Twelve
Vivi welcomed the stop to change horses and hastened to exit the carriage when Lord Andrew opened the door. Not only had her backside grown numb from the prolonged period of sitting, but her mind was also turning to mush. Although Lana’s conversational skills were exceptional, there was only so much Vivi could contribute before she grew restless. She was the type of lady who preferred doing to discussing.
She swept her gaze over the coaching yard and didn’t see Luke. Where could he have gone? She had spotted him only moments before their arrival.
Lord Andrew assisted his wife down the steps next then tucked her hand into the crook of his arm. “Shall we retrieve the girls?”
“Yes,” Lana said on a rush of breath.
Vivi bit her bottom lip as she watched her companion hurry to gather her daughters from the nurse. How difficult it must be for Lana to be separated from her children all day. If Vivi were any kind of friend, she would invite the girls to join them in Luke’s carriage. She opened her mouth to make the suggestion, and a loud shriek caused her to jump.
Egads. That child had a voice. Perhaps she would wait until they reached the next coaching inn before extending an invitation.
“Would you like to take refreshment, Lady Vivian? Luke will join us in a moment.” Lord Andrew cuddled his daughter against his chest and placed a kiss on her red curls. Chloe, or perhaps it was Claire—she had a difficult time telling the little ones apart—seemed mesmerized by his moving mouth and grabbed for his lips.
It was an unwelcome reminder of her encounter with Luke last night. Vivi wheeled around before anyone could see the hot blush climbing her neck and stealing into her cheeks. “I-I believe fresh air will benefit me most. Please, don’t allow me to keep you from taking refreshment, though.”
“If you are certain…”
She kept her back to her chaperones, feigning interest in the mundane tasks performed by the servants. “I’m quite certain, thank you.”
“Very well.”
Her maid hung behind as the brood entered the inn, Lana’s happy chatter becoming muffled with the closing of the door. Winnie’s shoulders drooped on a loud sigh. “Do you wish to take another stroll, my lady?”
The poor dear. Being confined to a small space with two forces of nature and their frazzled nurse must require great fortitude.
“Not this time, Winnie. You may find a quiet place to rest. I promise not to wander away.”
Winnie’s thin brows shot upward. “You? Not wander?”
Vivi sniffed; her earlier compassion for her maid was dissipating a bit. “I will confine my wanderings to the stable yard. Does that put your mind at rest?”
“Not by much, my lady.” Her maid glanced around the coaching yard with her fingers laced. The area was deserted, except for the ostler, stable boys, and Luke’s servants. There was no danger present. “Will you stay close to His Grace’s servants?”
“I have already given my word. Now, go. Enjoy the rest. I am sure you have earned it.”
Winnie slowly shook her head. “I don’t know. Lady Brighthurst said I should look after you, my lady.”
“Win, I’m not making a request. Take some refreshment and rest. No more arguments.”
Winnie turned on her heel and plodded up the stairs in a sulk.
Vivi released a pent-up breath when the door to the inn closed behind her maid. Vivi didn’t require a keeper, and she certainly didn’t need one on the brink of keeling over from exhaustion.
She began a leisurely circle of the stable yard, grateful for a moment alone. She stayed close to the outer perimeter so as not to interfere with the men’s work. The fenced area proved uninspiring in the extreme. Nothing but horses, harnesses, and sweaty men.
And the smell…
She pretended to scratch her nose to block the stench, not wishing to insult anyone.
Stopping at a wooden gate, she eyed the pebbled path beyond it. A trail wound alongside the inn and disappeared behind the building. Perhaps she would find quiet and escape the smell if she followed it. Another carriage drove into the yard. While everyone was occupied with the new arrival, she unlatched the gate and hurried through it. The gate banged back in place behind her.
Unexplored paths had always been irresistible to Vivi. An unknown trail filled her with anticipation for what she might find at the other end. A cozy cottage? A swing shaded by the lush branches of an oak? A hidden garden or tranquil pond? How was anyone to resist the temptation of discovery?
