“Yes.” He met her gaze. He’d already dug himself into a proverbial hole. It was now time to be stubborn about it. And he could be plenty obstinate when he wanted.
“You’re daft.” She shook her head but didn’t try to pull her arm away, merely sighed.
Collin took that as a win.
“Well, Lord Penderdale, where did you grow up? London, I assume?”
“Indeed, smelly ol’ London,” he answered. “It’s not so bad, and I will say there are wonderful benefits to living in a large town. For one, the museums. I’m surprised you haven’t visited them.”
“My father and mother took me when I was eight, but I don’t remember much. I would like to see the British Museum,” she answered wistfully. “My father…” She paused and bit her lip.
Collin waited, hoping she’d continue.
“My father doesn’t like to travel since my mother passed. Before I was born they traveled a lot, and Ithink it reminds him too much of her.” She gave a single-shoulder shrug, as if trying to downplay the emotion of the moment.
Collin nodded. “I understand. It’s difficult to revisit things that you once enjoyed with a loved one.” His words haunted him, the truth of them all too fresh for his own comfort.
“Yes. Maybe one day when I’m an old spinster I can travel and see what I wish,” she said, her words more musing than statement.
“What makes you think you’ll be an old spinster?” He spoke the words before he’d had the time to consider them.
She regarded him curiously. “Well, I suppose I don’t.”
It was on the tip of his tongue to ask about Michael, but it wasn’t his business, and he’d not put her in the position of feeling obligated to give an answer.
But the curiosity burned inside him. If she was considering spinsterhood, then wasn’t that answer enough? She had a perfectly acceptable suitor, however deep down she expected to be a spinster. Odd and telling.
“You think you’re too much of an eccentric bluestocking,” he stated, daring her to disagree.
She regarded him coolly. “Yes, I know I am, but as it turns out, I’m at peace with that. And I don’t expect to change to accommodate someone else,” she answered with a challenging tone.
“Good.” He nodded and paused at the corner of a busy street.
“Good?” she asked, her tone indicating confusion.
“Yes.” He carefully gauged traffic and led her across the road. “Why would you change for someone else? If you did, then they wouldn’t be loving or appreciatingyou, but who they wanted you to be. Happens enough in London. I’d hate to see it happen to you.”
“Oh,” she stated somewhat flatly, as if his logic was watertight and unexpectedly so.
“Lord Penderdale?” Molly asked from behind them, and Collin paused and turned.
“Yes?”
She jerked her chin forward. “Up this way is where it is. I’ll walk ahead just now and let you know if the store is open.”
At his nod, she stepped around them.
Collin gave her a few moments to get ahead, and soon followed.
“So, can you tell me why the tea smugglers are important?” Elizabeth asked softly.
He turned to regard her, those wide brown eyes not missing anything. “Again, you are far too observant.”
“Or you’re just easy to read. Are you sure you are an officer of the war office?” she asked, teasing him.
“The best you’ll ever meet.”
“I’ve only met one, so the odds are in your favor,” she responded. “My question stands.”
