They’d exchanged long glances and polite conversation the past couple of evenings in the drawing room before dinner and later during the evening’s meal. Every time she looked at him, she remembered their kisses and hoped there would be more, but it wouldn’t be today. Not with the boys along.
Lillian had been attracted to Lord Wythebury the instant their eyes met. For a short time, she’d even thought maybe he was the one she’d been waiting for to fulfill all her dreams. But no, she could never consider marrying a man who was so strict and unyielding of his ways with children. They would constantly be at odds. Reluctantly she must resign herself to simply enjoying the marquis and his loveable nephews for only as long as their visit at Hurst lasted. She would do what she could to make sure Fallon and Heron, along with their schoolwork, had a wonderful visit as well. She wouldn’t allow herself to think about how heartbreaking it would be when she said good-bye to them.
The marquis took the ribbons from the driver, dismissed him, and then climbed up onto the seat beside her. They were an appropriate distance apart, another person could have sat between them. Still, Lillian was certain she felt warmth from his body, and an exciting sense of awareness of him bubbled inside her.
“Are you comfortable and warm enough, Miss Prim?”
She glanced up from Lord Wythebury’s strong-looking legs, cleared her throat, and said, “I am, my lord.”
He snapped the ribbons against the horses’ rumps, and the carriage took off with a jolt, rattle of harness, and clopping of hooves. Instead of going left toward the paddock and around the massive three-story house, they started down the long tree-lined lane away from it. The road had turned slushy and muddy from melted snow, black earth, and horse-and-carriage traffic.
Lillian settled comfortably onto her soft seat, let out a happy breath, and smiled. Lord Wythebury was taking the long way around to the paddock. She would have more time to enjoy the boys, be outside in the refreshing air, and look at the man by her side all she wanted to without worrying whether any of the other guests would notice.
Slowly twirling the handle of her parasol, Lillian asked, “Did Fallon misspell any words today?”
“Doe,” the marquis said. “He left off thee.”
“That would be easy to do.”Especially for a five-year-old,she wanted to add but held her tongue about that, and instead asked, “Did you make him write it twenty times?”
The marquis glanced at her and grinned. “Ten.”
She smiled too. It pleased her when she spoke her mind and it didn’t annoy him. “I’m surprised but happy it wasn’t more.”
“I considered what you’d said about the amount of studies they’ve been doing.”
“That’s good to hear.” Her lower abdomen tightened. Maybe there was hope for him to change his hard practices. “And Heron? How did he do with his arithmetic?”
“Very well. What did you do today?”
“The usual,” she answered, thinking she’d thought she noticed everything about him, but she’d never noticed how long and dark his eyelashes were.
He glanced at her and grinned again. “Sewing, reading, and playing the pianoforte.”
She smiled at him, not minding that he teased her about her uncomplicated life. It was true she had few important things to do. However, she couldn’t resist teasing him back so she said, “How astute of you. As a matter of fact, I read the complete volume of F. W. Bessel’sFundamenta Astronomiaethis morning. It catalogs over three thousand stars.”
His expression of surprise was priceless. “I know the book. You didn’t read that this morning?”
“Not all of it, of course. But you are not the only one who thinks studying and learning are important—we simply disagree about whether all of it needs to be done in one day.”
He grunted a laugh and clicked the ribbons against the horse. “You never give up an inch, do you, Lillian?”
“When you grow up in a house with four sisters you can’t afford to.”
“I make no apologies for my love of learning, and wanting my nephews to appreciate the value of it too.”
“No reason you should,” she answered.
“Tell me,” he said, glancing at her again. “Do you understand everything you read in Bessel’s book?”
She eyed him warily, then said, “Not all.”
“Perhaps, I could help in the evenings if you have any questions?”
“That would be nice as long as—”
“Don’t go shy on me now,” he said. “As long as what?”
Lillian wrinkled her nose. “As long as you don’t give me a required number of pages to read each day.”
