“I discovered she definitely doesn’t like orange, but she does like chocolate, the sweeter the better. That helps, doesn’t it?”
“Very much so, my lord.” She wiped her hands on a cloth. “Would you like to sample more of the confections I have already made, and we can go from there?”
His eyes lit, and she knew he was hooked on chocolate. For a man who’d said he didn’t care overly much for it, it hadn’t taken long after he’d tried her well-crafted confectionery.
“One moment.” She dashed into the front of the shop, avoided her mother who was helping customers, snagged a tasting plate, and helped herself to two milk chocolates with different flavored centers and two plain ones.
When she returned, he had her cold box open, letting all the chill out.
“Close it,” she ordered before she could stop herself. When he startled and looked over his shoulder, she added, “Please, my lord.”
He did so at once, then turned, appearing chagrinned. “My apologies, Miss Rare-Foure. I should have known better. I was too curious.”
“I shouldn’t have snapped at you. That’s more like my sister.”
“Is she the one I met yesterday?”
“No, you met our youngest, Miss Charlotte, and she’s hardly ever snappy. Never mind, let’s see if we cannot crack this nut.”
She held out the plate to him. “I shall let you taste and figure them out for yourself.”
He considered. “Are any of them citrus fruits?”
“Yes, one with candied lemon.” She pointed to it.
“Since she doesn’t care for orange, we should probably skip lemon, too.” With that statement, he picked it up and ate it, making her smile and shake her head.
“What?” he asked innocently. “We don’t want it to go to waste.”
“It wouldn’t have, my lord. I would have returned it to the case where it would probably have sold by the end of the day.” As she spoke, she heard the bell tinkle and what sounded like two pairs of shoes.
He actually blushed slightly. “Sorry. I knew it would be good.”
“That’s quite all right. I will be charging you a fortune for the chocolates for your party.”
“Will you?” he asked and gave her a broad grin. “I like a woman with good business sense, especially a forthright one. You might as well tell me when I am going to be fleeced.”
“I beg your pardon! You shall not be fleeced. My chocolates are worth every farthing, I assure you.”
“I already owe you a few guineas, at least,” he quipped.
“At least,” she agreed. “Have you heard of the Mayan people, my lord?”
He raised an eyebrow. “I had a thorough education, I promise you, and the dons succeeded in knocking some geography and knowledge of ancient civilizations into my thick head.”
Amity ignored his slightly offended tone. She was learning dukes could be prickly when their superiority was questioned.
“Wonderful. Then you may already know how the Mayan people used cacao beans for money, so in essence, we are exchanging one form of currency for another.”
“That is an amusing way of looking at it,” he agreed.
They were close, their heads bowed over the tray, exchanging banter. She liked this man far too much, especially when he smiled at her.
“Do you think Lady Madeleine will enjoy the ginger?”
“If it is sweet. May I?”
She nodded and pointed to the correct one.
