She licked her spoon and he paused, his eyes wide and his gaze on her mouth. She put her spoon into her glass dish. “I do not.”
He cleared his throat, then gave a crooked grin. “No matter. I will borrow Fee’s for you.”
“Fee does not skate?”
“She fell last year and refuses to go at all now.”
“Did she hurt herself?”
“Her pride. She was with a gentleman she liked. He never called again.”
“Well, that was poor of him.”
“I agree.”
“No woman needs a man who is so childish,” she declared.
Evan widened his marvelous eyes and nodded. “I agree to that, too.”
She shivered, liking his stops and starts at this flirting business. “So we will go skating as soon as the weather freezes a bit more and we have ice?”
“A necessary ingredient!” He reached across and wound his fingers in hers. “Let me take you riding in Hyde Park.”
Mary looked away.
Inès struggled to keep up the conversation. “It is rather chilly for that.”
“Don’t care for the cold weather, eh?”
“No. I like a fire inside when it is December outside.”
Mary offered her excuses and pointed to a friend she wished to speak to.
Evan spoke low. “I promise to always give you fires in December inside.”
She took his words to imply all risqué possibilities. He foiled her…and she loved it. So she tried to pick a new topic. “Do you play cards?”
“Dear me.” He feigned dismay with a furrowed brow. “I suppose you are a beast at the game?”
She sniffed. “We will not play for money, dear sir. That would be so unfair. And I am not unfair to my friends.”
“Success, then! I am your friend! That means we are finished here. Do come.” He rose and took her hand. “Let me show you off as my new friend. We will enjoy a stroll.”
“It is very cold, sir.”
“For minutes only. Mary can follow us.” He reached over to secure her scarf at the collar of her good winter coat. It was not the action of a friend so much as a lover.
She imbibed the joy of it even though she knew she must not. But she wished to walk with him and caught her maid’s gaze. The girl nodded, hurrying over, ready to leave.
“That’s the way of it, my dear,” he whispered to her alone. “You smile at me. I long to make you smile more. Come now.” Once again, he offered his arm and they left to stand on the pavement. “We will take a stroll to the corner. Then I will take you home.”
#
They arrived at the Ashleys’ townhouse within minutes. Mary hurried inside and Friendly, the butler, seeing through squinted, rheumy eyes that Lord Halsey helped Mademoiselle Bechard from his carriage, closed the door with a thud.
“Until tomorrow,” Halsey said as he bent over Inès’s hand. But he did not let go. Instead, he opened her palm and kissed her gloved center with hot fervor.
She could not take her eyes from him, nor steady her breath.What to say to him? “I wish your lips were on mine”? Non, non.“I am pleased you will come to the reception and bring your mother and sisters.”
