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Silence stretched taut between them, plucking
at her nerves. When he finally spoke, he left the past behind. “You seem to have the beginnings of a successful business here.”
“Yes,” she answered breathlessly, some of the tension leaching from her body. “It’s very exciting.” Her eyes focused on his reflection in the window and caught his quick grin.
“Exciting?”
“Yes. Well, I think so. You probably think running a shop would make for a tedious life.”
He moved a few steps toward her. In defense, she turned to face him and his smile. “On the contrary,” he said. “I find business invigorating. I think one must find it exciting in order to be successful.”
“What is your business then?”
“I started importing years ago. Now I invest, generally. Ships, textiles, industry. Anything I think will make money.”
“Oh, that does sound fascinating.”
“It is. When you’re good, it is. If you’re not, then it’s just terrifying.”
“That good, are you?”
He laughed, the sound a delicious vibration in her belly. “I can afford to be confident.”
Smiling, Kate tried to ignore how comfortable it was to simply be with him. There had been an easiness between them from the very first moment they’d met.
“And what about you?” he asked. “How did you come to this?”
The easiness vanished like a dream. Clearing her throat, she straightened and edged past him to retrieve her cup. “I already told you. I missed England, and my husband had an idea for new income.”
“Yes, but how did you come to run the shop? How did you even know you would like it?”
“I . . . I . . .” She didn’t know what to say. In truth, she hadn’t known any more than that she’d needed to leave Ceylon and she’d needed an income as well.
Aidan cleared his throat. “I suppose you help with your husband’s estate.”
“Yes! Yes, exactly. He has a son from his first wife, so he helps with the planting side of it, but there is so much more than that.”
“And you have no children of your own?”
She’d been expecting the question, but it still squeezed her chest. He sounded so casual as he asked. So polite. “No. No children. And how is your family? Is your mother still well?”
A moment passed, but when he answered his voice was light. “She is as she ever was.”
Despite her nervousness, Kate couldn’t help but smile at the thought. “She has not mellowed with age?”
“Oh, God no. In fact, I’d say her imagination improves weekly.”
“And your brother? Has he made you an uncle, at least?”
“Not yet, much to my mother’s loud lament. But my sister just married. You remember Marissa?”
“Of course!” she said, though she hadn’t thought of her in years. “I was amazed by her. So beautiful and cool even as a child. If I had to guess, I’d say she married a dashing prince from a foreign land.”
“On the contrary, an untitled Englishman.”
“I don’t believe it.”
He winked. “Believe me, neither did we. But she loves him. Even I can see that now.”
