What it would be like to have that sort of love and respect in a marriage, Vivian could not imagine. Her mother and father certainly did not have a marriage like her friends did.
Salts and spices she had never tasted teased her lips as Rupert held a small amount of a spring roll to them. She opened as she had done for him last night. Vivian wanted to moan remembering how he had possessed her.
“Try it.”
She bit down. Unlike English pasties, the roll crunched and splintered. Holding her serviette under her chin, she chewed. Even the vegetables were unusual. “Umm, this is delicious.”
“It is.” Heat lurked in his eyes, making them silver. The color they were when she was Cleo.
He was so close that for a brief moment she thought he would kiss her. Here. In front of everyone. Then he blinked and increased the distance between them. Her heart sank. She should not have got her hopes up. Still, she wanted to be in his arms again, even if he thought she was another woman. And despite enjoying the drawing room, Vivian wanted nothing more than for the hours until this evening to fly, so she could be with Rupert again. In his arms and in bed.
“Taste this as well.”
“What is it?” Vivian asked as she opened her lips.
“A type of seafood called crab meat.” Rupert waited until the morsel was in Vivian’s mouth before he ate another piece. “Do you like it?”
“I do, and I sincerely hope this type of entertainment becomes all the crack.”
Vivian smiled at him, making him wish they were alone on Hill Street. He wanted nothing more than pull her into his arms and make love to her. Feed her these delicacies in bed. If he lived to be one hundred, he could not conceive of a lovelier lady, a more interesting woman, a more perfect person to spend the rest of his life with. If only he knew how long it would take before she would agree to be his.
Several hours passed before he looked at his watch. “We are all going to be late for dinner or anything else.”
“I can’t eat another bite,” Vivian said just after swallowing another glass of rice wine.
“I am satisfied as well.” Anna leaned against the window embrasure.
Touching her now rounded stomach, Phoebe gave a comical frown. “I’ll be hungry in an hour.”
“Shall we make our way home?” Marcus glanced around the room. “The company is thinning.”
“I think we must.” Rupert held out his hand to Vivian as she dislodged herself from the comfortable window seat. “Let’s find Lord and Lady Thornhill.”
Several rooms on the main floor were open for their guests. Vivian exclaimed over the art and fabrics bought in faraway places that were displayed in the long gallery.
Vivian had said she’d never traveled, and he would enjoy taking her to see other countries and seeing her pleasure in them, allowing her to experience the differences in culture. The steamships he had seen being developed would make travel faster than the sailing ships, and allow them to make trips that did not require long periods of time away from his estates.
They found their host and hostess in another room holding forth on some of their artifacts, and bid them adieu.
As they strolled to the hall, Vivian glanced at Rupert. “Do you think they obtained all their art and whatnot legally?”
“Oh yes. Lord Thornhill made a comment about how dear some of the items were and the thoroughness of the inspections the authorities conducted when they left the countries. The Thornhills insisted upon ensuring they took no national treasures.” He paused for effect. “Except for the cook. I think they may have smuggled him out.”
Vivian’s laugh was everything Rupert wanted. “I would have smuggled him out as well,” he said.
“I’m going to have to rest before this evening.”
He kept his voice even as he asked, “Which party are you attending?”
“I may not.” Vivian’s tone was airy, but there was an undercurrent of uneasiness. “Cousin Clara and Silvia are going out, of course, but I may retire early.”
Blast it all.When would she work it out that he knew she was posing as Cleo? He’d been dropping subtle hints by looking at her as he had last night. If she didn’t do it on her own, he would be forced to enlighten her. That, he was not looking forward to.
When they arrived in Mount Street, he escorted her to the door. “To-morrow, shall we drive out to Richmond? It’s lovely this time of year.”
She swayed a bit. The rice wine must have affected her more than he’d thought.
“That sounds wonderful.”
