Gideon sighed. “All right. Just show me the plan, but do not rip up any floors or walls until I give the nod.”
“Got it,” Bonham said, and walked off with Suzanna and Gwendolyn.
Berry was now left alone with Gideon. “Will you return to your club now?” she asked.
“No. I meant it when I said we would spend the entire day together. I am not letting you out of my sight.”
“Because of Hawthorne? He’s probably drunk by now,” she said, not bothering to mask her disdain. “It troubles me that he got so close to me. In truth, it scares the wits out of me. What if I had slept with my bedroom window open? He could have climbed in, and I would have been stupidly unaware because I took that sleeping powder. What a foolish thing to do.”
“It wasn’t foolish. Just don’t take anything tonight.”
“You can count on that. I doubt I will sleep a wink this entire month. I pray he loses interest in me and moves on. But what am I to do if he refuses? How am I ever to be rid of him while my fortune remains a temptation to him?”
“Hopefully, his creditors will run him out of England soon.”
“Even so, what’s to stop another greedy fool like Hawthorne from attempting the same? I am a target for every cad and bounder so long as I remain unmarried.”
Gideon frowned. “Are you contemplating marriage? Do you have someone in mind?”
“Yes and no. Yes, I need to think seriously about marriage. I never expected to remain a spinster. But here I am, approaching thirty and no prospects in sight. And no to your second question, I do not have anyone in mind.”
“No one at all? Berry, rushing into marriage with the wrong man will only lead to a different set of problems. You cannot accept just anyone who asks you to be his wife.”
“Then what is the solution? Am I to stay awake with a shotgun in hand every night?”
“Of course not. I’ll be guarding you. No one will get into your rear garden tonight, or any other night. I have a clear view of your home from mine, as you well know.”
Yes, a clear view.
And it worked both ways.
She and her friends had been ogling him all month long while he toiled on his renovations.
“How can you possibly work all day and stay up all night guarding me? And you run your clubs at night, so don’t you need to be there?”
“I’ll hire permanent guards for you.Myexpense.”
“That is foolish.”
“No more foolish than your choosing to marry in haste or out of fear.”
She sighed. “I won’t. But marriage is a sensible solution that I ought to pursue more seriously. That’s all I mean by it. Since we are to spend the day together, we can think on it and come up with a workable plan to solve this problem. In the meanwhile, would you like to shop for furniture?”
He let out a breath and laughed. “Sure, why not?”
“Or we could select floorboards and stains for the floors of your house. But it must be marble tile for your entry hall, and I have an idea about that tile flooring. How tight is your budget?”
He shrugged. “Spend whatever you like.”
Her eyes rounded. “No, really. Tell me what your limit is for the entry hall decoration.”
“No limit. The moon’s the limit. I am entirely in your hands. Spend whatever you think necessary. But if it will make you feel better, give me an estimate of the cost.”
“I have to price the malachite. It is the most beautiful green stone you will ever see. I heard there was a Russian czar who had an entire staircase made of it. He believed it had protective powers to ward off evil spirits. I’m sure he made a lot of enemies who wished evil on him. The stone is also known to promote health, wealth, andfertility. So be careful if you bring a young lady to your bed,” she teased.
“Berry, there will be no ladies brought here.”
“Oh, I see. Yes, of course. You would take them to your club. Like the beautiful ladies I saw you with at the theater the other night.”
