“Liar,” Patrick teased, grinning.While the shopgirl counted his payment, he continued to regard David with amusement.“So, if not in the Pantheon, did you ever have the chance to kiss her?”
David nodded.“I did.Right after I massaged her feet,” he murmured absently.“We walked a good deal yesterday.”
A whimper sounded from the shopgirl, and they both glanced in her direction to see her busily securing the ruby ring in a hinged box.
“She was in a good deal of pain due to poor-fitting half-boots,” David added, his gaze on the girl.
Patrick arched a brow.The shopgirl obviously understood more English than they had assumed, and he realized she would probably spread word of what she had overheard to everyone she knew.“Might you know of anycalzolainear here, signora?”he asked.
She nodded.“SignoreRossetti.”She pointed toward the front of the shop.“Across and up three,” she said, holding up three fingers.
“What are you about, Mr.McAdams?”David asked, his suspicion evident.He handed over the ring he had been holding to the shopgirl.“I’d like to buy this one.”
Pulling the tag from the tray, she held it out to him.He nodded and retrieved his purse from his waistcoat pocket.
“You might start your courtship on the right foot with a pair of half-boots made to fit your lady perfectly,” Patrick suggested.
“No pun intended, I’m sure,” David countered dryly.
“None at all,” Patrick replied, accepting the hinged box from the shopgirl.He tucked it into a pocket.“Over in America, they’ve begun making shoes specifically for left and right feet.Makes for much more comfortable footwear.”
David finished counting out his payment and considered Patrick’s comment.“I believe we have a shoemaker or two doing the same in London.In fact...”He stopped speaking, his eyes suddenly rounding.“McAdams, you’re a genius,” he stated, his gaze on his mind’s eye.
Patrick gave a start.“Hardly, but...”He took the box the shopgirl was trying to give to David and handed it to him.“I’ll take it,” he said.“What has you so dumbfounded?”
“My great aunt Adele.She told us about her husband’s cousin...uh, cousin’s son,” he stammered.“He fell in love with a woman who had a crushed foot—from some sort of accident with a horse—and he hired a shoemaker to make all sorts of shoes for her.Boots, slippers, dance shoes,” he murmured.“All made specifically for each foot so they fit perfectly.”
“Did she marry him?”
David grinned in delight.“Yes.Apparently she even loves him more than her horses,” he added, stuffing the ring box into his waistcoat pocket.“Grazie,” he said to the shopgirl.
Patrick screwed his face into a grimace.“Here I was thinking only of a ring and flowers,” he whispered.
“Oh, those should work fine,” David commented.They took their leave of the jewelry shop and made their way to the shoemaker’s workshop.“YourDonnaArmenia joined us for dinner last night,” he commented.
“She mentioned she was due at the Villa Montblanc for dinner,” he replied, curious if the viscount would provide any more information about her.
“She didn’t say much, but given how many there were at the table, she probably couldn’t get a word in if she had wanted to,” David said.
“Did she seem...happy?”Patrick asked.
David furrowed his brows as if he was trying to remember.“Secretly so, now that you ask,” he replied.“That must have been some kiss in the Pantheon.”
Patrick resisted the urge to mention there was far more than a kiss exchanged the afternoon prior.“I’m rather surprised myself,” he said.“As a widower, I never thought I would find another woman I would want as my wife.”
“Love at first sight?”David guessed.
“Indeed.Despite my graying hair, I feel as if I’m twenty years younger,” he claimed.He didn’t mention that morning’s soreness.The short walk had alleviated most of his aches and pains.
David chuckled and then sobered.“What if I really don’t like her?”
Patrick halted and turned to stare at the viscount.“Then you wouldn’t have massaged her feet, kissed her senseless—you did kiss her senseless, did you not?”
“I...I did,” David acknowledged.
“Then spent four-hundred lira on a betrothal ring, and...”He motioned to the Rossetticalzolaishop.“We wouldn’t be going in there to order specially made half-boots.”
David nodded.“You’re right,” he said.He reached out to open the door when he noticed Patrick’s sudden hesitance.“What?”
