“Yes,” she answered as if nothing were unusual about what she’d done. She might be guilty, but she didn’t have to act as if she were.
“Minerva, would you show Adele and Mr. Quick inside? His sister would like a few more minutes to stretch her legs. We are going to take a walk.”
“I’m sure that will be fine, Your Grace. You won’t be long, will you?”
“No, Minerva, we’ll be in shortly.”
“Shortly?” Mrs. Philbert asked, frowning at the duke.“If that’s the case, we can wait here for you. It won’t be a problem.”
“That’s not necessary, Minerva. You have no cause to worry. I think Miss Quick’s reputation will be safe with me on the front lawn since the servants are still milling about with the luggage.”
She sniffed. “Yes, of course. I didn’t mean to imply otherwise. Please, follow me, my lady, Mr. Quick.”
Loretta watched Paxton and Lady Adele exchange a glance, and then—completely ignoring the conversation between the duke and their cousin—Lady Adele said, “Do you enjoy playing cards in the evenings after dinner, Mr. Quick?”
“Of course,” he answered as they started toward the door. “It’s one of our favorite pastimes. Loretta and I will often play a game or two, and chess, too. Though I admit if the game takes too long to finish I become restless.”
“I feel the same about chess. It can become a bore. You do like dogs, don’t you, Mr. Quick?”
“Absolutely. Though I don’t have one at this time.”
Loretta slowly shook her head as the three disappeared through the massive doorway. Here it had been less than five minutes and Paxton was already smitten by Lady Adele and the duke was upset with her. Her first visit to Hawksthorn wasn’t getting off to a very good start. And the devil take it, she had no one to blame but herself.
Chapter 16
A gentleman should always fill a lady’s heart and mind with sweet words of romantic notions. That’s all she really wants to hear.
APROPERGENTLEMAN’SGUIDETOWOOINGTHEPERFECTLADY
SIRVINCENTTYBALTVALENTINE
After the trio had cleared the doorway, the duke said, “Let’s take a stroll, Miss Quick.”
The merriment the exchange with his sister had left in his face was gone. A serious expression had replaced it. “Thank you,” she said, “I’d like that.” If he were going to take her to task for bringing Farley she had just as soon no one else heard him.
They started down the middle of the spacious lawn in front of the house at a leisurely pace. Dusk was falling around them and the chill of night wind stirred the air, but she was warm enough in her traveling cape.
“He should have been left at Mammoth House,” the duke said.
That was straightforward enough. It might have been the right thing to do, but Loretta didn’t want to do it. Shelooked down the way at Farley again. He seemed so small, lost even, standing with his hands in the pockets of his coat looking around while the luggage was being unloaded.
She hadn’t wanted to argue with the duke the minute she stepped off the coach. Yet her happiness at seeing him was rapidly dissipating. When he’d smiled at her, she felt wonderful, with not a care in the world, and now she suddenly felt miserable. She didn’t like disappointing him any more than he did. He didn’t have to tell her it wasn’t polite to bring anyone uninvited to his house.
“I’m sorry you’re upset about my decision. I know it was forward of me and I should have written to ask if it would be all right,” she said, though she remained firm on her conviction she’d had to bring him with her.
“That’s not what I meant.”
She felt him looking at her but she kept her eyes cast down to the dormant grass beneath her feet and let out a deep breath. Perhaps she could smooth things over if she deliberately misread the duke’s comment. It was worth a try.
Lifting her gaze to his, she said, “I agree that Farley still isn’t well. There’s a chance the traveling will have been too much for him, and he’ll have a relapse, but I felt I couldn’t leave him alone. Too, I knew that if he did get worse from the strain of traveling, he would receive excellent care here in your house.”
A gleam in his eyes let her know that he knew exactly what she was doing. It didn’t surprise her she couldn’t fool him, and she was also sure he wasn’t surprised she’d tried.
“First, he wouldn’t have been alone; Mrs. Huddleston would have been there with him. Second, he was getting excellent care in your house. Never mind those things, I wasn’t speaking of his health.”
“Then perhaps there isn’t enough room for a child and Mrs. Huddleston in your servants’ wing here at Hawksthorn. If that’s the case, Mrs. Huddleston can stay in my room with me and Farley with Paxton.”
The duke blew out an aggravated laugh and ran a hand through his hair. Loretta could have watched him do that fifty more times. There was something especially soothing and sensual about watching his fingers thread through his thick hair even though he wasn’t happy with her at the moment. That didn’t seem to stunt his appeal.
