sake. He must sound like the veriest idiot.
She chuckled. Well, perhaps she liked idiots. Philip’s spirits lifted at the happy sound.
“In truth, Sir Philip, I feel that it is I who owe you an apology.”
He risked a glance down beneath the brim of her bonnet to peer at her face. “You do?”
“Indeed I do.” She twisted her hands in her lap. Good, she was nervous. She wouldn’t be nervous if she didn’t feel anything .
“I must apologize for losing my temper the way I did. I have never struck a man before, and I do feel quite awful about it,” she said quietly.
Philip carefully steered his pair through the traffic and away from the bustle of the city streets as he considered her words. He took a breath. “I forgive you .”
She turned her head and grinned at him. His guts tightened at the beautiful sight.
“Thank you.” Her voice was warm. “Please put it down to the rather confused emotions I was experiencing at the time. I promise it won’t happen again.”
“Oh, but I’m hoping it will, Abby.”
She jerked her face upwards towards him again. “You do? You want me to strike you?”
He laughed. “No, not that. You deliver quite a punch, there. I swear you loosened a few teeth.”
She bit her lip against a laugh, obviously not put out by his gentle teasing.
“But I’d like to experience more of those ‘confused emotions’ you spoke of.“ He couldn’t help his honesty.
She dipped her head, but not before he’d caught a glimpse of the color flying into her cheeks. It would seem that the lady herself might not be averse to the notion of sharing some more experiences. She made no demur, just gazed from the curricle as the city streets turned into country lanes.
“Where are we going?” she finally asked.
“A friend of mine has a small estate not far from here. Augustus James. Ever hear of him?”
Abigail was silent for a moment then nodded. “Yes. He’s the man who does some astronomical observations, isn’t he?”
Philip smiled. “Indeed he is. It would seem you share my fascination with the sciences. Not many young women would recognize the name.”
Any lingering awkwardness between them rapidly disappeared as their conversation moved into the path of scientific investigation, theories and a lively discussion of the pros and cons of electricity and what it might mean to their futures.
The miles slipped by as the curricle made its way through the sunlit countryside, and Abby seemed surprised when they eased into a small turn off and the horses halted. “Why have we stopped? Are we here?”
“Not quite. There’s something I must do first,” said Philip.
His hands slipped to her chin and tugged at the ribbon securing her bonnet. He loosened the knot and pulled the offending headgear away from her head, tossing it behind him, where his own hat immediately followed.
“Forgive me, Abigail, but that damned thing hides your face. I want to see you when we talk. Watch your eyes light up, and your smile...” He leaned closer to her, noticing her green eyes blazing as his grasp pulled her chin to within inches of his. “I can’t wait,” he breathed.
With the lightest of touches he brushed her lips with his. The smile he’d been waiting for curved her mouth as he moved back, and a glow began deep in her emerald depths.
“That was...that was most pleasant, Philip,” she said, huskily.
“Yes, it was, wasn’t it?”
Abby cleared her throat. “But a bit risky, given that we’re in a public lane where anyone could see.”
His brain snickered. If she wanted to see risky , she should take a look inside his mind and peek at some of the visions he was having right about now. He sighed. “Not much further.”
He clicked up his horses, and as promised a tidy little estate came into view less than fifteen minutes later. Driving over the gravel road, they found themselves at the foot of a set of stairs leading to a building with walls of warm grey-brown stone.
It was small
She chuckled. Well, perhaps she liked idiots. Philip’s spirits lifted at the happy sound.
“In truth, Sir Philip, I feel that it is I who owe you an apology.”
He risked a glance down beneath the brim of her bonnet to peer at her face. “You do?”
“Indeed I do.” She twisted her hands in her lap. Good, she was nervous. She wouldn’t be nervous if she didn’t feel anything .
“I must apologize for losing my temper the way I did. I have never struck a man before, and I do feel quite awful about it,” she said quietly.
Philip carefully steered his pair through the traffic and away from the bustle of the city streets as he considered her words. He took a breath. “I forgive you .”
She turned her head and grinned at him. His guts tightened at the beautiful sight.
“Thank you.” Her voice was warm. “Please put it down to the rather confused emotions I was experiencing at the time. I promise it won’t happen again.”
“Oh, but I’m hoping it will, Abby.”
She jerked her face upwards towards him again. “You do? You want me to strike you?”
He laughed. “No, not that. You deliver quite a punch, there. I swear you loosened a few teeth.”
She bit her lip against a laugh, obviously not put out by his gentle teasing.
“But I’d like to experience more of those ‘confused emotions’ you spoke of.“ He couldn’t help his honesty.
She dipped her head, but not before he’d caught a glimpse of the color flying into her cheeks. It would seem that the lady herself might not be averse to the notion of sharing some more experiences. She made no demur, just gazed from the curricle as the city streets turned into country lanes.
“Where are we going?” she finally asked.
“A friend of mine has a small estate not far from here. Augustus James. Ever hear of him?”
Abigail was silent for a moment then nodded. “Yes. He’s the man who does some astronomical observations, isn’t he?”
Philip smiled. “Indeed he is. It would seem you share my fascination with the sciences. Not many young women would recognize the name.”
Any lingering awkwardness between them rapidly disappeared as their conversation moved into the path of scientific investigation, theories and a lively discussion of the pros and cons of electricity and what it might mean to their futures.
The miles slipped by as the curricle made its way through the sunlit countryside, and Abby seemed surprised when they eased into a small turn off and the horses halted. “Why have we stopped? Are we here?”
“Not quite. There’s something I must do first,” said Philip.
His hands slipped to her chin and tugged at the ribbon securing her bonnet. He loosened the knot and pulled the offending headgear away from her head, tossing it behind him, where his own hat immediately followed.
“Forgive me, Abigail, but that damned thing hides your face. I want to see you when we talk. Watch your eyes light up, and your smile...” He leaned closer to her, noticing her green eyes blazing as his grasp pulled her chin to within inches of his. “I can’t wait,” he breathed.
With the lightest of touches he brushed her lips with his. The smile he’d been waiting for curved her mouth as he moved back, and a glow began deep in her emerald depths.
“That was...that was most pleasant, Philip,” she said, huskily.
“Yes, it was, wasn’t it?”
Abby cleared her throat. “But a bit risky, given that we’re in a public lane where anyone could see.”
His brain snickered. If she wanted to see risky , she should take a look inside his mind and peek at some of the visions he was having right about now. He sighed. “Not much further.”
He clicked up his horses, and as promised a tidy little estate came into view less than fifteen minutes later. Driving over the gravel road, they found themselves at the foot of a set of stairs leading to a building with walls of warm grey-brown stone.
It was small
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