He did not move closer to the woman, but he turned slightly so that he could look at her squarely.
“You may not wish to be entertaining, but that is precisely why you are. Can you not see how I am intrigued by you?”
She shook her head vigorously, and insisted, “I am merely trying to be proper, sir.”
“And you have succeeded, my lady,” he assured her. “Outside of traipsing about the woods in the late evening, no one hasany reason to question your character, or the propriety of your actions.”
She nodded stiffly, then clutched her basket tighter to her side. This movement caused something to flicker in Adrian’s brain.
Have I been misreading her actions?
It occurred to him then that his companion might not be holding the basket close to herself because she was afraid someone might take it, but because it was heavy and she had to shift the weight from time to time.
“Allow me,” he offered gently as he tentatively reached out to take the weighty parcel from her grasp. “Let me hold it for you while the rain is still pouring. You can have it afterward. I expect nothing in return.”
She opened her mouth, as if a protest was about to bubble out of it. Then, she slowly handed the basket over to him. The shelter was narrow, though. So, even as she leaned against the wall of the archway, their shoulders nearly touched.
The proximity to this young lady sent a thrill through his body. All at once, Adrian felt like he was a young boy of sixteen again, and not a Duke of thirty-one.
Adrian shifted his body so that he could face her once more as he asked, “Tell me, why are you staying with the vicar? Where did you come from before moving here?”
“Sir, you had just promised that you expected nothing in return,” she reminded him in a tone that was reminiscent of a scolding nanny.
“Can’t I engage in pleasant conversation with you, then?” he asked. “It would be rude if I simply stood here like a statue.”
She sighed heavily, clearly exasperated. Her eyes also went to the heavens, possibly questioning why they had to weep at that given moment.
“We have already established that you are a visitor to this part of the country. All I ask now is to understand your circumstances. As a guest of the vicar’s, why do you feel the need to…”
He stopped talking immediately when she spoke loudly over top of him.
“Why must you persist? Since you have already deduced so much about my status, as well as where I am lodging, why continue with this discourse? Does this village so seldom receive visitors that you feel compelled to badger everyone you meet?”
Adrian shot a quick look at the rain that was tapering off so that now it was no more than a light drizzle.
“I will assume it is the weather that has made you so tetchy, my lady,” he murmured. “But you have hit upon something rightly. While there are plenty of visitors who frequent this village, rarely do I meet bold, clever, selfless ladies who courageouslywander through the woods in the evening. Talking to an anomaly like you pleases me, indeed. I will ensure that no harm will come to such a rare sight such as you.”
The mysterious woman blushed again. “You are being very forward—again.”
“Perhaps I am,” he admitted unrepentantly. “But what should we be, besides honest with one another? I abhor a life filled with lies and deceit. So yes, I may speak openly and perhaps be a bit forward, but I assure you that I mean to honor you with my truthfulness, my lady.”
Their eyes locked, then. It seemed that the rain must have done something to the air because it felt different. Tight. Teeming with something new and alluring.
She pared her lips, and again, insisted, “I am not a lady.”
He smirked. “If not, why is propriety so crucial? Perhaps it is time you saw how… pleasurable impropriety can be.”
Her breath caught. He could see the way her chest stilled. His eyes dipped from those beautiful blue ones of hers to her lips. Again, something heavy was in the air.
He leaned in. She didn’t move away.
Then, the rain stopped. She looked up, eyes wide. The spell had already shattered.
“I must go,” she said quickly, quickly snatching her basket from his hands before he could protest or make another jest. “Thank you for holding my basket for me.”
Still, the whole thing was not for naught. Her face was burning scarlet.
“A pleasure, my lady,” he replied, giving her a small bow.
