“Weren’t you there only last week?”
“Yes, but the Atkinson sisters invited me this time.”
“Oh?” Alain raised a brow. “Tell meeverything.”
Lucien huffed a laugh. “There isn’t much to tell. We walked around and looked at very old things that don’t belong in this country.”
“Such a radical!” Alain said with undisguised delight. “I had no idea.”
But it was Alex of all people who had made the observation while they were staring at the Elgin Marbles.
An English lord pried them off the Parthenon and we have the audacity to display them as our own.
Lucien’s mouth curved up at the memory. She continued to be one of the most confounding people he had ever met. Prickly one moment, understanding the next. Sharp, insightful, and wryly funny.
Alain suddenly snapped his fingers. “Lucien! Where have you gone?”
“Oh, sorry. I was just—”
“Thinking of Miss Alexandra?” Lucien happily shrugged at his knowing tone. There was no use denying it. Alain let out a low whistle. “You are in trouble, my friend. When will you see her again?”
“Tomorrow.” Though that was strictly business. Lucien wilted a little in disappointment. At least during their social outings he had the pretense of their arrangement to explain his behavior. But it would be much harder to justify his staring when they were going over his proposal.
He thought again of her adorable little frown as she took in the various displays. How nothing, not even the smallest detail, seemed to escape her notice. Why would anyonecriticizeher for it? He wanted a direct line to that mind of hers. To see exactly what she was thinking of. It shocked him how much he longed to be the sole focus of her attention, even for a little while. Even if it brought him to his knees.
“Ah, then you must make the most of it,” Alain continued.
And for one crazed moment Lucien considered asking him about his seduction techniques. But Lucien knew very well that his friend lacked as much experience with women as he did. If Lucien was lucky enough to ever have the opportunity, he would just have to follow his instincts and hope to God it was enough.
“Yes,” he said with a decided nod. “I intend to.”
Eighteen
Alex tapped her fingers on her desk and let out a huff. She had been going over the same page for a quarter of an hour now, as every time she tried to focus, her mind wandered.
This was not like herat all. Neither was this infernal fidgeting. She splayed her palm across the worn wooden surface of her desk and glanced at the small brass clock on the corner. It had been a present from her father to mark her first year with the company. The second hand ticked away. Five fifteen. Lucien would be here shortly.
Alex let out a sigh of defeat and set the report aside for the morning. Then she leaned back in her chair until a throat cleared from the doorway. It was Potts. Goodness, she had forgotten all about him.
“Do you need anything more from me, Miss Atkinson?”
“No, you can go.”
He hesitated a moment until Alex raised an eyebrow. “Are you still expecting Mr. Taylor? I can wait if—”
“I don’t need a chaperone, Potts,” she said crisply. His concern waswildlymisplaced. And, more important, Alex was his superior.
“Yes, miss,” he said sheepishly and gave a short bow before exiting.
With him gone, Alex was properly alone now. The building was always empty at this hour.
Because everyone else has people at home waiting for them.
She frowned at the unexpectedly maudlin thought. It wasn’t as if she was going home to an empty house. But then, her parents and Freddie didn’t really count. At least, not like that. And they knew better than to wait for her anyway. Alex ate alone in her room most evenings, while the rest of her family was out.
Because that is the way you like it.
And it had been. But now… now Alex wasn’t so sure.
