Her answering grin was full and bright. She slipped the dice into her palm and rolled them about before dropping them to the seat between us. Five.
Davina considered for a moment, briefly catching her lip between her teeth. “Oh, I know, the dice—they’re Gabriel’s. He gave them to me before he passed. They’re lucky.”
A laugh broke from my chest. “That was not the sort of secret I was expecting out of you.”
“What were you expecting?”
“Some sort of elopement tale with the crown jewels of a foreign nation. Perhaps, a history of spying for the military.”
“I wouldn’t be a very good spy if I told you, now would I? And our family’s jewels are much more impressive than anything a nation, foreign or otherwise, could provide.”
“Of course,” I agreed with solemnity, fighting the corners of my mouth as they threatened to turn up.
She rolled again, this time landing a six and four.
“My turn then…” My mind was suddenly impossibly blank, refusing to offer a single secret. At least one that wouldn’t be dreadfully dull to my vivacious companion.
“Don’t rush to tell me anything,” she teased.
“I’m thinking… I’m not as interesting as you. Oh, I once added red cabbage to the laundry. Turned my sisters’ underthings permanently purple.”
“You didn’t!” She laughed.
“Oh, I did. Lizzie wouldn’t speak to me for a week. Kate likes purple, though. She thought it was fun.”
“Mischievous, Mr. Summers,” she said, tipping the bottle to me in a toast.
“I try.” Quickly, I snatched up the dice between us and rolled again. Two and a four. “My turn again.”
“So it would seem.”
My gaze tossed around the carriage, searching for an idea, before landing on her. “I admire you, the way you handle yourself on your adventures. Even though they’re oftenfoolish and dangerous. You’re so confident, brave, even when everything has gone pear-shaped.”
“I’ve never done anything foolish or dangerous in my life,” she retorted with a smile that belied her words. “And it’s easy. I know you’ll be by to sort out whatever is wrong in short order.”
“Davina…”
“Roll the dice, Kit.”
I did, then snatched the whiskey from her hand and took a swig before they landed. Seven.
“Your turn,” I retorted with yet another sip. I would need to stop soon, the poorly sprung carriage would not be improved by an excess of drink.
“I admire how dedicated you are to your work. You’re confident in that way. And incredibly knowledgeable and creative,” she whispered.
My heart gave a tiny jolt at the compliment. I knew I was good at my work. My results spoke for themselves, as did our general success. But from her lips… “I thought you found it all to be a bit dull.”
“If I had to study it, it would be. But that’s why we have you,” she added. I couldn’t determine from her tone if it was a compliment or not.
Her hand slipped between us, a silent request for the bottle. I passed it over without comment, transfixed as her lips curled around the neck, pursing there. I was a half-drunk letch. That was the only explanation for my fixation.
“We should be almost to the next posting inn,” I tossed out, desperate for a subject that wasn’t the other places her lips could touch.
“Yes.”
“Did you have a plan? Are we changing horses? Or taking a room?”
“I thought to leave that decision to Alfie and Rory. It’s probably less costly to change horses,” she opined.
