His roar of laughter echoed off the whitewashed bricks which lined the kitchen walls.
“Oh, you are priceless. Worth your weight in saffron. Which is actually far more valuable than gold, so you can take that as a compliment.”
He rose from the chair and headed back to the oven, where he picked up a cloth and opened the metal door. “I know your beloved mama won’t let you downstairs into the kitchen, so I’m afraid that my fancy new stove is rather wasted on you. But rest assured, if your family cook could see what I am using to bake my food, she would be green with envy.”
The tray of now fully baked scones was placed on the table. Victoria’s stomach rumbled.
“You see Victoria, this is a brand-new, built-in stove. All the way from Philadelphia in the United States of America. Cost me a small fortune. But worth every penny.”
Realization hit her. If Robert, as she had been instructed by her captor to call him, wasn’t such a villain, she could imagine the two of them being friends. Kindred spirits with a common enjoyment of good food.
“I’ve never been allowed to touch anything in the kitchens at home. That’s why I have followed your newspaper reviews with such avid fervor. I cut them out of the paper each Thursday, andglue them into a large book I keep just for that express purpose. Later I add my own notes.”
His brows furrowed. “What do you mean add your own notes?”
She shifted as best as she could on the hard wooden chair. “I have visited all the establishments that you’ve reviewed. Well, occasionally you review ones that a young lady cannot visit, but then I send one of my brothers to dine and report back to me.”
Robert couldn’t believe what he was hearing. This annoying chit not only followed his reviews but made a point of visiting every place he featured inthe Morning Herald. For a moment he was lost for words. That was dedication.
Lady Victoria Kembal truly was a lover of fine food.
“So all those letters which you sent tothe Morning Heraldwere really based on your own dining experiences?”
She nodded.
And I mocked her at the dinner party. Told her she was…oh lord.
He broke open one of the steaming scones, then added a large dollop of butter. Carrying it over to where she sat, he offered it to her. She raised an eyebrow, and he snorted at his own stupidity. Her hands were still tied.
Setting the scone down on the table, he returned to where she sat. “The back door is locked. The front door is also locked and bolted. There is no means of escape open to you. But. And I mean this in all sincerity. If you behave, I will untie you and let you play in my kitchen.”
Play? What on earth does that mean, you dolt. She’s not going want to play.
If she was anything like he assumed she was, she would find the nearest heavy object and brain him with it, then make good her escape.
“You mean I can cook? Would you show me how to make something simple? I’d love to bake.”
The hope in her voice tugged at his heart. Here was a woman who wanted to learn to create, but whose station in life precluded her from such enjoyment.
Robert reached for the knot he had tied behind Victoria’s ankles and loosened it. He then freed her hands and helped her to her feet. She was a little unsteady, but soon stood without his aid.
“You might want to hide that pistol before we get any cooking underway. Just to make sure I don’t succumb to temptation and try to shoot you,” she said.
Her eyes held a sparkle. A hint of mischief that sent a bolt of lust racing to his cock. It gave a twitch of delighted expectation. He’d been so busy taking on his enemy, he’d let his libido go fallow like a barren field. Robert couldn’t recall the last time he had sown his wild oats.
The luscious Lady Victoria Kembal, his Lady Thief, had his long dormant body stirring once more to life.
She had talked of resisting temptation, yet the longer he gazed into those blue eyes of hers, the less sense resisting anything made.
“Robert?”
Heavens above, even the way she said his name had his balls throbbing, demanding he do something for them.
He tore his gaze from hers, and picking up the rope and pistol moved them out of harm’s way. If he didn’t get his lust under control, he might have to tie himself up.
Clearing his throat, Robert pointed to the still warm scone. “Please. I would be interested in what you have to say about my bacon and chive scones.”
Victoria picked up the scone and took a generous bite. She hummed while she chewed, and it was all Robert could do not to drop to his knees and beg for her forgiveness. When she wiped a stray spot of butter from the corner of her mouth, he wanted nothing more than to feel the heat of her tongue on his naked flesh.
