Page 5 of Black and Silver

“I am almost ready to depart, my lord,” she said, hugging her parcel closer. “If you will but give me ten minutes to complete the process and to have my things brought down, I shall be ready to venture out with you.”

“Of course, my lady,” Lawrence said, bowing gravely, though he couldn’t hide the delight he felt. The journey to Wales could take weeks, depending on the weather, and he would have the privilege of spending all that time with her.

Lady Minerva left him, and Lawrence was politely asked to step outside once more. The rain had picked up a slight bit, but he did not hide away in his carriage as he could have.

Instead, as soon as Lady Minerva emerged with a rather large valise, he rushed to assist her.

“Allow me, my lady,” he said, smiling despite the rain.

“I can manage quite well on my own,” Lady Minerva snapped in return.

Her attempt at independence, and Lawrence was certain that’s what it was, which he could easily forgive her for, was marred slightly by the alert way she glanced up and down the street before handing her valise off to Silas in order for him to add it to the trunk at the back of the wagon. She continued to search the area as Lawrence offered her a hand to step into the carriage. Once she was seated, she tucked herself into the far corner of the rear-facing seat and hugged her black coat around her.

“I say,” Lawrence joked, looking up and down the street himself, then pretending to peer blindly into the carriage without seeing much. “Silas, have you seen Lady Minerva Llewellyn? I swear, she was here a moment ago, but she seems to have disappeared entirely.”

“Must you?” Lady Minerva sighed over his antics.

“Oh! There you are,” Lawrence said, stepping into the carriage and sitting on the forward-facing seat. “You veritably blend into the shadows in that coat.”

“Yes, well, sometimes it is best to blend into the shadows,” she said frostily.

Lawrence laughed softly and settled himself in as Silas finished with the trunk, then took his seat atop the carriage and nudged the horses onward.

“Oh, I should beg your pardon, my lady,” Lawrence said once they were moving safely along the road. “I have a final errand I must attend to before we take to the western road.”

“An errand?” Lady Minerva asked with far too much alarm. “Where? In the city?”

“In Marylebone, actually,” Lawrence said. “Not much farther on than here. A friend of mine who is an art broker sent me a letter just before I left the house an hour ago, informing me of a gallery in Hamburg that wishes to stage an exhibition of my work.”

Lady Minerva’s entire countenance changed as she blinked and sat straighter. “I’d forgotten you were an artist, my lord. My friends who have married into your family told me, of course, but I am sorry to say that I cannot recall ever seeing any of your paintings displayed.”

“Sculptures,” Lawrence said, blushing a bit. “I am predominately a sculptor. Though I do sketch quite a bit while doing studies for my pieces.”

“Sculptor, then,” Lady Minerva said with a nod. “Are you in the National Gallery?”

Lawrence cleared his throat. “Er, no. My sculptures are more for … private audiences.”

For the first time since fetching her, Lawrence caught a sparkle in Lady Minerva’s eyes. “I am intrigued, my lord.”

“As all good minxes are,” Lawrence answered her cheekily.

That caused Lady Minerva to tense up and hug herself tighter again.

“I beg your pardon, my lady,” Lawrence said, wincing. “I should not have presumed to jest with you so early in our acquaintance. I think you will find that I frequently make the wrong comment at the wrong moment. It is just that I find society to be so unbearably stuffy and restrained sometimes. Life is enjoyable. I cannot fathom why people hide from that so much.”

Lady Minerva waited far too long, staring at him, before saying, “Indeed.”

The conversation faltered from there. A few things were said about the weather and about the length of the journey as they traveled on to Loesser’s office, but not much.

Lawrence gave Lady Minerva the option of waiting in the carriage while he stepped inside to see what the details of the deal Loesser wanted to work out for him were, but she declined. That came as a bit of a surprise, but perhaps not as much as it could have when Lady Minerva rushed straight from the carriage and into the office building, pulling her bonnet down over her face, lest anyone passing recognize her.

“You are beginning to make me think you are some sort of spy, my lady,” Lawrence whispered as they approached the desk at the front of the office.

“No, you have me confused with my friend, Lady Kat,” Lady Minerva said, sending Lawrence a sideways look.

Lawrence’s heart lifted. It appeared Lady Minerva did have a sense of humor after all.

“Ah, Lord Lawrence, welcome,” Loesser said, stepping out of the back room and up to the other side of the desk. “That was quick.”

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