Page 29 of The Viscount and the Vicar's Daughter
CHAPTER 5
ALEXANDER PACED BACKand forth in his study, the newly arrived letter from his grandmother held tightly in his hand. He ought to have opened it, but Viola would be along at any moment since it was nearing the noon hour. For some odd reason, he wanted to read the letter with her.
His thoughts had been on Viola too much lately. He felt her absence whenever she left his home, and eagerly anticipated her arrival at the noon hour each day, much as he was doing now. He tried not to make too much of it. Was it not easier to blame his feelings on everything but the possibility that he liked her and she might be the right one for him?
But the planning of this party had gone too far now that his grandmother was aware. He also wanted to see it through for himself, to be certain Viola was not merely someone convenient for the moment, a comfortable companion to get him through the summer.
He did not think she was someone temporary.
It would be so much easier if this is all she was to him.
He turned at the knock on his study door and strode across the room to open it. “Greaves, is she here?”
“Yes, my lord. She is ensconced in the parlor, as usual.”
Viola was standing in wait beside the settee when he walked in. She looked so lovely in a simple gown of russet and her hair done up in gentle curls. He noticed the trim of lace around her collar and wondered if she had added it just for him. She never adorned her gowns with so much as a ribbon, but he liked this look. The delicate white lace looked pretty on her and seemed to bring out the soft rose of her cheeks. “I have something for you, Viola.”
He held up the letter.
She inhaled sharply and her dark eyes widened. “Is it a letter from your grandmother?”
He nodded. “Sit beside me and we shall read it together.”
“You waited for me before you opened it?”
“Yes. We are in this together, are we not?”
She blushed, obviously pleased.
They settled on the settee.
At first, Viola tried to keep a prim distance, but she soon gave up and scooted closer. Her shoulder rubbed against his arm and their thighs touched as she leaned over to read along silently. It struck him that he could have read the blasted correspondence aloud, but then Greaves would have overheard and reported it to the entire staff.
He liked their proximity, the soft press of her body against his, and realized this is what he had been missing these past two years. A touch.
This closeness.
Of course, he was feeling stronger urges than mere caresses toward Viola. The need to have a woman in his bed was plaguing him nightly as he emerged from his fog of bereavement. To his frustration, the woman in his dreams always seemed to be Viola. The physical ache was there, but he was also feeling the need to have someone to share his thoughts and confidences, and she fit that role as well.
Viola read to the bottom of the page and smiled up at him. “She’s complimented you on your selection of thesetondiamonds. Well, it sounds like a compliment.Your choices astound me.Or do you think she is being sarcastic and laughing over how terrible they are?”
“No, she would have warned me if she thought they were poor. You’re the one who deserves the compliment. I could not have accomplished this without you.”
She laughed, her eyes shimmering as she looked up at him with mirth. “Those gossip rags deserve the credit. It is my father and his fascination with sin that we must thank.”
Once again, she had him smiling, and he was beginning to wonder if any of the diamonds could make him feel this way. “So be it. But the menu is all yours and my grandmother thinks it is excellent. See, she says it right here.I cannot improve on your choices and look forward to tasting each course.”
“The proof will be in the tasting.”
“I have no doubt it will all be delicious.”
“Thank you, my lord. By the way, I cannot stay long today.”
His merriment immediately fled. “Why not?”
“Now that your grandmother has approved our food choices, I plan on experimenting with the recipes. I do not want to be underfoot in Mrs. Stringer’s kitchen, so I’ll gather the ingredients and make them at the vicarage. I plan on baking a game pie this afternoon.”
“Already sounds delicious.”
