‘Yes,’ she said, for some inexplicable reason.
A slight tug on the corner of his mouth indicated he found her response amusing. ‘Emily is suggesting a game of lawn bowls this afternoon and I have come to ask you if you would do me the honour of being on my team.’
‘I…’ What was this? Hadn’t they fallen out yesterday? This whole encounter should be tense and unpleasant. She did not want to be at odds with him, but she would like some indication that he was as thrown by their interaction at the lake as she was. ‘Yes.’
‘Excellent. I am sure to win in that case. I am told you are very competitive.’
‘I…’ What was he about? His continuing to appear utterly normal was both unnerving and annoying.
‘You?’ He raised a questioning eyebrow.
‘I am very good at lawn bowls.’
His lips tilted up at the corners and her traitorous heart stuttered. ‘I am sure that you are. As it happens, I am particularly proficient too. My brothers will not know what has hit them.’
Somehow they were getting closer, but she wasn’t entirely sure which one of them was moving. She was no longer pressed up against the table with the map, so it had to be at least partly her and yet she had no recollection of her feet taking her in his direction. His thumb brushed the back of her hand and she startled.
‘Have you changed your mind?’ she whispered.
‘No,’ he said equally as quietly. ‘Have you?’
‘You cannot mean it.’
Somewhere inside the room, a clock chimed, announcing a change of hour. ‘Why not?’
‘I do not believe you had given any thought to marrying me before yesterday.’
His fingers traced hers and he turned them slightly so that their hands were entwined. ‘I know you do not like it when you are in the wrong, so I will not argue that point with you. However, you must see that it is an eminently sensible thing to do.’
‘Sensible? You will need to explain, because as far as I can see, your suggestion is the opposite.’ There was nothing sensible about how she felt about the man standing in front of her. Infuriated? Yes. Confused? Yes. Intoxicated? Unfortunately, yes.
His eyes were crinkling now, almost like her pique amused him. ‘I find that I cannot stop thinking about you. Even now when you are like an indignant hen, I would like to resume kissing you.’
‘I am not like a hen,’ she said, choosing to focus on that, rather than the kissing.
‘A furious cat then.’
They had moved so close together that only a sliver of air separated them. ‘That is not accurate either.’
‘Very well, here are some other reasons why a union between you and me is a good idea. Firstly, you can talk well under pressure. I cannot.’
‘You are talking perfectly well in this moment.’
‘I am capable of speech.’ His gaze kept dropping to her lips and it took all her restraint not to lean up and press her mouth to his once again. She didn’t because she wanted to know what else he had to say. ‘However, we both know my words can vanish at inopportune times. Yours, fortunately, do not.’
‘That is not enough to make a marriage successful.’ But it was a good point. They could work well as a partnership, and she could see how she could help him in this regard, but was that really worth giving up her freedom?
‘You would be able to ride Daisy whenever you wished. I would give her to you as a gift if we didn’t marry, but as you know, she cannot be separated from Montagu and so alas being my wife is the only way to keep riding her.’ He grinned, a quick flash of teeth. ‘I can see from your narrowed eyes this is not enough of an incentive. How about Charlotte? If we were wed, you would be able to live with her all year round. Ah,’ he said softly, the amusement fading from his eyes. ‘I did not mean to tease you about that. I can see it is something that you would like and I do not mean to be cruel.’
‘You do not mean your proposal then?’ She did not know why she kept pressing him on this point. She had already given him her answer. Marriage was a cage and no matter how much Tobias mightwant to protect her from that, he could not guarantee that she would not chafe at the restrictions of being a duchess. As the duke, he would know how many rules he lived by that would be worse for her because she was a woman and the world was naturally harder towards her sex.
‘I do mean it, but I will not use Charlotte as bait; I would not make light of her situation.’ He cocked his head to one side as if considering what else he could offer. It was interesting that he was not proffering being with him all the time as one of the incentives. ‘Instead, I will try and tempt you with my cook’s fruit cake.’
Her heart squeezed, because this funny, generous, thoughtful man did not think to list himself as a benefit. Part of her wanted to point that out, but the other side of her, the side she was trying to protect, didn’t want him to realise just how highly she thought of him. Besides, it was all very well her getting all these privileges, but he was getting an older woman for his bride, one who it was proven could not have children. She couldn’t understand, other than having someone to talk for him, what he would get out of the exchange. ‘What do you get in return?’
‘I get you,’ he said, making her sound like a prize very much to be desired, and the rest of the world fell away, leaving only him.
His lips brushed hers, once again, and again. Before he could move away, she gripped his arms and tugged him closer. She could taste his smile in his kiss. Walking her backwards, he pressed her against the bookshelves, but she was too far gone to notice books digging into her spine.
