AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Ah, how interesting. There’s a story there for sure.” She nodded and glanced up and down the empty country lane. “Your horse has deserted you?”
“It seems so, for you managed to spook him beyond all my measures to calm him.”
Never once did she look contrite or even apologetic. “And Matthew hasn’t arrived.”
“Also a fact.” He frowned. Whoever the deuce he was. Where was the dressing down he wanted to deliver? His mind refused to turn over the words. The only thing it wanted at the moment was to imagine what that creamy skin beneath the fine lawn shirt felt like.
When she caught him staring at her chest, a knowing light entered her eyes, and he snapped his regard back to her face. “All right, then. You may go about your business.” Again, she waved a hand in dismissal. “I’m quite content alone.”
Now that was outside of enough. “And leave you to terrorize the remaining countryside that you haven’t yet?”
Her lips twitched as if she might grin, but it never materialized. A spattering of cool disappointment took up residence in his chest. “Are you an intelligent conversationalist, Lord Worthington? I detest small talk or strained silences. It’s a waste of perfectly good quiet.”
Once again, his jaw dropped. “I’d like to hope that I am.” Except right now, he appeared as a proper nodcock. He cleared his throat. “I’m an actuary when I’m in London.”
The improper woman frowned. “Which is what?”
“I deal in risks.” When she said nothing, he rushed in to fill the gap. “I analyze my friends’ business propositions or other cases for insurance agents, figure the risks for said projects, give an assessment of when and where they’ll fail and how badly, then I instruct my clients and friends in how to either manage the risk or minimize it if possible.”
For long moments she stared at him. “I don’t mean to offend you, Lord Worthington, but that sounds like a rather dull life.”
A trace of annoyance curled through his belly. “It provides satisfaction and gives my clients a layer of safety before they throw coin at something that might not return their investments.”
“And a rather sad way of looking at life.”
“How so?”
“We’re not nearly ready for that conversation so early in this one.”
The way she talked in riddles both frustrated and enchanted him. “For the first time, I don’t know how to respond to a lady.”
“That seems to be the popular response upon men meeting me.” A shrug only lifted one shoulder. “Well, then.” Lady Anne roved her gaze up and down his person with such intense scrutiny that he felt her regard as if she’d caressed him. “Despite your lack of sensible speech, we shall see what sort of companion you’ll make, but if you want my assessment, I’ve no doubt you’ll run away screaming from me before too long. Most people do.”
Whatever he thought she’d say, that wasn’t it. The brief glimpse of sadness in her eyes intrigued him, and he wanted to know why. “I don’t have enough information about you yet to make such an appraisal or evaluate a risk.” Yet, from her crash landing, it was a good wager that risk would come back high.
“It’s good we’ve met, for I can’t wait to see what you think.” Then she gestured a thumb toward the basket. “Come and help me right the gondola.”
“What the devil for?”
“Why not? I like the looks of you, and I have an instinct that you’re an intelligent man, so I’m giving you a field promotion.”
“I beg your pardon?” Benedict gawked. How could he not?
“I’m making you my assistant.” She winked, and when she smiled, a thrill danced down his spine to make him forget his aches and pains. “I’ll need one, for I intend to do another test flight before making a big sensation.”
“Which is what?” He’d unconsciously mirrored her earlier question.
“I have no idea right now, but it’ll come to me. If people are going to gossip, I ought to give them something appropriate to talk about, yes?”
Like the shell-shocked idiot that he was, he followed after her, still wondering where this whirling dervish had come from and why he’d so quickly fallen beneath her spell.
