He poured two glasses and held one out to her.
“It’s midday, my lord.”
“Excellent point; we are behind.” He nudged the glass out to her again and this time she took it. He placed the bottle on the floor—he didn’t need to keep brushing up against her—and then backed away to give his brain some space to think. He always thought better while pacing.
Alexander was forced to admit she was making some sense. At this sobering thought, he sat down on the edge of the bed and took another, longer drink.
“All right,” he said with a swallow, “I suppose I’ll go to your father, then.” She laughed and again it was harsh and joyless. He lost himself for a moment imagining her real laugh. One that wasn’t bitter. He raised an eyebrow at her.
She squeezed her eyes shut and took a large swill of gin to steel herself for what came next. Unfortunately, what came next was a coughing fit. Alexander let out his own very real laugh, although he tried to cover it up when her eyes shot to him mid-cough.
“The trick is to breathe out after thesip,” he explained.
“There won’t be another ‘sip’!” she exclaimed. “That was dreadful! I used to resent men for keeping this from us. They’ve just risen in my esteem quite a bit now.”
“Except me.” Alexander found himself pushing the issue of her dislike for him yet again. He wasn’t sure why it disturbed him so for this woman not to like him—perhaps because it was a rather novel experience for him.
Everything she had listed—his money, his servants, his carriages, of which there were actually four—seemed like an asset. Some perverse part of him wanted her to admit that she looked down on him because he was a bastard, no matter how sickly his older brother might be. Despite her own family’s ill repute, she surely thought herself to be above an illegitimate second son.
Or was it something else? Even if he was not her desired partner in matrimony, surely some small part of her was enamored of him?
“Sadly, you have dropped even further in my esteem, my lord, as you were the one to finallyprovideme with the drink. Thus, I must lay all blame squarely at your feet.” Her eyes were twinkling a little; Alexander had the strangest feeling that she might be flirting with him. He ignored the small bell that pealed inside of his chest, warning him.
“Your father won’t acquiesce to you marrying me? I assure you I’m quite persuasive.”
“That I believe.”
Alexander found himself quietly thrilled by that statement, for some reason.
“Why, may I ask, do you assume he’d refuse my suit?IfI were to offer, which—although the end of last evening is a little fuzzy—I do not recall doing. I’ll remind you that I am the son of a duke.” Alexander braced himself to hear that his bastard blood was too dirty for Lord Tidewell’s pure, sweet princess of a daughter.
“Regardless of your parentage, you’ll have a difficult time getting permission for my hand from my father—” Here it came, the truth of the matter: His parentagewasan issue for her, and her father as well. “—as he is … well …in absentia.”
Alexander’s attention returned to her a little late.
“In absentia?”
“Yes, he’s … well, he’s gone.”
“Gone where?”
“I haven’t a clue. I’m afraid he’s missing.”
“Your father ismissing?”
“Is there something I’m not explaining well? I’m normally quite good with words.” He had no doubt about that, the woman clearly enjoyed talking.
“And your mother?”
“I presume she’s still in the parish cemetery.” Harriet said it casually, but her entire body stiffened.
A knock on the door interrupted Alexander’s lack of response.
“Come in,” Harriet called out and Miss Evans entered again with a tray laden with food.
She lingered for much longer than it should have taken to deposit a tray, making sheep’s eyes at Alexander. Harriet pursed her lips in poorly concealed annoyance, and Alexander allowed himself to feel warmed by that. Perhaps she was more interested in him than she let on.
As soon as Miss Evans left, Harriet tucked into their breakfast. He was never so grateful for coddled eggs; the interruption in her speech gave him time to think. And to finish dressing. Even if the clothing she provided wasn’t meant to be traveled in, at least it didn’t smell of perspiration and liquor. He felt sorry Harriet didn’t have her own change of clothes, but he didn’t mind the sight of her in that white dress.
