“How did you know I wished to see this exhibit, Your Grace?” Sarah asked, consulting the program as they approached a large sculpture featuring Zeus and a nymph.
“I guessed that you might when you expressed an enthusiasm for Greek and Roman history. And I confess I had a desire to see it myself.”
“And I confess I am surprised to see you today after our... heated passage of arms last night,” she said frankly.
“If you meant to deter me, your object failed. I’m made of sterner stuff than that,” he said with a smile which made her grow unaccountably hot.
“Evidently,” she said, attempting to make a recover.
“I must offer you an apology,” he said with every evidence of sincerity. “My speech was intemperate in the extreme, my foul language was unforgivable.”
She smiled; it gave her a little thrill to have him apologize to her. “I have three younger brothers, Your Grace. I have heard worse.”
They continued their perambulation around the exhibit, consulting the program as they went, and fell into a heated discussion of the rival merits of Greek versus Roman sculpture. She argued that Greek statuary had more artistic merit because of its simple and graceful style, and he that as Roman statuary was more realistic,itheld greater artistic merit.
“We shall have to agree to disagree, Your Grace,” she said firmly. “You shall not budge me from my position.”
“And I shall not budge from mine, so yes we will have to agree to disagree,” he spoke with a smile, however, that made her heart dance.If only he weren’t so dashed handsome,she thought.What would Papa make of him?
Her father was a man of the cloth and would not be swayed by considerations of status and titles, nor beauty of countenance. Papa would look for moral fiber and solid worth. He had been opposed from the beginning to Great-aunt Agnes’s plans to marry her off to a titled gentleman. But Mama had persuaded him to consent to Sarah having a season. And as each year rolled around and Sarah was whisked off to London for yet another round of frivolity and still no husband, he grew if not reconciled, at least grudgingly accepting.
With a large family and small income, it became impossible to refuse Aunt Agnes’s whims, as she held the purse stringsso tightly that without her generosity, the Watsons would have suffered severe privations. As it was, Sarah would, if she fulfilled the terms of the will, be able to supply the funds for her sisters to have seasons with the opportunity to find suitable husbands, and her little brothers would be able to attend Eton and Oxford. Something they could never have afforded otherwise.
“I’m sorry, what was that?” she said, startled to realize he had spoken, and she hadn’t heard a word he’d said.
“I asked your opinion of this piece,” he said, stopping before a statue of a Roman general.
“Ah, Julius Caesar!” she smiled.Is he trying to test me?
“So, you recognize him?”
“Of course! Did you think I wouldn’t?”
“I detect a competitive streak in you, Miss Watson.”
“It comes of being the eldest of eight siblings, Your Grace. Everything is a competition.”
He pursed his lips as if considering her statement. “I am the eldest of six and have never felt the need to compete with my siblings.”
“Perhaps not, but I would bet my best bonnettheyhave felt the urge to compete withyou, probably unsuccessfully. Do you always win?”
He frowned. “I’ve never thought about it. It’s my duty to lead the way and protect them. I was trained to be the Duke of Troubridge from the day I was born.”
“Which explains your unconscious arrogance.” She smiled to soften the blow.
“I am not arrogant!” His expression and tone took on that testy edge again, and she cocked her head and continued to smile but said nothing for a moment.
“I am not arrogant!” he repeated. “In fact, if anything, I am too easy in my ways.”
“I said it was an unconscious arrogance, Your Grace. Of course you don’t realize it.”
He stared at her for a moment and then resumed their perambulation. “I shall take your opinion on advisement, Miss Watson,” he said a little stiffly.
“I’ve offended you again, haven’t I?” she said ruefully.
“You seem to make a habit of it,” he admitted. He looked down at her again and frowned. “You’re an original, I’ll give you that. I begin to see why you didn’t take. Let me inform you, Miss Watson, that no man likes to have his shortcomings pointed out to him.”
Her cheeks flooded with heat, and unable to keep her tongue between her teeth, she said tartly, “As someone of consequence, of course you’re unused to anyone offering you critique, no matter how justified!”
