“I want to, but it might have to wait. You see, I have this overprotective duke who I’ve foolishly given approval over my chapters. I’m uncertain he wants me speculating or uncovering nefarious dealings that happened at his country seat, recording them in a book, and publishing it for all the world to see.”
He chuckled.
And then he urged, “Follow your trail, Vivi. It was eighty years ago. Anyone involved is probably dead. We’ll see what you uncover and deal with it if you find something.”
Nope.
I was wrong earlier.
I couldn’t fall for this guy, hard, and for forever.
I was falling for this guy. Hard. And in a way that felt like it could be forever.
And I was that girl.
That girl who thought stuff like this should be out there so both parties knew what they were dealing with.
So I put it out there.
“I really like you, Battle Talyn, Duke of Burleigh.”
Instantly, he held his hand to me again.
I put mine in it.
He then took it, turning it, and he kissed the inside of my wrist.
A lick of heat raced down my arm, smoothed over by the featherweight sense of deep affection.
That was the best response he could give me, but he one-upped it.
“And I very much like you too, Ms. Vivienne Dupree, bestselling novelist.”
He pressed my hand to his chest and then again placed it in my lap.
I let that moment dwell between us with all the warmth and exquisiteness it could give for a few miles.
Then I requested, “Can I ask you something else?”
“You can ask me anything, darling.”
Totally really liked him.
“You’ve mentioned Prue drawing. Tempie has too. But Prue has never mentioned it.”
He was visibly surprised. “She hasn’t?”
“She also didn’t tell me she had cats. When I asked her about it, she shared she thought I’d think having six cats would make me think she was a crazy cat lady. After what you said about what she endured at school, I understood. Someone thinking she was weird and not wanting that. But drawing isn’t weird, so I don’t know what to do with the fact she never told me she does it, and it seems, she’s very good at it.”
“She isn’t very good at it. She’s exceptional.”
“So I don’t get why she would keep that from me. It seems obvious it’s her thing.”
Battle said nothing, until he muttered, “Bloody hell.”
“What?”
“She draws, yes. She also writes.”
