. There were several sketches of the large animals beneath a tree, with a river in the background, on the vast open land Richard called a savannah. Some of the elephants were obviously young, even babies. “I saw an elephant years ago, at Mr. Pidcock’s menagerie. It struck me as magnificent, but... lonely. I wonder if an animal can miss his fellows, the way a man or woman would if confined alone in a small room. It is hard to lose one’s society...”
Richard made a quiet sound, and she looked up at him. “What?”
He was watching her, thoughtful and quiet. “I think a single elephant must be very lonely. They are herd animals. And they are not meant to be caged. Perhaps no one is.”
“But we cannot all journey to Africa or India to see them, as you did. And if we were to attempt it, surely that would frighten the poor beasts into hiding.” She gave a short laugh. “I can only imagine it—carriages full of London ladies trundling across a savannah demanding to see the lions! The lions would flee in terror.”
Richard did not laugh. “No, that would be unwise.” He took the book back from her.
“People adore seeing the unusual,” she said, draping her arms over the side of the chaise she reclined on, so she could better see him in the chair beside her. “And you must admit, the tales you and Mr. Rieger tell only incite the desire to see those foreign things and places. Yet most of us have neither the skill nor desire—nor the bravery, it must be frankly admitted—to go to Africa or to Athens ourselves, so we must content ourselves with menageries and museums.”
“As Mr. Wayles-Faire scorned?” He closed the notebook. “I agree with him about the Parthenon sculptures. They would be better off where they were originally created, where they weredesigned to be. But I credit less cruelty to removing a statue than to capturing a living creature and bringing it far from its home to be an object of curiosity. Simply because it is a beast, without speech or human thought, does not mean it doesn’t suffer when taken from its fellows and its land.”
“Such as a dog bred for herding cattle in the mountains?” she teased.
Richard’s head came up, and then he smiled ruefully. “Yes. Something like that, I suppose.” He gave a theatrical sigh and looked at Hercule, who lay in a patch of sunlight on the conservatory floor, with Louis curled up next to him. Evangeline had invited him to bring the dog whenever he came to visit, since Louis loved the big beast. “She has hoist me with my own petard, Hercule.”
The big dog raised his head and thumped his tail, but then lay back down when no bacon was forthcoming.
Richard turned to Evangeline. “He was the runt of his litter. The farmer said he would have no use for such a small dog. I saved him from being unwanted.”
She glanced at the huge dog in surprise. “The runt!”
“Yes. I could hold him in one hand when I took him.” Richard looked toward the dogs. “Now he is ruled by the bacon you feed him, and look how he has grown.”
She laughed. “He was quite that large before I ever saw him! You shan’t blame his size on me, sir.”
