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“No, thank you. As to the funds, Father is going to put them up so work can begin today. Allard is already busy talking to carpenters and the like and is just waiting for word. We can send a message to him this afternoon.”
“Oh, no, Lucas! I will not have your father paying for it. I won’t be beholden to him in that way, especially since he is playing host to us under false pretenses. I simply can’t—don’t you see? We will have to wait for the funds. It should only take a day or two.”
“Lavinia, be reasonable. My father is not doing this to curry favor, except, possibly, with me. Perhaps he missed me while I was gone; who knows? At any rate, this wasn’t a declaration of orders; it was an offer. A sensible one I urge you to consider.”
He finished off his tea and set the cup and saucer on the table. “Come,” he said, standing. “A distraction is what you need. How about a nice stroll in the garden and some fresh air?”
“I should like that,” she said. “You’re right—a distraction would be just the thing I need to clear my mind.”
“There’s a particular spot not far from the formal gardens that is so breathtakingly romantic that a young lady cannot resist kissing the gentleman she is with—at least that is what I have been told.”
“Indeed?” she asked, biting her lip in order to stay serious.
“I can only relate what I’ve heard on the matter,” he said solemnly. “It may be exaggerated rumor.”
“Exaggerated rumor.”
“Orit might very well be true. I think we should investigate the matter for ourselves. What do you think?”
He was flirting with her, and she was flirting with him. Flirting had only ever been a tool in her arsenal for keeping men off-balance, not a playful means of expressing her attraction to someone.
His eyes twinkled merrily as he waited for her response.
Oh, but he was lovely—strong and capable and handsome, and she was attracted to all those things about him. Her trust in him was growing stronger. It made her feel less alone and vulnerable and, unexpectedly, morereal. It was a step toward discovering who Lavinia Fernley, the woman, was.
She placed a finger to her lips in feigned deep thought. “Such a curious locationshouldbe studied carefully, if for no other reason than to dispel or confirm its claim. Unsuspecting people might wander into this spot and find themselves in complicated attachments that were not of their intent. We should indeed investigate.”
He grinned and crooked his elbow out for her to slip her arm through. “I was hoping that was what you were going to say.”
“Indeed?”
“I am a hopeful man,” he said.
Oh, she was in trouble—deep, deep trouble, she thought as she strolled with him through the house and along the formal gardens to a secluded spot that was indeed pretty but much like the rest of the landscape. But because she was with Lucas, it was as breathtakingly romantic as he’d claimed it would be, and she had to concur with the rumors, for she indeed kissed him willingly, and there was no hesitation on his part either.
His arms enveloped her and felt both secure and freeing. She closed her eyes as her hands explored the strength of his arms and shoulders and the softness of his hair, by contrast, while his lips sought hers over and over again. His face was still smooth from his morning shave, and he smelled of soap and warm amber. Lavinia closed her eyes, and for the first time, she allowed herself to revel in the arms of a man. An honorable and caring man.
His lips eventually parted from hers. “We must return to the house now, my dear,” he said softly. “I will not have your reputation remarked upon, even if I am allowed time alone with my ‘betrothed.’” He kissed her again and gazed into her eyes, and Lavinia could not look away. “I must take you back while I am still in control of my wits. You are even more beautiful than usual, if that’s possible, when you look at me like that.”
“How am I looking at you?” She had no idea what he saw.
“I daren’t say. I will let you figure that out on your own. Come, Lavinia. Let us return. We have a farm to restore and a wedding to pretend to plan.”
She put her hand in his, and they walked back to the house.
