“Heaven above, you really are a mischievous rascal,” she said when she managed to get herself back under some semblance of control.
She wiped away her tears without apology, which only made him like her more. She was real, unpretentious, and just...right. “We’ve had some fun moments together, Lockwood and I, so when he invited me here, I jumped at the opportunity since I have no family of my own.”
“What about your parents?”
A grey veil of sorrow settled over the room. “They’re gone. My father passed five years ago and my mother during the course of last winter.”
“I’m so sorry to hear that,” she said, and he knew she meant it for it was written in her expression – concern, sympathy, compassion.
“What about your parents?” he quietly asked and took a few bites of his food.
“I imagine they’re off somewhere in the South Pacific by now. They’ve always wanted to travel but never did because they kept waiting to get both me and my sister settled. But when it became increasingly unlikely that I would ever marry, I encouraged them to go.”
“If I may ask, did you refrain from marrying because of disinterest in the institution itself or because you didn’t meet the sort of man with whom you could see yourself spending the rest of your life?”
She averted her gaze and picked up her teacup. “A bit of both, I suppose.” She took a sip.
Philip reflected on that for a moment. “Is it something you would consider if all the boxes were checked?”
“All the boxes?”
He smiled at her warmly and with the sense that he already knew her better than he’d known anyone else. A moment passed and when he did not answer, she looked at him, her stunning blue eyes meeting his. “I imagine you have several, such as shared interests, the willingness to let you keep running your shop, a desire to help you succeed, among others like tall, dark and handsome.” He waggled his eyebrows and she grinned.
“Why? Are you planning on proposing?”
Not yet, but maybe.
He deliberately looked toward the window. “The sun is out. Perhaps you’d like to go for a walk? Lockwood told me last night that we have to find a Yule log and make some decorations. He and his wife have not had the time, and although I know they were planning to join us, I thought it might be helpful to them if we took care of all that.” When she hesitated he said, “After all, they do have the baby and a host of other responsibilities to attend to, I’m sure.”
“Quite right. I’ll suggest it to Caroline after breakfast just to make sure we’re not overstepping.”
To Philip’s relief, the viscountess was more than happy to let him and Leonora take care of the chore. She even mentioned the baskets of food she’d been hoping to prepare and distribute to the tenants, but hadn’t had time for. When Leonora had asked if she’d like her and Philip to handle that as well, she’d accepted the offer immediately.
Philip smiled as he and Leonora set off on foot. It almost seemed as though the viscountess wanted him to spend as much time with Leonora as possible. Which suited him perfectly, even though he wished they could be more alone with each other. But protocol had to be adhered to even here, far away from Society, so they brought a maid with them as chaperone and a couple of footmen to help load the Yule log onto a cart pulled by one of Lockwood’s horses.
Philip moved a bit closer to Leonora and glanced across at the maid who caught his gaze and instantly slowed her pace, allowing herself to fall behind until she joined the footmen at the rear. “I wish there was more opportunity to walk like this in London, but the air there isn’t the same. It’s not as fresh or as clean.”
“And one does not walk for exercise in a London park,” Leonora said. “One strolls for the purpose of being seen.”
“Do you?” he asked. He couldn’t quite picture her doing so, considering the purpose she presently placed in her strides.
She shook her head. “I haven’t the time for such frivolity, Mr. Dalton.”
He frowned. “Why the sudden formality? You were calling me Philip yesterday morning.”
“That was different.” She glanced at him and he started a little at the wariness in her eyes. “I still believed the ruse was necessary then, but that is no longer the case. It hasn’t been the case for an entire day and now we are here and...we cannot address each other so informally any longer. It isn’t proper.”
“Proper,” he grumbled, cursing the word. She flattened her mouth, and he took a deep breath, filling his lungs with crisp morning air. “We have been nothing but proper toward each other since the moment we met.”
She snorted. “I think most people would disagree.”
“Do you?”
“I...” She quickened her pace, and he lengthened his stride to keep up. “I believe there was opportunity for impropriety and that we both managed to avoid it rather well.”
“Do you regret doing so?” He knew he was being too forward now, but damn it all, he wanted her to go back to calling him Philip, to holding his hand, and to letting herself relax in his arms. Instead of responding, she just walked faster, conveying her agitation. “Would it change anything if I told you I do?”
She stumbled slightly and he caught up with her easily enough. His hand clasped her elbow, steadying her and bringing her upright.
