Page 32 of In Want of a Wife
He nodded, stumbling a few steps as he opened the door to help her inside.
“No need to trouble yourself now, Mr. Davies. I don’t wish to be a burden today.”
A dagger right to the heart.
Not that he should care. It wasn’t important if Lily liked him. She was intended for his brother. But he wasn’t a caveman. He had manners. Or so his mother had endeavored to teach him before he left to sail at eleven on theHMS Hopkington.
She climbed into the carriage and settled opposite of him, always looking ahead at the road before them. He sat across from her and signaled for the driver to begin. The coach rattled off to a slow start, and he cleared his throat, scratching at his jaw as she turned from the window to study him.
“I wish to…” He placed his hands on his lap and licked his lips. “That is, I wish to apologize for my behavior yesterday. I was terrible company. I am sorry.”
“I had a fine evening without you, though I appreciated you delivering dinner to my door, nonetheless. Thank you for your apology.”
The air inside the coach smelled too much of her perfume and was too hot. Or perhaps it was too quiet. His heart drummed in his ears as he opened the small handkerchief and revealed the tarts.
“I wish to make amends. Can we travel as friends now?” He held out his hand, scolding himself as it shook, waiting for her to reach for one.
“I don’t believe I asked for a friend. I wrote to your brother because he was seeking a wife.”
“Yes, but if we are friends, then we can at least endeavor to enjoy the journey.”
“Can a woman and a man be friends?” She snatched a tart and sat back with a big, easy smile. It was a welcome sight.
Her brown eyes lit up when she smiled.
“Anything is possible.”
Lily threw her head back and laughed, truly laughed. It filled up the carriage, and soon, Rafe found himself joining in. She took a delicate bite of her tart, closing her eyes as the bright raspberry jam hit her tongue.
Now, it was known quite well throughout many London social circles that Rafe loved tarts… of all kinds. But the damnedest thing was, watching Lily eat hers was perhaps the best tart he had ever had.
Trouble, he warned himself. It was much too early into the trip to be thinking such thoughts about his companion.
Hours later, after they had finished traveling for the day and were enjoying dinner together, he was having to remind himself of the same. The two had talked all day, about everything, and he had enjoyed it.
Lily reached for a glass of claret and speared another boiled potato with her fork, deep into a conversation about a celestial body she called the Milky Way.
Felton and the man before him… complete and utter cads. They didn’t deserve Lily.
“Are you paying attention?” she asked, waving her fork around while explaining gravitational force.
“I’m riveted.”
She kicked his boot under the table, biting the corner of her lip before her brown eyes met his.
Trouble.
Pure trouble.
Because not only did he enjoy his time with Lily, he couldn’t stophimself from flirting. Perhaps it was best if she thought him a grumpy arse.
He snickered, leaning forward in his seat and resting his face into his palm. “Please, I am. Continue.”
But now she was also giggling. And her nose scrunched up in the most adorable way.
“Prepare yourself. I can talk for days about the stars. I am working on writing a science textbook for young women. Well for anyone, really, but I wish to create greater access to the fascinating ways science shapes our lives.”
And I could listen,he thought.
