“After the performance at Lucy’s estate, I told Lady Rebecca that I didn’t return her affections,” Thomas continued.
Delilah stared unseeing at her lap. “I truly wish you hadn’t done that.”
“It would be cruel to lead her on.” He curled a finger under Delilah’s chin and lifted it to meet her eyes. “Look, Delilah, there are other choices, you know? Besides Branville and Clarence. Like me, perhaps.” He searched her face, all the humor gone from his expression.
Delilah’s eyes filled with tears. She reached up and placed her palm against his warm, familiar cheek. “Oh, Thomas. I wish I could pick you.”
He pressed her hand against his cheek. “Why can’t you?”
She pulled away and plucked absently at her skirts. “Because I… I know you’ll laugh at me, but… remember that potion I bought to use on Branville?”
Thomas nodded. “Given his courtship of Lady Rebecca, I’m assuming it didn’t work on him.” The hint of a smile passed over his face.
“It didn’t,” she breathed, “because I didn’t use it on him.”
“Thought better of it?” Thomas prompted.
“No. I tried. But I…” Oh, she couldn’t tell him. It was too ridiculous, and she was too guilty. Besides, she knew he wouldn’t believe her. He’d always thought the potion was silly. She normally told Thomas all manner of ridiculous things, but she couldn’t bring herself to tell him this. It was too painful. It was the difference between Thomas loving her or not, and that made her heart wrench.
“Delilah, listen, forget about the potion,” he said urgently. “The potion doesn’t matter. It was madness to begin with.”
“You’re right about that. I wish I’d never even heard about Cupid’s Elixir.”
“Will you let me court you?” he asked. “Your mother doesn’t have to know.”
She furrowed her brow. “I don’t understand. What good will that do?”
“You deserve a proper courtship and… I love you.”
Her breath caught. “No. You don’t.” She glanced away from his handsome, beloved face.Mon Dieu. Her heart was in a vise.
“Let’s not argue about it. Spend time with me. Ipromise we’ll have fun. You cannot tell me you’d rather be courted by Clarence Hilton.”
She shook her head and managed a smile. “You’re right. I’d much rather be in your company.”
“Excellent. We won’t call it courting. It’ll merely be… two friends spending time with each other.”
That seemed perfectly reasonable. She brightened. “Very well. What will we do first?”
He grabbed the reins and shook them out. “Go for a ride in the park, of course.”
Thomas couldn’t sleep. He slid out of bed and made his way to the window, where he nudged open the curtain and stared down into the darkened gardens behind his town house. After spending a delightful hour in the park with Delilah today, he’d returned her to the meeting spot with Lucy and gone about his regular business the remainder of the afternoon, but he’d been entirely unable to concentrate.
He still hadn’t told Delilah that he’d switched rooms with Branville. What would be the use? There was no value in trying to reason with her about the elixir. The elixir was ludicrous, and any discussion about it would only be a fool’s argument. The point was that he loved her, he’d told her he loved her, and he’d meant for her to realize that she loved him too. Instead, the plan had failed, and she was preoccupied by the notion that the damned elixir was the reason he loved her. He should have seen this coming.
Now, he was in a bind. He could tell her he’d changed rooms on purpose, but that wouldn’t prove to her that the elixir didn’t work. If anything, she might just be angry with him for thwarting her plans. He had to get her to stop thinking about the elixir and focus on him and theirfeelings for each other. To that end, Thomas intended to court her. Properly.
When Delilah was a girl, she’d been filled with dreams of courtship. He remembered her talking about it longingly, heavily interspersed with the wordj’adore. Something had happened to make her stop believing in that dream for herself. Most likely something her mother had said. But he wanted to give that dream back to her. The Duke of Branville hadn’t courted her, and Clarence Hilton surely wouldn’t. Delilah deserved a proper courtship—one with flowers and chocolates and rides in the park—and by God, Thomas was going to give it to her.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
The first thing Thomas did was to take her on a picnic in the park the next day. Lucy arranged it courtesy of the ever-available Mrs. Bunbury. When Delilah arrived at the assigned spot—a grassy knoll in a secluded part of the park—she found a veritable feast had been spread out along a wide quilt on the soft grass. Pink roses lined the perimeter of the blanket, filling the air with their sweet scent. Thomas stood in front of the spread, smiling his irresistible, and oh-so-familiar smile.
“What is all this?” she asked, stopping short and blinking tears from her eyes.
He bowed. “For you, my love.”
A thrill shot through her when he called hermy love. It wasn’t real, of course, but she could pretend. And she desperately wanted to.
