words out and looking to see her reaction.
“Oh, ” she stammered, “why would you?” She attempted to look as though he had mentioned the weather rather than something upsetting. “Who is she?”
“Her name is Lady Morgan. She is the widow of a prominent figure in the House of Lords and someone I’ve known for a long time. She is in Italy at the moment, enjoying some warmer weather.”
“Are you in love with her?” she asked quietly, refusing to meet his gaze.
“No, nor will I ever be. I’m not looking for that sort of thing.”
She looked surprised by that. “Then, what are you looking for?’
“To make a difference in society, to save lives, to be more than an aristocrat who goes to parties. I will need to marry eventually to pass on my father’s legacy, and that is why I’ve been courting Lady Morgan, to see if she is a good choice. I don’t want a wife who will make me feel guilty for being obsessive about my work.”
“Like your mother did to your father?”
“Yes, in a way, only my father worked for power and prestige, which isn’t something I care about.” His voice hardened. “I’m not like other men. I have a few friends, but mostly I like being alone. Perhaps that is how I received the reputation for eccentricity.”
“That…or, could it be the fact that you tie damsels in distress up to windowsills ?”
“You little minx,” he said grabbing her hand and pulling her close to him , intending to kiss those voluptuous lips. Samantha looked up at him, with confusion in her eyes and quickly turned away to start cleaning up. He realized his mistake despite the mixed emotions within him. He had just told her he was courting another woman but all he wanted to do was ravish her on the soft ground and feel her body beneath his own.
“Here, let me help you,” he said, putting the remains of the lunch into the basket. “While I finish putting this away, do you want to see if you can find some comfrey? There’s usually a patch of it over there by that oak.”
Happy to put some distance between them, she got up and walked over to the large, beautiful oak tree.
“Is this what you wanted?” she asked a few minutes later, holding out a handful of green.
“No, that’s meadowsweet,” he told her, fastening the basket to his saddle. “ Let me show you.”
They passed another very pleasant half hour as he showed her the local herbs and explained their medical usage. She was a very quick pupil and listened attentively, obviously interested.
“Is this why you looked like you had been rolling in the garden last night?”
“Yes. I often collect wild herbs, although many of them Mrs. Lotte grows for me in the garden near the house.”
Samantha explained her mother’s symptoms and asked if there were any herbs he knew of that might help.
“I’ll look into it and fix you something to take home for her,” Nico said as he placed the herbs in a bag.
It was nearly dusk by the time they rode back to the house, and he could not remember when he’d passed a more enjoyable afternoon. Once they’d settled the horses in the barn, Samantha turned to him a bit hesitantly. “Are we going to play Chattel tonight? I feel I’m learning quite a bit from my lessons.”
“Really?” he asked in surprise, raising a brow. “I haven’t frightened you away yet?”
She blushed, obviously realizing he was not talking about the game. “No. You don’t frighten me, Lord Chattel,” she said, lifting her chin defiantly. “You can blindfold me and tie me up all you want but it isn’t going to deter me from eventually beating you at your own game.”
The image she painted of herself tied up managed to give him an instant erection. She had no idea what she was tempting him with.
“ Fine. I would love to play with you then, Samantha,” he said, using her given name and enjoying the sound of it. “I have a few things I have to take care of in the lab, but if you like, we can meet in my study in
“Oh, ” she stammered, “why would you?” She attempted to look as though he had mentioned the weather rather than something upsetting. “Who is she?”
“Her name is Lady Morgan. She is the widow of a prominent figure in the House of Lords and someone I’ve known for a long time. She is in Italy at the moment, enjoying some warmer weather.”
“Are you in love with her?” she asked quietly, refusing to meet his gaze.
“No, nor will I ever be. I’m not looking for that sort of thing.”
She looked surprised by that. “Then, what are you looking for?’
“To make a difference in society, to save lives, to be more than an aristocrat who goes to parties. I will need to marry eventually to pass on my father’s legacy, and that is why I’ve been courting Lady Morgan, to see if she is a good choice. I don’t want a wife who will make me feel guilty for being obsessive about my work.”
“Like your mother did to your father?”
“Yes, in a way, only my father worked for power and prestige, which isn’t something I care about.” His voice hardened. “I’m not like other men. I have a few friends, but mostly I like being alone. Perhaps that is how I received the reputation for eccentricity.”
“That…or, could it be the fact that you tie damsels in distress up to windowsills ?”
“You little minx,” he said grabbing her hand and pulling her close to him , intending to kiss those voluptuous lips. Samantha looked up at him, with confusion in her eyes and quickly turned away to start cleaning up. He realized his mistake despite the mixed emotions within him. He had just told her he was courting another woman but all he wanted to do was ravish her on the soft ground and feel her body beneath his own.
“Here, let me help you,” he said, putting the remains of the lunch into the basket. “While I finish putting this away, do you want to see if you can find some comfrey? There’s usually a patch of it over there by that oak.”
Happy to put some distance between them, she got up and walked over to the large, beautiful oak tree.
“Is this what you wanted?” she asked a few minutes later, holding out a handful of green.
“No, that’s meadowsweet,” he told her, fastening the basket to his saddle. “ Let me show you.”
They passed another very pleasant half hour as he showed her the local herbs and explained their medical usage. She was a very quick pupil and listened attentively, obviously interested.
“Is this why you looked like you had been rolling in the garden last night?”
“Yes. I often collect wild herbs, although many of them Mrs. Lotte grows for me in the garden near the house.”
Samantha explained her mother’s symptoms and asked if there were any herbs he knew of that might help.
“I’ll look into it and fix you something to take home for her,” Nico said as he placed the herbs in a bag.
It was nearly dusk by the time they rode back to the house, and he could not remember when he’d passed a more enjoyable afternoon. Once they’d settled the horses in the barn, Samantha turned to him a bit hesitantly. “Are we going to play Chattel tonight? I feel I’m learning quite a bit from my lessons.”
“Really?” he asked in surprise, raising a brow. “I haven’t frightened you away yet?”
She blushed, obviously realizing he was not talking about the game. “No. You don’t frighten me, Lord Chattel,” she said, lifting her chin defiantly. “You can blindfold me and tie me up all you want but it isn’t going to deter me from eventually beating you at your own game.”
The image she painted of herself tied up managed to give him an instant erection. She had no idea what she was tempting him with.
“ Fine. I would love to play with you then, Samantha,” he said, using her given name and enjoying the sound of it. “I have a few things I have to take care of in the lab, but if you like, we can meet in my study in
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