Page 70 of Love Wasn’t Built in a Day

“A bottle of white wine—hopefully still chilled, and glasses,” she said, setting them out on the blanket. Gideon took up the bottle and set about opening it. “A large pork pie, roast beef sandwiches, cold roast chicken, minced meat patties, cheese, and fresh bread rolls, pickled walnuts, strawberries, a Madeira cake, Ratafia biscuits and jam tarts.”

“Are you expecting company?” Gideon asked, laughing.

“No, just one hungry architect who, I suspect, does not eat as he ought to do.”

“Oh, you think I’m all skin and bones, is that it?” he asked, giving her a speaking glance as he poured a glass of wine and handed it to her.

Hetty took it, feeling her pulse skip as their fingers brushed. “Well, I should know, having seen all there is,” she replied bluntly.

Gideon gave a bark of laughter. “Wretch! Found me wanting, did you?”

Hetty felt her cheeks blaze and returned her attention to the basket, taking out the plates and cutlery. “No. Not in the least, I—I thought you looked beautiful.”

She dared a glance at him to find Gideon watching her, a simmering look in his eyes. “Men aren’t beautiful,” he replied, though there was a quality to his voice that quickened her already hurrying pulse.

“I must beg to disagree,” she replied, holding his gaze for as long as she could before the tension became too unbearable. “Chicken leg?” she offered, holding one out to him.

A slow, wolfish grin curved his lips, but he reached out and took it, biting into it with relish.

To her relief, as they made their way through the delicious picnic and the excellent wine, the atmosphere became easier, and they talked just as naturally as they always did.

“Now then,” she said, cutting Gideon an enormous slice of cake and spooning on a good quantity of strawberries. “I have a plan to catch your thief.”

He looked at the massive chunk of Madeira cake with amusement but said nothing. “Oh?”

Hetty nodded, hardly able to wait to explain it to him. “It’s wonderfully devious, if I say so myself. You know, Gideon, I rather like the idea of being a lady detective, I think I have a knack for it. Anyway, you remember I suggested using the ironmongery as a lure?”

Gideon watched her, a smile warming his eyes as he nodded, his mouth full of strawberries.

Hetty hurried on. “Well, imagine a large box filled with lovely, solid brass doorknobs and escutcheons and finger plates. They’re expensive and portable, too tempting for your thief to resist.”

“Yes, I agree, but I need to catch him, not just give him more things to walk off with.”

“I know, and here’s the clever bit. What if we cover the top of the box with layers of tissue paper, which won’t seem the least bit odd for such valuable items.”

“How does that help?” he demanded, frowning as he scooped up more strawberries and cake.

Hetty tsked impatiently, eager to explain. “It doesn’t, but what if between the layers of paper, we put powdered paint, in the brightest colours we can find. The moment the thief lifts the paper, the paint will fly everywhere. It would stick to his clothes and his shoes too, so even if he washed his hands, he’d not be able to rid it from himself completely.”

Hetty sat back, heart thumping as she watched Gideon’s face expectantly. He had paused with his loaded spoon in midair, staring at her.

He frowned, setting the spoon down carefully, and for a moment Hetty’s heart stuttered. Don’t be like everyone else, she begged silently. Don’t tell me not to trouble my head about things that are too complicated for me. She did not realise she’d been holding her breath until he spoke again.

“That’s brilliant.”

Hetty sighed, an unsteady gust of air as her heart recommenced beating. “Truly?”

Gideon laughed, gazing at her, the admiration in his eyes so blatant she flushed with pleasure.

“Truly,” he agreed. “You are the most remarkable girl, Hetty. I’ve met no one else like you in my life.”

“Lucky you,” she said, not knowing what else to say, unused to compliments that actually meant something, that held the unmistakable ring of truth.

“Don’t do that,” he said gently.

Overhead a seagull called, the shrill cry plaintive as the wind buffeted the bird, and it wheeled and then glided away.

Hetty swallowed, aware they were snatching this moment alone, taking it from the real world and making it their own. For this moment, they lived in a little bubble, where no one could touch them. She watched as Gideon moved his plate aside and shifted closer.