Theo dropped his gaze away.“You wanted her.”
Callum tensed.“It was one kiss.”
“Before you kissed her,” Theo said with a snort.“I think you wanted her from the moment you saw her, didn’t you?Worse, youlikeher.”
Callum felt his nostrils flare as those words sank in.And felt so true.He did like Valaria.He liked her intelligent gaze and her rare smiles.And if he was honest, he’d liked her for a long time.Perhaps more than he should have as her husband’s best friend.“And what do I do about that if you are right?”he asked.
Theo’s lips parted.“I…don’t know.I’m adept at avoiding such attachment, not actually dealing with it.”
“Well, perhaps avoiding it is what I should continue to do,” Callum said, going back to the bottle on the table in front of the settee and taking a long drink of it in the hopes it would eventually blot out this conversation.Or at least soften it later.“For both our sakes.”
* * *
Although Callum’s gift of books had kept her entertained for a few extra days, Valaria’s pleasure in them had faded considerably since he had last exited her home, their kiss dismissed and never to be repeated.Space was what she had said she desired, but getting what one wanted wasn’t always fun.And being alone to ponder every mistake one had ever made was worse.
That feeling of being trapped was exactly how she ended up at Hyde Park in the middle of the day, strolling around the path that danced beside the edge of the Serpentine.It had been a cool morning, so the park was not heavily populated at present and she felt she could breathe again.Like she had not been put in the grave beside Silas to molder after all.
“Is this better, Your Grace?”Fanny asked at her side.
She smiled at her maid.“So much better.This was a wonderful idea.Humans weren’t meant to be entirely cooped up inside, I don’t think.Or at least I wasn’t.Stepping out, getting some air, seeing some nature, what harm could come of—”
She cut off the thought because her gaze had shifted up the path and there she saw a man coming toward them on a horse.She flinched briefly as images of a dark and rainy night flooded her mind.But she pushed them away and saw that the man on the animal was one she instantly recognized from his posture and gait, even if she shouldn’t.
“Blackvale,” she breathed, and drank in the sight of him.He did know how to sit a horse, in his full riding gear and top hat, with his hessians gleaming in the afternoon sun that peeked out from around the clouds to taunt her.
Fanny followed her stare and her eyes widened.“Oh dear.And he’s coming this way.”
“We shall be polite,” Valaria insisted, and wished her heart weren’t beating so drattedly loud.God, could Fanny hear it?Would Callum be able to?
Fanny stepped back as Callum brought his horse to a halt next to them and swung down.His gaze was intense on Valaria’s face as he stammered, “Your—your Grace.”
“Your Grace,” she repeated with a slight incline of her head.“I did not expect to see you in the park.”
He glanced at her maid and then moved a fraction closer.He dropped his voice.“I hope you know I also was not planning to see you here, Valaria.I was not trying to intrude upon the privacy you requested.”
There was something truly troubled in both his tone and the way he would not meet her gaze with his own.She found herself wondering what had changed in him, and wishing he were back to that playful…if slightly pushy…man who had kissed her.
“I did not believe you were,” she reassured him gently.“After all, Hyde Park is a popular place.You cannot be expected to alter your entire life so that you don’t cross paths with me.”
He nodded and some of the worry left his face.“And yet I would not trouble you further.I’ll leave you and your companion to the park.”
He turned as if to go back to his horse and she knew if she left it be that he would go.But she didn’t want that exactly.After all, she had been unable to get him out of her mind, no matter what she did to try to make it so.He was justthereand what had happened between them had happened.But if she faced it, faced him, then perhaps the pulsing connection would fade.Become more commonplace.
“Your Grace, when you departed my home last week, you said that if we saw each other you hoped we could still meet as friends.,” she called out.“There is no reason for us not to do so.Why don’t you walk with me a moment?”
She saw Fanny’s wild stare in her direction and knew her maid would have something to say about this later.But for now she ignored it.
“I…” he began, and glanced toward his horse.“Of course.I would be pleased to join you.”
She wasn’t certain whether to be relieved by his agreement or hate herself for putting them in this situation when she knew she should stay far away from this man.But then again, he would suspect less of her behavior if she were casually polite, wouldn’t he?
He walked beside her, one hand tangled in the lead for his horse and they were in what could only be described as an awkward silence for a bit of time.Awkward enough that Valaria could not take it anymore.
“I am glad the weather broke at last,” she said, hating herself for being so inane.And yet that was exactly what she must be to break this spell.
He looked around.“Yes.I will take any sunshine I can get during a London spring.Your…your new home bears up well in the bad weather?”
She drew back a little at the true concern in his voice.“Er, yes.It seems the place was well-maintained by its previous resident.We have been warm and snug inside.To the point that I thought I might run mad from the quiet and came out the moment even a hint of sunshine made itself known.”
