“And now?”
Her grin broadened into a smile.“I can marry you.”
Chuckling, Patrick placed his hands at her waist, lifted her, and spun the two of them in a circle.
Armenia shrieked in delight before he set her back on her feet.
“Are you hungry?”she asked.
“Ravenously so.I’ve been running all over Roma in search of roses all day,” he said, pointing to the vase of blooms DeLuca had left on the table next to the settee.
Armenia followed his gaze and sighed appreciatively.“I do love red roses.”
“I’ll see to it you always have some,” he whispered, kissing the side of her head.
“With little notes in them?”She extracted herself from his hold and hurried over to the roses to search for his latest missive.
“Uh...it’s not in the bouquet,” he warned.At her look of disappointment, he added, “I, uh, didn’t wish for it to fall out whilst I carried them here.”He reached into a waistcoat pocket and offered her the note.“It’s merely my proposal, I suppose.In case I passed out while I was waiting for you.”
Armenia gently took the note from his hold, but she didn’t open it.“Still, I wish to keep it with the others,” she said in a quiet voice.“I’ve never received love letters before.”
He scoffed softly.“As hard as I find that to believe, I am happy to hear it,” he replied, kissing her forehead.
Her stomach grumbled, reminding her she hadn’t eaten since that morning.“Let’s go to the dining room.Dinner should be ready.”
He straightened.“We’re eating at a table?”he teased.
She hooked her arm into his.“Tonight we are.I don’t want any crumbs in our bed.”
Patrick gave a start and allowed a soft chuckle.“Our bed?”he repeated.“Does that mean?—?”
“You’re moving in, the sooner the better,” she stated.
He allowed a chuckle.“I’m happy to hear it.I think you should know that even though I do own a building that could be renovated into a decent house...a...a villa, I would prefer not to live where I work,” he replied.
“Bene.If you ever displease me, you’ll have a place you can spend the night,” she countered.
Patrick gave a start, but when he glanced over at her, he saw that she was grinning.
“Minx,” he accused.
“I’ll ask DeLuca to see to quarters for your manservant,” she offered as they descended the stairs.
Patrick slowed his steps, and when they reached the first floor corridor, he paused to regard her with a look of worry.“Are you...are you sure?”He remembered their conversation about Giovanni from when they toured the fountains and the other they had shared whilst in her bed.
“I am,” she replied.“He is my nephew, is he not?”
Reacting as if he had been slapped across the face, Patrick nodded.“I...I’m fairly sure he is.We talked about it last night.He has as much as confirmed what you said.”
She dipped her head.“He has every right to be...bitter.”
“He’s not, though,” Patrick assured her.
“Still, it’s only right he be able to live here at Villa D’Avalos,” she said in a quiet voice.“He may not have the name, but...”She lifted a satin-clad shoulder and sighed.“The sins of the father shouldn’t reflect poorly on him.”
“Or on you,” Patrick murmured.He took a breath and let it out.“Thank you,” he said.
When they entered the dining room, she asked, “Have you other servants you wish to bring along?”
