“Will you call on us tomorrow then?” Gabriella asked Florian as they prepared to take their leave of each other.
“Of course. I will visit with you in the afternoon.” He acknowledged the rest of the group and allowed his gaze to settle on Juliette. “It’s been a pleasure.” Touching the brim of his hat, he turned and walked away with a swift stride.
Juliette watched him go. “What was that about?” she asked Gabriella.
“Oh, nothing serious.” Gabriella waved her hand dismissively. “David developed a cough right before we came here and his nose started running,” she said in reference to her son. “It’s probably just a cold, but I thought it wise to have Florian take a look at him just in case.”
Juliette agreed. Asking Florian for help was a very good idea, even if it proved to be unnecessary.
Juliette raced after the shuttlecock Vivien sent her way, laughing as she almost tripped in order to hit it back toward Gabriella. It was a hot day, but the shade from an overhanging elm made the exertion the game provided bearable. “Pardon the interruption, Duchess,” Pierson called from the terrace, “but Florian is here to see Master David. Shall I show him up to the nursery?”
“Please do,” Gabriella told him. Panting, she swiped a hand across her brow and excused herself to Juliette and Vivien. “I must hear what Florian has to say about David’s cold. I won’t be long.” She started walking away. “Why don’t you have some refreshments on the terrace while you wait? Unless of course you prefer to carry on without me.” She disappeared up the steps and through a pair of wide French doors.
Juliette glanced at Vivien. “Let’s play a quick round first, shall we? The first to get five points wins.”
“You don’t stand a chance.” Vivien grinned, tossing the shuttlecock into the air and whacking it hard in Juliette’s direction.
“You’re a devil in disguise,” Juliette cried as she leapt toward her target, watching as it bounced off the edge of her battledore and onto the grass. Picking it up, Juliette put one hand on her hip and gave her friend a put-out look. “Does that count?”
“No. I just like teasing you.” She laughed while Juliette plotted her revenge.
“Really?” Juliette glanced toward the garden gate and allowed her eyes to widen. “Oh my goodness! What on earth is that?”
Vivien turned and Juliette aimed the shuttlecock at her friend. It bounced off her shoulder and landed at her feet before she had a chance to realize what was going on. Her expression was comical and Juliette laughed, until she realized that Vivien was preparing to strike once more.
They were just taking their seats on the terrace after finishing their game when Gabriella returned, accompanied by Florian. He pulled out the vacant chair beside Juliette and sat. Doing her best to ignore his presence, Juliette picked up a biscuit and took a bite. She chewed carefully while trying not to focus on how intensely the man was radiating masculinity. It was in his scent, now so familiar her body came swiftly alive the instant she smelled it, and it was in the haphazard locks of copper falling across his brow, the broad set of his shoulders and the firm outline of his thighs beneath a pair of snug buckskin breeches.
Juliette drew a shuddering breath. Her gaze dropped to his hands and the long elegant fingers now taking hold of the lemonade glass Gabriella had served him. Tearing her eyes away by sheer force of will, Juliette looked up to find herself the subject of his regard. He raised an eyebrow and her mind went blank.
“Sir?” As if he deserved chastising.
“Forgive me, my lady, but there is a crumb where one ought not to be.” He quickly abandoned his lemonade and picked up a napkin. “Allow me.” And before Juliette could discern what was going on or what the man planned, he was gently dabbing at the edge of her mouth in a manner that might have been intended as an intimate caress if they’d been alone.
But they weren’t. Gabriella and Vivien were both sitting across from them, seemingly undaunted by Florian’s attention toward Juliette or the sound of her pounding heart which was, to her own ears, quite deafening.
“There.” Florian turned away from her and addressed Gabriella. “As I mentioned, David will be fine.” He reached for his bag and pulled out a piece of paper on which he proceeded to write with a pencil.
Juliette, her nerves all jumbled together, watched him with disappointed incomprehension. How was it that he could evoke in her a fiery response with so little ease while he himself remained seemingly unaffected? It wasn’t fair! Not to mention that his effect on her was steadily increasing, leaving her horribly bewildered and overwhelmed.
“Have your cook prepare this for him,” Florian said, handing the paper he’d been writing on to Gabriella. His manner was infuriatingly sober. Not a hint of emotion could be detected in either his features or his bearing. “It should soothe him and allow for better rest.”
“Thank you, Florian.” Gabriella handed the note to a nearby footman with instructions to pass it on to Cook immediately. “If only I were the one afflicted,” she said once the footman had gone to tend to his duty. “Watching either of my children suffer is intolerable.”
“At least you have had the foresight to separate them,” Florian told her gently. “If you are lucky, Rose will not be infected by her brother’s malady.”
“Speaking of maladies,” Vivien said, “I was thinking of putting some baskets together for the people of St. Giles. It’s not much, considering what they are suffering through, but trapped as they are for the time being, I thought it might be nice to get some fresh produce to them.”
“That is an excellent idea,” Juliette said. She was surprised she hadn’t thought of it herself. “Healthy sustenance may even encourage those who are sick to recover while saving the healthy from falling victim to the disease. Is that not so, Florian?”
He held her gaze briefly, but it was long enough for something tangible to pass between them, something Juliette thought might be respect. “It certainly can’t hurt. If you let me know when the baskets have been completed, I will make sure they reach the people who need them the most.”
Vivien beamed. “Thank you ever so much. It eases my heart to know I am helping if only a little.” She picked up her reticule. “I must be on my way now. Thank you for a lovely afternoon.”
“You are very welcome,” Juliette told her. “I hope to see you again soon.”
Agreeing, Vivien stood, as did Florian. She gave them each a swift parting nod and then left, promising to give her aunt their best wishes.
“She is very kind,” Florian murmured upon resuming his seat.
