But Adam didn’t look amused or pleased. He looked the same as ever: indifferent, perhaps a touch disdainful.
Persephone stopped her instant dejected reaction with the reminder that he had laughed. Almost. And she’d shown him she could be courageous. He still didn’t look at her, except out of the corner of his eye. And she didn’t fully trust the sudden friendliness that had been in his tone when she’d first arrived. But hehadlaughed.
Adam held his left arm out for Persephone to take, which she did, rising from her seat. “Mr. Hewitt.” She nodded her leave of him.
“Your Grace.” Mr. Hewitt returned the acknowledgment. “It was a pleasure to meet you.”
Adam didn’t speak a single word as he led her from the castle, past the formal gardens, under the arch of the inner wall and to the paddock and stables. John Handly was there to greet them, probably having spotted their approach long before they arrived. Falstone was nothing if not expansive. Two stable hands led Zeus and Atlas from the stables. Persephone smiled to herself at the irony of those names.
“Did Atlas behave himself yesterday?” Adam asked without preamble.
“Do you mean did he try to throw me off?”
“He didn’t, did he?” Adam actually sounded concerned. Could it be that he cared in some tiny way?
“He was perfectly well behaved,” Persephone answered. “Though probably thoroughly bored.”
“You weren’t jumping fences, then?” Was that a joking tone?
“Only small fences.” She borrowed a page from Harry, choosing to reply with a witty rejoinder. Harry insisted that Adam held him in respect. Adam himself called Harry his friend. “We’ll be tackling the outer wall this morning.”
Another suspicious throat clearing. How Persephone wished he would smile. Smiles had been commonplace in her home growing up.
Persephone realized something in that moment. She wanted Adam’s respect. But she wanted to see him smile as well. She wanted him to be happy. And she had no idea how to accomplish that.
“Will you stay and watch my attempts at staying in the saddle?” Persephone tried to make the question sound casual.
“Zeus would never stand for anything so sedate,” Adam said.
“Sedate as clearing the outer wall?” Persephone hoped Adam saw the humor in her reply.
He didn’t seem to. “Enjoy your lesson,” was the extent of his reply.
A moment later, Adam was mounted and riding out the enormous iron gate that marked the entrance to Falstone Castle’s fortified courtyards.
Her goals for this marriage, she was beginning to realize, would not be easily achieved. She only hoped they were attainable.
Chapter Twelve
“I didn’t poison the port.” Adam and Hewitt sat in uncomfortable silence after dinner the night after the interloper’s arrival at Falstone. “It’s actually quite good.”
“Yes, of course.” Hewitt cleared his throat nervously and raised the glass of red liquid shakily to his lips.
Adam managed not to roll his eyes. How could this man possibly be related to him? He had no backbone whatsoever.
“Delicious,” Hewitt croaked out, seemingly surprised to find he was, indeed, still alive.
In an apparent effort to please his host, Hewitt threw back his entire portion and promptly found himself in the midst of an all-consuming bout of sputters and coughs. “I . . .” He coughed, making an almost pained face. “. . . that was . . .” He cleared his throat several times. “. . . delicious.” Hewitt wiped a tear from his eyes. “Delicious.”
“Yes.” Adam nodded, taking a more moderate portion from his own glass and watching Hewitt quite as if nothing untoward had just occurred. “What brings you to Falstone?” Adam set his glass on the table and turned his intense gaze on his cousin.
Hewitt went just a touch pale.Coward.“My—my mother.” His voice even cracked as he spoke, despite his being several years Adam’s senior. “She suggested I stop on my way back to Yorkshire.”
“Unless you were returning by way of Scotland, I seriously doubt Falstone was ‘on your way’ to Yorkshire.”
Hewitt cleared his throat and looked very much as if he wished for another glass of port, sputtering or no. “I did tell Mother that.” Hewitt tugged at his cravat. “She felt certain you wouldn’t mind.”
No doubt she also wouldn’t mind if Hewitt fingered a few things to take back with him to the bevy of “G”s at home.
