“No,” she said. “This visit should be a mere fifteen minutes in case I have other suitors coming.”
“Do you?” he asked.
“Again, that is a private matter. You will find out if one shows up.”
He sighed dramatically. “Then there is no tea?” He fully intended to drag out the visit as long as possible and see if some other man did, in fact, come sniffing around.
“Therecanbe tea service,” she said, “but usually, it has already been prepared and is waiting upon your arrival because you were expected. That way, you can drink it within the fifteen minutes of your visit. If served now, you would likely have to stay longer.”
Matthew thought her the most delightful creature he’d ever met, getting flustered over tea service.
“How about if I agree to drink quickly while we discuss your assisting me in my quest?”
Her hesitation indicated he had her interest. He intended to have a great deal more of her by the end of their association — if there was an end. If there wasn’t, then she would be his baroness. It all seemed monstrously simple.
“Very well,” she said.
When she stood, he too rose to his feet, watching when she glanced at her maid. Lady Purity appeared to be warring within herself whether to ask the woman for tea, which would leave them alone, or ask another housemaid.
Matthew could practically see the machinery of her brain working. Then she went to the bell-pull by the door and tugged.
Her beautiful slender fingers caused him a visceral reaction he hadn’t expected. This kitten had him all hot without even trying. He hoped his plan worked.
In a few minutes, they were once again seated, he’d removed his gloves, and they were drinking good strong tea.
“Thank you for bending the rules,” he said. “As I understand it, the next time I meet a woman I fancy, I should ask her whether I may call upon her.”
“Yes, exactly.”
“And if she says no, then I can still drop off my calling card, but if there is no response, then I must accept my fate and move on.”
“Again, yes, that’s for the best.”
“And if I do get my foot in the door, then I should stay no longer than a quarter hour and speak of nothing but the blandest topics.”
“Let the lady guide the conversation, my lord.”
Matthew tried to imagine being so mild. “Then I should be as a chair or a carpet.”
That made her smile, which he liked.
“Well, perhaps not quite that passive, my lord, but do not ask anything personal.” She sighed. “Now I shall break the rules of politeness and ask how it is that you don’t know the common courtesies involved with visiting.”
“I wasn’t taught.” That was only partly a lie. Of course, he knew most of the rules, not from his long-dead father, but explained by his mother and added to by his peers when they were all figuring out the treacherous terrain of behaving well in public.
He knew the correct forms of address, he knew how to dance without treading on toes, and he even knew the best manners to have when a duke was seated directly across from him. Dukes were such tricky animals.
However, Matthew never thought for a moment he couldn’t break some of those rules at will. He was titled and wealthy, after all.
Whenever he had stretched the boundaries of the acceptable, it worked out for him, usually gleaning him a night with a lady of thetonwho also eagerly wanted to break some rules. But this exacting task of “visiting” was an altogether different matter.
When Lady Purity appeared almost sorry for him, he added, “The only people I generally visit apart from my family, all of whom live in Scotland at present, are my friends from university or from my club. They are all gentlemen, none of whom I wish to woo.”
She laughed softly at his words, and he was shocked at his loins stirring in response.
“I understand,” she said before sipping her tea and looking as though she wanted to ask him something else.
“Go ahead with your question, my lady, for I can see you have one in mind. Since this is not a real visit, I believe we can speak frankly with one another.”
