Five
“I’m noticing now.”
The words sent a whisper of a thrill down Arianna’s body. Her plan was working. She wasn’t quite sure what to do next. A walk in the gardens would give her time to think.
As she, Pepper, Derrick, and Freddie stepped onto a snowy walkway of her home’s estate, she snuck a glance at Derrick. He cut a striking figure in his lean, fitted trousers and boots, with his long greatcoat creating small flurries of snow in his wake. His face was a masterful composition of angles accenting his masculine beauty, but there was also a harshness to him that seemed to creep in when he wasn’t fully focused.
For most men, she had found it was the opposite; they had to focus tonotbe seen as soft. But Derrick had been born of the craggy cliffs and rocky shores of Cornwall, a land of smugglers and violent storms as well as drafty stone castles. It was no wonder that he had spent much of his life in London with Lucas and their family. London, by comparison, was warm and bright, cheerful too.
Arianna couldn’t help but wonder what the last two years had been like for Derrick since he and Lucas had quarreled.
Pepper and Freddie paired off and moved a little away from her and Derrick on the path.
“Derrick...” She spoke softly until they were far enough away from the others that they felt alone.
“Yes?”
“Would you tell me something honestly?”
“Heavens, that sounds ominous. What do you wish to know?” His tone was teasing, but she suspected that once she asked her question he would likely walk away or refuse to speak.
“What happened between you and Lucas?”
She held her breath while she waited for a response.
“You don’t know?”
“He never said. One day you simply didn’t come to visit anymore, and...” Her throat closed in a sudden rush of emotion.
His eyes darkened. “That isn’t an easy thing for me to discuss.”
“You won’t tell me, then?”
He was silent another long moment. “I think someday I could, but not today.” He then turned the tables on her. “And what man do you want to ensnare?”
“Freddie.” She kept her tone somewhat hesitant, even though she’d been prepared for this lie for some time.
“Freddie!You must be joking.” He caught her by the arm and pulled her gently to him. “Tell me you’re joking.”
“I knew you would make fun of me.” She nearly laughed at his expression. He actually believed she meant it. Well, Freddie was handsome, charming and a perfectly good gentleman, there was no reason for her not to like him, but she’d known Derrick first and therein lay the difference she supposed. She’d taken one look at him and been lost for all others.
“Freddie.” Derrick sighed the name. “Freddie bloody Poncenby.” He stroked his palm over his jaw as though trying to compose himself. “And what does Freddie possess that you think will make him a good match for you?”
“He’s kind, he has an amazing talent for knowing what looks good on me, and he fills out a waistcoat quite well. He’s rather handsome, when he’s not being so foppish.”
“He’s a dandy. He has but one thing on his mind: his wardrobe. And only a woman who loves clothes as much as he does will suit him.”
“And how would you know what’s on his mind?”
“I don’t know exactly what he’s thinking all the time, but I know it’s not about you. It’s usually something related to his clothes.”
“You don’t know him as I do.” She tried to pull away from him, even though she wanted him to stop her. Any moment he had his hands on her body was a victory... and it felt wonderful to be the focus of his attention.
“I know because I know what it means to look at a woman andwanther. She becomes your next breath, your first thought after waking. She becomes the silent prayer you recite each night.” As he spoke, he drew her into his arms and moved her into the shelter of the tall hedgerow. “She fills you with a hunger that has only one means of satisfaction.”
“Have you felt that hunger before?” she asked, gaze fixed on his mouth. His lips were almost too full for such a masculine face. They looked soft and wonderfully kissable.
“I have. A few times...” He cupped the back of her head, holding her captive as he leaned in. “You need to learn to recognize that heat in a man’s eyes. Without it, your marriage bed will be cold not long after the wedding.”