The trail wound alongside a copse of trees, and tall grass grew up to the path’s edge. She could still hear the rattling of harnesses and the deep, mumbled voices of the men in the distance, but civilization receded for the moment. Tension escaped her on every breath, and she tipped her face up to feel the warm sun on her skin. This was exactly what she had needed: a chance to convene with nature.
Rounding the building, she entered a clearing where a kitchen garden grew. Vegetables weren’t nearly as romantic as flowers, but it was more pleasant than the stable yard. She walked between rows of lettuces, attempting to identify the different varieties. She paused before a weed that had sprouted up between the lacy leaves.
“You don’t belong here.” She removed her gloves and bent over to pull the interloper from the dark soil. Straightening with a smile, she resumed her walk. A few paces down the row she spotted another weed and frowned. She plucked it from the ground, and upon standing, she found two more.
For heaven’s sake. Someone had been neglecting her duties. The invading pests seemed to pop up from no place as soon as she turned her back. She tossed both gloves toward the edge of the garden and set to work pulling the weeds. She would have this row looking quite the thing in no time.
Pleasing warmth invaded her cheeks and her breathing grew heavier as she extracted weed after weed. Her heart practically sang with joy as it pushed blood through her veins. Her hat slipped forward and she shoved it back on her head. Halfway down the row, she encountered an especially stubborn fellow and tugged on it with both hands, throwing her hips into wrestling the weed from the spot where it had taken root. She swiveled side to side, but it wouldn’t give up its purchase.
“Peas and carrots!”
A chuckle sounded behind her.
Vivi bolted upright with a gasp and spun around.
Mr. Collier was regarding her with a crooked smile. His pale eyes were shot through with red, and his face looked puffy. “My apologies, Lady Vivian. I didn’t intend to startle you.”
“Mr. Collier.” She swiped her forehead with the back of her hand “I-I wasn’t expecting you.”
“Nor would I expect you to.” His grin widened as he extracted a handkerchief from his pocket and approached her. “You have a smudge on your face.”
“Oh!” She reached out to accept his offering, but he didn’t hand over the handkerchief. Instead, he stood too close and touched the cloth to her forehead.
“Allow me to assist, Lady Vivian.” His nearness made her fidgety inside, and she stepped away from him.
“Thank you, sir. I am certain the smudge is gone now.”
“My pleasure, my lady.” He tucked the handkerchief back into his waistcoat. “May I inquire into what you are doing in the garden?”
A relevant inquiry, she supposed. Nevertheless, as foolishness rarely sufficed as a reasonable excuse in her experience, she was at a loss.
“There was a weed.” She looked down at her dirty hands. “I saw a weed.”
He must think her a ridiculous young woman. And his opinion might not trouble her under different circumstances, but everything she did now reflected on Luke.
“How interesting,” Mr. Collier muttered. “Do you enjoy gardening?”
Vivi’s gaze snapped to his.
He smiled in return. “My grandmother has an aptitude for growing plants.”
“I enjoy being outside.”
“Riverton Manor boasts impressive flower gardens. Perhaps you would like to visit sometime.” He took another step toward her, and her heart began drumming in her ears.
She tried to ease away from him without her efforts appearing obvious. “Riverton sounds lovely, sir.”
His eyelids drooped lazily as he allowed his gaze to roam over her. “I would consider it an honor if you paid us a visit. Grandmother enjoys having guests. She keeps a decent town house in Mayfair, as well. Of course, she is too frail to travel now, so I stay there during the Season to ensure it is well cared for in her absence. You should see the interior. It is something to behold.”
Vivi stood up straighter. “I’m uncertain what you take me for, sir, but I do not call upon unmarried gentlemen, whether at their town houses or otherwise. Now, if you will excuse me, I shall be going.”
When she tried to sweep past him, he captured her arm. “Forgive me, Lady Vivian. I didn’t mean to imply anything untoward.”
Mr. Collier may appear harmless with his ready smiles, but she had seen him deep in his cups last night. She was also aware of the company he kept. A man like him could ruin her within the blink of his bloodshot eyes.
Her gaze landed on his hand holding her, and he released her. Shrugging sheepishly, he stepped back. “I have done it again, haven’t I? I am hopeless around ladies. I never know the correct thing to say, and I unfailingly make a cake of myself.”
