Page 28 of The Mister I Married

She couldn’t quite bring herself to believe that, but if Tess’s own brother didn’t think anything was wrong with her, how could Emmy be so certain there was? Perhaps it was nothing. Perhaps she should let it go.

“You don’t have an issue with our betrothal, do you?”

Emmy blinked, her gaze flicking up to meet his. “No,” she said instantly. “Do you?”

He smiled. “No.”

“Well.” She nodded once. “Good.”

“Right. Good.”

They stood like that for a long moment, smiling at each other, and Emmy flashed back to their kiss the other day. Was there time for another before their walk? Perhaps just a little one?

She let her gaze fall to his mouth and imagined leaning in and pressing her palms to his chest, her lips to his lips. What would he do if she kissed him right here and now?

“We should be going, Emmy,” Alex said, his voice gruff. “Your mother is waiting.”

She cleared her throat, warmth suffusing her cheeks. “Right. Of course.”

Slipping past him, she entered the house and made her way to the drawing room, her skin prickling with awareness of the quiet man walking behind her. Would he have kissed her in the garden if her mother weren’t waiting for them?

Was he thinking about kissing her right now, as she was thinking of him?

God, she hoped so.

“There you are,” Lady Keswick said, rising from the sofa as Emmy entered the drawing room with Alex at her heels. “Miss Whitcomb and I were beginning to wonder what had detained you two.”

“Apologies,” Emmy said. “We were…discussing the weather.”

Saints be, her hesitation had made the remark sound like a double entendre.

Her cheeks flushed anew, but fortunately no one made a remark, though her mother’s brows had flicked up and Tess’s smile was decidedly sly.

“Shall we go, then?” Alex asked, his even voice soothing the uncomfortable moment.

The foursome filed from the room then paused in the entrance hall to don their outerwear before filing down the front steps and out onto the pavement below.

The skies were mostly sunny today, dotted with only a handful of wispy white clouds, but out in the open like this, the breeze was rather too gusty for Emmy’s liking, pushing at her skirts and mussing the wispy curls framing her cheeks.

Lady Keswick and Tess took the lead, strolling up Grosvenor Street toward the park. With a smile, Alex proffered his arm, and Emmy wrapped her fingers around his forearm, feeling unaccountably bashful. They walked like that in silence, but it was not a comfortable one. At least, not for her. She was much too aware of him—the faint scent of his spiced soap, the unhurried confidence in his walk, the solid strength of his forearm beneath her fingers.

And her lips still tingled from the temptation of another kiss.

She pressed them together, willing the weakness and all her silly thoughts away as she focused instead on the walk and her surroundings.

Despite the occasional gust of wind, it was a lovely day out, and their stroll along Hyde Park’s crowded pathways was peaceful and pleasant. Tess seemed to be enjoying herself, smiling and laughing as she chatted with Emmy’s mother, and before long, they were on their way back home.

“I didn’t have a chance to ask you last night,” Emmy said to Tess as they followed behind Lady Keswick and Alex. “Did you enjoy the performance?”

“Oh, yes,” Tess said. “I’ve never seen an Italian opera before and Madame Vestris was positively magnificent.” She glanced at Emmy, her sky blue bonnet ribbons fluttering beneath her chin. “Thank you again for inviting me.”

“You are most welcome,” Emmy said with a smile. “You’ll have to join us again soon.”

Tess nodded, though her own smile seemed stiff.

“Before we go to the theater again, though, I was thinking of hosting another gathering for you. A Venetian breakfast, perhaps?” She flicked an inquiring glance at Tess. “What do you think?”

Tess looked down at her boots as if fascinated by her steps on the pavement.