“We did not,” he countered smoothly. “I concede, however, that you continue to amaze me. And you continue to bemuse me, as well. A woman who completes her toilette in minutes. A woman who abhors shopping and spending her husband’s money! You are quite unlike any other.”
Maura wasn’t sure if that was a compliment or not. She chose to take it as one. “Thank you,” she said crisply. “Now may I return to the hotel?”
He ignored the question. “Irish, you have the chance to spend whatever you like, on whatever you want, on as many gowns as you want. Most women would be in heaven.”
“As you just said, I am not like other women. And I hope you don’t mind my frankness, Scotsman, but it seems rather reckless of you to give a woman carte blanche in a shop such as this.”
Alec couldn’t believe it either. He took a deep breath. He didn’t understand it. He didn’t understand her. This was what she wanted, wasn’t it? She’d put herself in his bed in order to gain the right to proclaim herself Duchess of Gleneden. And now with his fortune in hand—all that it could buy—she shunned it! In the same way she shunned sharing his bed!
Or did she play at being coy in order to persuade him he was wrong? Either way, he was both angry and affronted.
“A bargain,” he said suddenly. “What if we make a bargain?”
She eyed him warily. “What sort of bargain?”
He caught her elbow when she instinctively stepped back. He chuckled. “Not that sort of bargain, Irish.”
Maura moistened her lips. “What, then?”
He leaned an elbow on the countertop. “Here is what I propose. Let Madame and her assistants obtain your measurements. Then you may choose one item from Madame’s shop—gowns, slippers, whatever you want—any article of female attire that you want. Cost is of no consequence.”
She gave a shake of her head. “But there is nothing I require.”
“I didn’t say to choose what you required, Duchess. I said choose something that you want. Something that will make you happy.”
Maura’s gaze whisked to the table of silk stockings behind him, then back to his face. “Are you not afraid I’ll send you to the poorhouse?”
He laughed. “You can try. Try as hard as you like.”
“And what if I say no?”
“Unless you pick out something you want, I’ll buy the whole damn shop.”
“What!” she cried.
“I will,” he vowed.
She cocked her head to the side. “Why do I have the feeling there is more to this bargain?”
“In turn, I will choose one item as well. Once we return to Gleneden, you will reveal your choice, and I will reveal mine. But once we are home, you must promise you will wear whatever I purchase…and whatever you purchase. That is the bargain.”
Maura pursed her lips in avid consideration. Alec sucked in a breath, his gut on fire. He resisted the urge to cover her lips with his, trace that delectable pink pout into his mouth and let desire lead where it would.
He settled for tracing the pondering frown between her brows. “Is that agreeable to you, Duchess?”
“If I am to save your fortune, then it appears I must,” she grumbled.
A smile grazed his lips. It blossomed into a low, full-bodied laugh. “All right, then.” He trailed a finger down the curve of her cheek. “Madame?” he called out. “Her grace is ready for her measurements.”
When she was done, Alec got up from the chair just outside the dressing room. “My turn to chat with Madame.”
As soon as he was gone, Maura went straight to the table of silk stockings. Picking up a pair, she let them slide through her fingers. Madame had looked at her a bit oddly when she told her what she wanted. And now Maura was giddy with pure delight. She felt like whirling around and hugging herself. Very soon she would have her very own pair of silk stockings.
Alec’s voice came from behind her. “I see you’re quite taken with those. They’re quite fine, aren’t they?”
Maura was too busy happily congratulating herself to notice that he wore a cat-who-swallowed–the-cream sort of smile.
They dined that night in the hotel dining room, a lovely room done up in hues of bronze and gold. Candlelight winked off the chandeliers.
