“As protection,” she said softly.
Robert let his eyes drink her in, taking note of the way the curls in her hair lost a bit of their hold by this time of day, how her dress fell across her waist down to her hip where she bent, keeping her legs tucked beside her. Now he knew just what that waist felt like beneath his hand. But would she allow him to slip her own mask from her face and know the woman beneath?
“What about you?” He pointed his spectacles toward her. “What happened to make you wear your mask?”
She seemed to snap to her senses, brushing a lock of hair back from her face as she stood. “Nothing happened. This is who I am.” She shrugged, running her hands over her skirts to straighten them before she leaned over and grabbed Prince from his pillow. But as she went to leave, she paused beside his chair. “Thank you for sharing, Robert. I know that could not have been easy for you.”
He looked up at her. “Thank you for asking.”
She nodded and smiled. “I think I shall put Prince in my room and take a quick visit to see my mother. Thank you again,” she whispered, touching her free hand to the arm of his seat.
In a moment of sheer spontaneity, he reached out, placing his hand over hers.
And then her warm fingers slipped away before she left through the library door.
Chapter eighteen
They had been invitedto dine at Lady Hughes, and judging by the set of Robert’s mouth, Louisa could tell he was loath to go. She tried not to smile as they made their way downstairs.
“I do not like the woman,” Robert said, breaking the quiet. It was as if he had been mulling over the words for hours and they could not be kept inside any longer, finally finding purchase on his tongue after he had fully thought through his feelings.
“Why not? She is perfectly lovely.”
“Lovely?” His eyes widened as he held her shawl out for her. He slipped it over her shoulders after she turned her back to him.
“Yes,” she continued. “Lady Hughes is energetic and has a looseness of tongue that I quite enjoy.”
“Of course.” He offered her his arm as the footman opened the door for them to pass. “I should have guessed that. If she only did not take liberties where she should not, then I would not complain.”
“And what liberties has she taken with you?”
“It is more the constant gossip that follows her wherever she goes. She spreads it like wildfire in a dry grass field.”
They walked down the front steps toward the carriage, the air chilly but refreshing. Stars sprinkled the deep blue of the night, and Louisa tipped her head up to admire them.
“Careful,” Robert said, hefting more of her weight on his arm as they reached the bottom step. “You are going to break your ankle if you stare up at the sky like that.”
“Nonsense. You are too strong to let me fall.”
Was it just her imagination, or did his chest puff up at her remark? She smiled.
“What?” He brought his head down as he steered them toward the carriage. “You find a broken bone humorous?”
“No,” she said with a laugh, squeezing his arm. “I was only thinking.”
“And what were you thinking?”
She shook her head. “And what, Your Grace, makes you think you are privileged to my thoughts?”
“Nothing.” He helped her up into the carriage, then sat beside her. The door shut, and he tapped the roof twice, setting it into motion. “But a man can always hope.”
“Oh, come now. I am not so hard to understand.”
“Yes, you are. A lesser man would be crushed under your heel.”
Louisa choked on a laugh. “Excuse me? You make me sound like a boar.”
“Yes,” he said with a self-satisfied smile. He removed his hat, tucking it beside him on the seat, his light brown hair still perfectly styled and maintained.
