Page 31 of The Duke's Pet

“All in good time,” he said.

She ducked her head and spooned in some more dinner.

“You should know,” he reached over and rested his hand on hers again, “that I only ever made love to my wife despite what Madam at The Rose and Thorns may have told you. When I enter another woman it will be because we both want that.” He paused. “It will be special.”

“And you think that special time could be with me?” She shook her head. “Of course you do, you’re paying Madam to—”

“Talk of money is vulgar at the table.”

“And talking of sex isn’t?”

“Touché.” He raised his drink. “Why don’t you tell me about your childhood. I’d like to hear more.”

“There’s not much to say.”

“I’m sure there is.” He studied her, his gaze intense, as though seeing into her soul.

“We were poor and lived hand to mouth.” She gestured around the grand dining room. There was a huge painting on one wall depicting a battle scene, and on the other a tapestry. “We ate at the table we prepared our meals on, we had no fineries, no silverware, no fancy little trinkets each worth a fine sum.”

He was silent, though his eyebrows raised a fraction.

“But we were happy,” she went on, pushing thoughts of the trinkets from her mind.

“And do you have fineries within you?”

“What does that mean?”

Fineries within me?

“We’ll see, shall we?” He popped a chunk of bread in his mouth and she got the impression that was as much as he’d say on the subject. “And did you have animals?” he asked.

“The farm was mainly arable, but yes, we had two goats.”

“And what became of them in the flood?”

“One was washed away, I never saw her again.”

“And the other?”

“I found her when the water receded. She was dead, bloated, and trapped in a shrub.”

He set down his spoon. “How unpleasant.”

“Yes, it was.” She missed her goats. They’d been her only company after her parents died.

“We have many deer on the estate.”

“Yes, I know. I saw them from the carriage.”

“I’m not a hunter,” he said. “But James has to keep the numbers down so we do eat a few.”

“It is good meat, good substance, my father brought one home a year before he died.”

“Yes, it is fine meat.” His gaze slipped over her. “A few hearty meals will do you good.”

She ran her hand over her collarbones. “I lost weight the winter just gone.”

“As you said, it was a hard winter. But that’s over now... you’re here.”

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