No sooner had he returned the watch to his jacket pocket, than he spotted the carriage. It wasn’t the same one she’d used when they’d gone to the fair. This one was unmarked, he noted.
It pulled to a stop and Callum greeted the coachman before climbing in.
“Good day, ladies,” he said, by way of greeting as he settled onto the bench opposite Lady Emily and her maid. “A pleasure to see you again.”
“Thank you for coming.” Lady Emily wore a somber expression, but that didn’t stop her from smiling at him with what looked like genuine pleasure.
“How could I refuse?” He winked at her and pulled the door shut, then knocked on the roof.
The carriage jolted into motion, rolling toward their next destination, which Lady Emily claimed to be just one hour away. Callum watched her while trying to think of something to say. The subject he wished to broach would have to wait since he’d no idea how much Lady Emily might have revealed to her maid.
He drummed his fingers against his thigh and suddenly thought of a different means by which to pass the time. “Shall we exchange this or that questions?”
“As a means by which to discover our differences and similarities?”
“Precisely.” He stopped drumming his fingers and tilted his head. “I’ll give you an easy one to start with. Day or night?”
“I’ve always been a day person.”
“Me too.” He smiled at her softly and saw that the tightness in her features was starting to ease. “Your turn.”
“Very well.” She folded her hands in her lap. “Red or white wine.”
“Red.” He didn’t even have to think about it. “And you?”
“Also red.”
The edge of his mouth quirked. “Town or country?”
“That’s a tough one, but I suppose if I had to choose I’d probably pick the town. As much as I love the country, I always end up missing the bookshops and the theatre.”
“I wasn’t aware you enjoyed the theatre.”
“Doesn’t everyone?” She grinned and he was delighted to have distracted her from the ache he knew she felt in her breast at the moment. “I think that brings me to the next question. Ballet or opera?”
“As I’m sure you can appreciate, I’m not very fond of dancing.”
“No?” Her eyes sparkled. “I wonder why.”
“Minx.” She looked quite pretty with her sage green bonnet and matching velvet spencer. His gaze dropped to her lips, so perfectly pink and lush. God, how he’d love to kiss her. He cleared his throat and forced his eyes to meet hers while telling her softly, “You’re the only lady I’ve ever danced with.”
It was a telling confession. He’d no idea why he’d brought it up.
“Because of what happened?”
He nodded. “I was horrified by how badly it went and feared another attempt, so I haven’t danced since.”
“We’ll have to rectify that.”
He gave her a dubious look. “How?”
“By having another go at it of course. How else?”
“Absolutely not.” If there was one thing he wouldn’t do, it was dance with her again.
She huffed a breath and flattened her mouth in a frustrated sort of way. “Dancing can be enjoyable. You cannot honestly mean to go through the rest of your life without making further attempts.”
“I’ve managed well enough so far.”
