“Well, there’s been no announcement of an engagement yet. Did she say she had an understanding with the fellow?”
“No.” He drained his glass and waved the waiter over again. When both glasses had been topped up, the man stepped back again.
“Faint heart never won fair lady,” said Ashford with a smile.
“You’re right, but how do I pursue a woman who has made it so clear she doesn’t want me?”
“I don’t want to give you false hope, Rob, but I’d hesitate to put that construction on her refusal.”
Robert’s eyebrows lifted and his heart leaped. “You think I used the wrong tack?”
Ashford shrugged. “I don’t know. Perhaps, if you’re right about there being a spark between you. That kind of thing is hard to mistake.” He paused and added, “You did kiss her?”
“I did,” Robert flushed. “She ran from me,” he admitted.
“Ah, well, that does rather put a different complexion on things.”
“I know,” said Robert miserably.
“Do you want her?”
“Desperately!” said Robert, pushed into admitting the truth. The wine had clearly loosened his tongue.
“Hm, I thought so.”
“You thought—”
Ashford smiled.
“Stop that!” said Robert.
“Stop what?” asked the viscount innocently.
“That—that smirk!”
The viscount’s grin widened. “Well, you can take your bat and ball and go home, or you can try again...”
“You think I should?”
Ashford swirled the wine in his glass and smirked. “For what it’s worth, I think you should try, yes.”
“I’m not about to push myself on an unwilling woman!”
“Not suggesting you should. Just test the water, see if she iswillingto let you kiss her again.”
Robert eyed his friend thoughtfully.That kiss at Vauxhall had been so fleeting...perhaps a second kiss would prove more successful? A thorough, proper kiss?
“Just saying, if you want her, you need to make an effort to attach her. If her feelings are truly engaged elsewhere—” he shrugged to finish the thought. “But if it’s just a ploy to make you jealous...”
“But why would she do that?”
“Females like to have some power, too.” Ashford finished his glass and asked the waiter for a whisky.
He blinked his greenish hazel eyes over the glass, and Robert wondered for a moment if the shine in them was caused by the light or something else.
Robert shook his head, “Miss Watson isn’t like that.”
“If you say so,” Ashford swallowed the whisky and topped up his glass from the bottle on the table.
