SoundsofLove by Marilyn Kelly

deserved superlative treatment. She touched a
part of him few had ever reached, and he wanted more of her. “That’s a
fascinating interpretation, Lady Sibley.” His voice came out low and rough, and
he cleared his throat before continuing. “May I borrow your manuscript to study
it?” He vowed to make his liaison with her a most beneficial one and was glad
he had told her as much downstairs. His need for simple seduction ceded to his
desire to please her.
    She hesitated and gave Pickering another dour look, but she
handed him the leather-bound journal with a sigh. “I would rather have time to
correct some mistakes.”
    The journal was warm from her hands. He set down his teacup
and leafed through the text. There was an extraordinary amount of work here,
written in tight penmanship that he found easy to decipher.
    “You haven’t worked on those translations in over two years,”
Violet interjected. “Now you have your new projects keeping you busy.”
    He wanted to ask Cathryn about her word choices and her new
projects, but another glance at the clock showed his time was well past. His
waiting coach would draw attention on the quiet street, and he had no desire to
drag Cathryn into the gossip columns.
    He needed to make her his mistress soon, so he could spend
long but discreet afternoons in her company. “I should like to hear more about
your work, Lady Sibley, but I’ve overstayed my visit already.”
    He rose and bowed, tucking the journal into his breast
pocket. “Mrs. Pickering, I should also like to see your word puzzles. Perhaps
when I call next you might have some available for me.”
    “It would be an honor, my lord.” Violet smiled, then jumped
to her feet, startling him. “Oh, Lord Ahlquist, I very nearly forgot to thank
you for your gift. The Johnson-Todd dictionary. It will be ever so helpful to
us both in our endeavors.” She gestured to the tome on the side table. “Lady
Sibley and I spent hours yesterday playing word games using it as a reference.”
She laughed lightly. “We giggled like schoolgirls over some of the strangest
words you could fathom.”
    He was very sorry he missed that fun. Beautiful women,
laughter and new words. His reluctance to leave this cozy scene multiplied as
he stepped away from the fire and drew on his gloves.
    “I’m glad you’ve enjoyed the gift.” He faced Cathryn and
took her hand in his. “I nearly forgot. Mrs. Burns’ correspondence. I’ve
drafted a reply but I wanted to ask if you had any dates you prefer.”
    “Hunting begins in six weeks,” she replied without
hesitation. “Anytime after that will be fine.”
    He realized he still held her hand, but he was loath to
release her. “Do you hunt?”
    “Oh, yes. Hunting and fishing both.” Her eyes took on a
gleam. “I was squeezed between four brothers and we had some grand times out of
doors.”
    Etiquette be damned. He had to know this woman better. He
cleared his throat and led her over towards the door. “Cathryn, are you free
this afternoon? Would you like to visit the museum with me?”
    She glanced over at her sister-in-law, looking like a child
denied a sweet. “I’m afraid not. I…that is, we, spend two afternoons a week as
reading tutors at the Chelsea poorhouse. I’m afraid the children look forward
to our visits tremendously, and I couldn’t—”
    “No, of course not.” He released her hand, reached for the
door and muttered, “Lucky bastards.”
    “My lord?”
    The irony of his statement hit him and he chuckled. He was
jealous of the poorhouse children—that was a new low. He drank in one last look
of his lovely Cathryn. “Tomorrow?”
    She nodded enthusiastically. “The museum?”
    He smiled at the genuineness of her response. Most women
favored shopping or carriage rides in Hyde Park, but he preferred museums and
libraries. The prospect of squiring an intelligent woman appealed to him. “Shall
I call for you at two?”
    “Perfect.”
    He fished a few sovereigns