Having arrived in his office, Henry gestured toward a chair and crossed to the sideboard.
“You mean the ones about us being lovers?” She gave him a look that seemed to say he was cracked in the head for asking. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
“It is common knowledge that you have a close working relationship, and with you being a widow, it would not have been a preposterous idea while Florian was still a bachelor.”
She laughed quite suddenly and shook her head. “Why on earth would your brother have an affair with me when he could have had any woman he wished for? It makes no sense.”
Her inability to see her own beauty was heartbreaking. Knowing that altering her perception would not be accomplished in the space of five minutes or even in a day, he gestured toward the selection of decanters he kept at the ready. “Do you prefer brandy, sherry or claret?”
“Sherry, please.”
He handed it to her while reveling in the knowledge that she and his brother had never been intimate.
As for Robert...
Henry’s muscles tightened as he recalled what that scoundrel had done. He’d take savage pleasure in ruining Robert’s face with his fists right now.
“I was wrong to think the worst of you when we first met,” Viola said. “I just assumed...”
“You thought there had to be some truth to what you’d heard?”
“Well yes.” She pressed her lips together. “I’m sorry, I—”
“Don’t be. You only believed what I wanted you and the rest of the world to believe.”
“I still don’t understand.”
Opening a desk drawer, he retrieved a deck of cards and proceeded to shuffle it. “When I returned from university and made my first appearance at a ball after three years of absence, I was pursued by every mama looking to get her daughter settled. So I let it be known that I was not appropriate company for any young lady to be keeping.” He dealt a few cards and leaned back in his seat. “Of course, it didn’t deter the widows or the married women from looking for a bit of fun, but it helped me avoid marriage until I was ready for it.”
She picked up her cards and shook her head. “How peculiar.” And then she laughed. “It’s quite the ruse, the most notorious scoundrel no more of a threat to a young woman’s virtue than any other honorable gentleman she might encounter. What are we playing?”
He smiled because she amused him and because he enjoyed their effortless conversation, and also because she was so damn lovely. He placed four additional cards face up on the table. “Cassino. Are you familiar with it?”
Her lips tilted. “Of course.” She took the five and the two with her seven.
“The items you purchased for the rejuvenation center should be arriving this afternoon.” He added a three to the two on the table and she added an ace.
“Yes.” She puffed out a breath as he took the next trick with a six. “I’m thinking of heading over to the center after I leave here in order to have a look.”
“Perhaps you’ll allow me to escort you?”
She raised her chin and her eyes met his. “Thank you, Mr. Lowell.” A soft smile pulled at her lips. “I think I’d like that.”
Pleasure filled him from top to toe on account of her quick acceptance. He was clearly making progress with her and loving every minute.
Chapter 13
Seeing how perfectly the cabinet she’d bought fit the space she’d intended for it distracted Viola a little from the butterflies Mr. Lowell invariably caused to flutter about in her belly. He wasn’t just charming and incredibly attractive. He was also exceedingly kind, helpful and amusing, not to mention understanding when it came to her past. She really enjoyed being around him. Not only because of the constant distraction he offered from the lawsuit and the pressing concern of possibly losing everything she’d worked so hard to build these past two years, but because she was growing increasingly fond of his company.
She still couldn’t believe he’d beaten her at cards before escorting her up the street to the rejuvenation center. And when she’d asked for a rematch, he’d declined, scoundrel that he was. A smile tugged at her lips as she wiped the cabinet door with a cloth. It was a bittersweet chore when she wasn’t sure if she’d lose it and everything else she’d purchased for the center to Robert. Still, she wasn’t about to concede defeat until forced to do so. The whole unit was dirty from standing outside at the market and had to be thoroughly cleaned no matter what.
“I checked the various rooms and believe this rug will fit really well in the upstairs one with the terracotta-colored walls.”
Viola turned to face Mr. Lowell, who, to her surprise, was standing a few feet behind her, legs braced in a solid stance and with the rolled-up rug resting firmly on his shoulder. Gone was his jacket, discarded Lord knew where. His shirtsleeves had been rolled up past his elbows to reveal a pair of strikingly handsome forearms.
Viola blinked. Strikingly handsome forearms? She had to be losing her mind. Especially since she’d seen those arms before at the hospital. Indeed, she’d seen a lot more than that while helping Florian operate on his brother, but she’d been preoccupied by the gravity of the situation, by the job she’d been required to do and other things she couldn’t recall at the moment because her mind was going blank.
“Um...” she managed in the most articulate way possible, because really, who was she kidding? The man was a truly extraordinary specimen of pure masculinity. And she ought to know because he wasn’t the first man she’d seen in a state of undress. Far from it.
