“I would. I cannot imagine how difficult it will be when my parents pass from this life. I’d want to have them close. To feel like they were there in important moments.”
He searched her face. Javenia had always had a good relationship with her mother and father, even if they disagreed at times. He suspected Lord and Lady Upton’s acceptance of her had a great deal to do with their felicity. They understood their daughter’s independent spirit, and while it made them worry, they simply worked around it to make certain she was safe. No wonder she’d want them to always be a part of her life.
They’d encouraged her to find what made her happy. As a child, it had been insects. As a young woman, it had been her horse. And now…whatdidJavenia need for her happiness now?
Her old mare had long since passed, and while insects still intrigued her, she didn’t spend her days seeking them out. She enjoyed reading and long walks, but what was her vision for the future?
“How do you imagine your own dining room some day?”
The question came out before he thought too much about it. He’d been wondering what she wanted in life when his own desires had pushed their way to the surface.
He wanted her. As unattainable as it was, he wanted to pretend for just one evening that one day they’d have their own home. He wanted to know how she’d like their future home to look.
She glanced over the table. “I think I’d prefer something smaller. Large rooms and grand tables are all well and good until you have to sit half a county away from one another.”
He smiled at her exaggeration. “Perhaps something like the table you have at Hazelwood?”
“I suppose. It would depend on how many children we have and what size dinner parties would be expected.”
Those were both fine things to take into account but his mind snagged on her use of the wordwe. She hadn’t said how many childrenIhave. She’d included him in her equation. At least he hoped he was the other half of we.
A footman stepped up and cleared away the dinner plates. He sat back to give the man access, then waited while a second man placed a bowl of pudding in front of him. The warm bready mixture smelled of sugar and cinnamon.
Javenia’s eyes lit up, and he knew exactly why. She adored cinnamon. It had been her favorite spice since her uncle brought back the flavorful tree bark from the East Indies when she was a little girl.
“And will you serve bread pudding to your guests at this future table?” he asked.
“If I do not eat it all myself before they arrive.” She placed a spoonful of the dessert into her mouth, her customary cheeky smile lifting her lips.
He wanted to kiss that smile off her face. Such a kiss would be sweet and spicy, much like the woman herself.
Javenia’s smile faded, her eyes flicking to his lips. Algenon’s mouth watered and he didn’t think it had anything to do with the sweet treat he’d yet to take a bite of. Was it possible she wanted to kiss him as much as he did her?
Then she jerked her gaze away, her attention dropping to the bowl in front of her. The feeling in the room had suddenly changed, but he didn’t understand how until he glanced up and noticed Lady Plum staring at them from down the table. He tried to affect a bored expression as if nothing noteworthy had happened. Apparently, they’d attracted quite a bit of attention from the other guests, including Lord Upton and his wife.
Anxiety, like a fist, tightened around his throat. How long had he been staring at Javenia’s lips for people to notice? What would Lord Upton say to such a blatant show of admiration?
Algenon dropped his gaze back to his pudding.Idiot, he chided. He definitely needed to get control of himself.
Chapter 11
The moment the ladies rose from the table, Javenia knew she was in trouble. Her mother sent her a warning look that promised they’d have words later. How much later was yet to be seen.
Cindy, on the other hand, appeared ready to burst with excitement. Her eyes darted to Algenon, a question in their depths. She’d love to be connected with her dearest friends in any way possible. However, Javenia refused to show how she felt.
It wasn’t necessary, anyway. Sisters always had a way of knowing, and it appeared her mother wasn’t fooled either. When they reached the drawing room, she pulled her to the window and dropped her voice.
“Vee, if you are not careful, you will give all of London something to gossip about.”
“When do I ever not give them something to gossip about?” She cast her a cheeky smile.
“Vee.” Her mother’s tone held a sharp warning.
Javenia sobered. She’d meant the quip to be lighthearted, but the truth of it settled into her bones. She wasn’t what most of Society considered proper. Her friends were mostly of the male variety, and she was often too loud and independent for Society’s tastes.
As if that were not enough, her age and failed courtships marked her as a significant risk in the eyes of potential suitors and their fretful mothers. Frankly, if she’d not become so close with Melior two years ago, she’d probably have been relegated to the corners of ballrooms by now. Melior had considered their friendship a godsend after her own scandal with Nate, and it really was… but for Javenia, Melior’s connections had been her saving grace. Having the Duke of Bedford as an intimate friend had lifted Javenia in the eyes of Society and opened up doors that had been previously closed to her.
“If you are not careful,” her mother continued when she failed to respond, “you will create an expectation in Society. Imagine what Lord Roberts would say to that.”
