She tilted her chin up, her brow creasing. “What?”
“My eyeglasses. You seem distracted by them.”
“And that must mean I dislike them?”
“No,” he allowed, dipping his head and tone as he spoke. “But that seems the most likely scenario. My sister teased me mercilessly once it was realized I would need them. So, my general assumption is that they are unflattering.” Despite his words, a smile crept up the corner of his mouth.
“I actually quite like them.”
His smile turned false, as if she were only trying to be polite. “Thank you.”
It was obvious he thought she was lying. “I am telling the truth, Robert. Though, I fear I would have done the same and teased Henry had he needed them.” Louisa lightly pulled the eyeglasses from his hand, placing them back on his face. As she let her hand drop, her dratted curiosity brought her fingers gently trailing down his shirtsleeve. And the motion did not go unnoticed. His eyes flew to the soft touch.
She needed a distraction. Now.
“But a brother really shouldn’t take a sister’s teasing too seriously.”
He paused, as if gathering his thoughts. “Well,” he said, clearing his throat, “she wasn’t the only one.”
She needed to keep the conversation going before her actions could be further scrutinized. “Who else then?”
He waved a hand. “It is nothing. Just children being children.”
This man seemed a more willing sharer as well. Perhaps she could dig a little further. “You have said something to a similar effect before.”
He huffed a soft laugh. “I will not burden you with sad stories of a young boy with hurt feelings.”
Placing the eyeglasses back on his face had brought them decidedly closer. Robert’s deep voice seemed to vibrate in his chest, and she was loath to admit that it was a very nice chest indeed. Suddenly, she became very aware that she was alone in a room in the middle of the night with a man. A tall, strong, and rather attractive one at that.
“She sent a note today—” He looked back at the clock on the mantel. “Yesterday,” he corrected, turning back to Louisa. “She invited me to visit her, if you would like to accompany me.”
Louisa’s mind struggled to understand the jump in conversation. “What?”
“Jessica.”
Louisa took a quick step back. “Oh, of course. That would be lovely. I will plan to do that.”
“Good.” The duke leaned over to the table again, fingering the fabrics. “And then perhaps we can further discuss choices for the room.”
Louisa began backing away, but stopped when he glanced toward her.
He smiled. “We shall need a new name for it once the redesign is complete.”
Her heart stopped and her mouth fell open as his teeth showed in the candlelight. She had seen a couple of grins on his lips before—but nothing like this. His smile was wide and genuine,and while he had always been handsome, it transformed his face in an entirely new and breathtaking way.
This would not do at all. She was supposed to tolerate the man, not become attracted to him. But she also had not anticipatedthisman. This smiling, fumbling, spectacles wearing—
“Goodnight.” She forced the words, ending any and all feelings right then and there. She had avoided marriage for the sole reason of not wishing to fall in love, but now her husband was changing the game. Marching toward Prince and his regal throne atop the settee, she snatched him up and strode to the hall and up the stairs before bolting herself in her room.
Hopefully tomorrow, the stoic, reserved, and decidedly stiff duke would be back in his place. For if not, she feared for her heart and what might become of it.
Chapter eleven
The following day, Robertrode alone in the carriage to Jessica’s—a circumstance that left him feeling disappointed. Apparently, his mother was much too busy with his wife to spare her for the afternoon. Never had he begrudged traveling alone before—in fact, he had always preferred it. But something had happened last night between him and Louisa, and he had been looking forward to spending more time in her company today.
So much for that.
The carriage rolled to a halt in front of the tidy townhouse, and as Gulliver opened the door, Robert spotted a man carrying a black medical bag, trudging down the front steps of his sister’s home.