His embarrassment stirred her sympathy. She knew all about feeling lost when it came to interacting with the opposite gender. “We may have more in common than you know, Mr. Collier.”
“Oh?” His thin brows arched up. “How so?”
“I, too, often find myself looking like a fool.”
He laughed. It was a nice sound, like he had practiced until he’d honed the perfect expression of merriment. “I look like a fool, do I?”
Her stomach pitched. “No, I didn’t mean—”
His smile widened. “Please, give it no more thought. I appreciate your attempts to make me feel less awkward. You are a kind young woman.”
“Thank you, sir.” She looked beyond his shoulder toward the path leading back to the stable yard. “I hope you won’t take offense, but I would like to avoid being discovered alone in your company.”
“None taken.” Mr. Collier stepped aside, another chuckle rumbling from his chest.
She scooted past him and hurried to put distance between them. She glanced back once more to reassure herself he wasn’t following before she turned the corner and barreled into a hard chest; her face smashed into a dusty cravat.
“Oh!” She stumbled backward, but strong fingers closed around her shoulders and saved her from tumbling to the ground.
A slight crease appeared on Luke’s forehead. “Here you are. Your maid is worried sick. I wish you wouldn’t wander off alone. What if someone else had come upon you?”
She tossed another quick look over her shoulder, fearful Mr. Collier would come around the corner any moment, and Luke would know she hadn’t been alone.
“Forgive me. It won’t happen again.” She linked arms and tried to drag him in the opposite direction, which was not an easy task, a lady moving a mountain.
He slanted a smile at her as he allowed her to draw him back toward the coaching yard. “No harm has been done.”
She exhaled, but her relief was premature.
Luke stopped and captured her hands. “Where are your gloves?” His frown deepened when he flipped her palms up. “Perhaps a better question is why are your hands covered with dirt?”
She pulled from his grasp, a light sweat blanketing her body, and took a deep, fortifying breath. This wouldn’t be the first time she had incited a gentleman to raise his voice.
“I saw a weed.”
“A weed?” A note of laughter rang in his voice, easing her concern.
“Several, actually. In the garden behind the inn. It has been horribly neglected.”
“I see.” He scratched the dark shadow on his jaw. “And your gloves?”
Her heart skipped a beat. “I—they are still in the garden.” She held up a finger. “Wait here while I retrieve them.”
“Don’t be silly. I will retrieve them on your behalf.”
If Luke sought out her gloves, he would discover Mr. Collier. “No!”
She stepped into his path. He came up short. He took a step to the left to go around her, but she countered his move.
“Vivian, what are you doing? Allow me to pass.”
As he tried once more to go by, she darted in front of him. “Wait! You can’t leave me. I—I’m feeling faint.”
“Faint?” Luke’s eyes narrowed. “You appear fine.”
“No, no. I am not.” She swayed on her feet to lend believability to her performance. “I might swoon.” She considered holding a hand to her forehead, but it seemed too melodramatic by half.
He grabbed her around the waist, his hands hot through the fabric of her travel dress. Her throat stopped working properly, and her head swam. She might very well faint right here in his arms.
He leaned forward until they were eye to eye. Her lids drifted to half-mast and her breath escaped her in shallow puffs.
“I would venture you have never swooned in your life, Vivian Worth.”
His smug certainty shattered the spell, and she shoved her palms against his chest, breaking from his hold. “How could you know such a thing? Why, I might swoon twice a day for all you know.”
“Because you, my darling, aren’t faint of heart.”
She huffed. When he phrased it that way, it sounded complimentary. Yet he was also calling her a liar. Her knees should buckle just to spite him, but they had a mind of their own and held steadfast.
He slipped past her, his long strides carrying him around the side of the building.
Vivian scrambled after him. “Wait! I can explain.”
She clamped her lips together as she entered the clearing. Collier was gone.
“Here they are.” Luke scooped up her gloves. Spinning on his heel, he strode toward her. The firm set to his jaw and his advance made her back up a step. He didn’t stop until he stood right in front of her, much too close. Heat rolled off him and made her skin feel prickly.
