Page 50 of The Duke Says I Do
Reassured by his vehemence, she settled into her seat. “Then let’s go.”
“I want to kiss you.” The fervent admission launched her heart on a string of exuberant cartwheels. “But we’re not safe yet.”
“I wish you could, too,” she said with a touch of wistfulness.
The searing glance he shot her dowsed the last of her doubts.
He released her and seized the reins in both hands with a purpose that should have terrified her. After all, the purpose was her seduction. But his determination was uplifting. There was something to be said for falling in love with a supremely competent man.
She and Alaric remained silent, as he guided the light carriage out of the alley and into the traffic. Portia huddled back against the seat, although the veil hid her face and the vehicle’s hood protected her from casual curiosity.
Alaric’s skillful driving and the compact vehicle meant that even through crowded streets, they made good progress. Soon they were bowling along the highway toward Windsor, where they’d turn south for Surrey.
He urged the magnificent horses to a gallop. “There’s a rug under the seat if you’re cold.”
“Thank you, but I’m fine.” She sucked in what felt like her first full breath in hours, and her hands shook as she lifted the veil off her face. Immediately the scenery snapped into focus. The hedgerows on either side were white with blackthorn flowers and bare fields stretched to the horizon. It was that time of year where spring and winter vied for supremacy. The day was gray with squalls of rain, so the hood offered shelter against the weather as well as prying eyes. “How long is the journey from here?”
“Two hours if all goes well.”
Two hours didn’t seem long. Nerves raised their head again, despite the bolt of anticipation slamming through her. At last, they’d be alone with no risk of discovery. They’d never enjoyed that luxury. The prospect was both daunting and exhilarating.
“Are you hungry? There’s a basket in the back, if you want to stop. We’ll have a hot meal once we get to Surrey. I’ve arranged for the staff to leave the lodge stocked, and they’ve got orders not to come near the place until Friday afternoon.”
“No, I’m not hungry.” At least for food. Over the last few days, they’d met in the park for brief conversations, and last night, they’d been partners in a quadrille at Lady Chastain’s ball. Each meeting left behind a storm of futile longing.
They hadn’t risked waltzing again, after she told him about Kate and Leighton’s curiosity. Since that uncomfortable conversation, she’d avoided the Shelburns. Luckily, the crush at the events they all attended allowed her to do that without being too obvious. Or at least she hoped so. She couldn’t face another interrogation and having to tell more lies. Especially when she suspected that neither Kate nor Leighton believed a word she said.
Portia curled her fingers around Alaric’s arm, feeling the slide and release of his muscles as he controlled the horses withimpressive ease. She hadn’t wanted to distract him when he negotiated London traffic.
He’d stuck to the city’s less fashionable areas, where they were unlikely to encounter people that they knew. The fine horseflesh might draw a second glance, but in the capital’s workaday sectors, people were too busy to stop and speculate on who drove the natty little carriage.
“Do you…bring women to the lodge often?”
He tensed under her grasp. “Portia…”
She bit her lip. “I know it’s none of my business, but…”
His jaw firmed, although he didn’t shift his gaze from the road ahead. “You’re the only woman I’ve brought to my house in Lorimer Square. And you’ll be the only woman who’s visited my hunting lodge.”
His voice rang with sincerity. She couldn’t doubt that he spoke the truth.
Gladness eased the tension in her stomach. She couldn’t help smiling. “It shouldn’t matter—”
“But it does.”
“I’d hate to be a forgettable affair in a long line of forgettable affairs.”
His snort poured scorn on that shaky statement. “No fear. There’s been nobody like you, and there will be nobody like you. Ever.”
Because Alaric Dempster wasn’t given to extravagant statements, his words left her reeling. Silence descended for a minute or two, as she summoned the courage to ask the next question. “Can we…can we stop now?”
The glance he cast her was concerned. “Are you feeling ill?”
“No.”
The bays slowed to a halt. “You haven’t changed your mind?”
Portia realized that Alaric, too, had suffered bouts of uncertainty. It made her feel better to know that she wasn’talone in that. She liked that he didn’t take her for granted. “No, of course not.”