“Vivian.” His voice was a husky whisper.
Her knees knocked. Now was a fine time for them to decide to cooperate. “Yes?”
“What is it you wish to explain?”
She shook her head, willing her legs to stop quivering. “It was nothing.”
Taking her hand and turning it palm up, he drew circles on her skin with his thumb. His eyes darkened as he leaned even closer; his lips parted. “Your gloves, my lady.” His warm breath brushed across her ear.
She turned her face toward him, wanting nothing more than to touch her lips to his. He jerked back, his brow furrowed. His blue gaze roved over her then he shook his head as if dislodging a thought.
Perhaps a desire.
Blast it all! He wanted to kiss her, too. She could feel it. She held his gaze boldly, daring him to claim what he wanted.
He pressed the gloves into her hand. “We should go. Our party awaits us.”
Her nostrils flared as he retreated. He had done it again. Made her think he was going to kiss her and then walked away.
No, that wasn’t true! He had made her hope for his kiss.
“Why do you do that? Why do you refuse to kiss me?” The words flew from her before she could exercise restraint.
He faltered in his step and turned back toward her. He opened and closed his mouth several times before any sound escaped. “Did you truly ask why I refuse to kiss you?”
Yes, she had just humiliated herself beyond the pale. Patrice always said Vivi needed to learn when to hold her tongue, but she had never mastered the skill. In truth, she rarely practiced it at all.
“I…” She grasped fistfuls of her skirts and contemplated running away.
Luke lunged and caught her around the waist. “You will never run from me again, Vivian. I want an answer.”
“You—you heard me the first time, Your Grace. You already know the answer.”
He wrapped her in his arms, holding her tightly. “God help me, but I know nothing when you are close.” His breath whispered across her lips and then his mouth came down on hers.
Vivi jumped. His mouth, soft and plump, played over hers and coaxed her to participate in her first kiss. Never had she expected a man to possess such luxurious lips.
The rigidness in her back began to melt away, and she dissolved against his uncompromising chest. His kiss elicited warm waves down her body, ending their travel in a quaking of limbs. She mimicked his movements as best she could, but she was half a heartbeat behind him. When his tongue skimmed the crease of her lips, she gasped and he swept inside her mouth.
A soft groan vibrated in his chest, beneath her palm where her fingers had tangled with his shirt. And by God, she wouldn’t release him for all the gold at the end of the rainbow. Not now when she was embarking on the most invigorating adventure she could have ever imagined.
Luke pulled her closer, deepened their kiss. She tossed her arms around his neck and held tightly, smiling against his lips.
His hands cupped her bottom and lifted until she teetered on the tips of her toes. Something hard pressed against her belly, distracting her from his delicious kisses. Before she could wiggle her hand between them to see what it was, he set her away from him.
“Don’t.” His eyes burned with black fire, and his chest heaved with each labored breath.
Her stomach flipped. “What did I do?”
He squeezed his eyes together and ran a hand through his black curls. When he looked at her again, the darkness in his eyes had receded. Holding out her gloves, he forced a smile, a tightening at the corners of his lips. “It was nothing, Vivian. Shall we?”
It was nothing?
She puckered her lips and shoved her hand into her glove. Their kiss hadn’t been nothing to her. And as sure as the sun would rise tomorrow, it had affected him too.
Refusing his arm, she stalked toward the stable yard. Luke followed at a less harried pace. Her chaperones were standing beside the carriage when Vivi pushed through the gate, their expressions giving away nothing at her state of disarray and agitation as she approached. She caught Winnie’s eye, but her maid looked down quickly, uncommonly interested in the dirt beneath her boots.
Vivi came to a quick stop. Lord Andrew’s horse had been fitted with a sidesaddle. Luke came up beside his brother. Her gaze darted between them.
Luke rubbed the back of his neck. Pink colored his face from cheek to cheek and across the bridge of his nose. “Drew is tired of riding. Would you care to join me?”
She brushed her hands over her skirts and lifted her chin. If she were wise, she would politely decline and nurse her wounds in privacy.
“A ride sounds lovely, thank you.”