"He said something about your dogs being in a state that made them, well, unfit for company."
"Unfit for — " And then his mouth curved in a reluctant grin, and for the first time Celsie saw that he had a very boyish, very attractive, dimple in his chin. "Oh, that ."
" That? "
He busied himself collecting the drawings into a pile, as though unwilling to meet her searching gaze. "I had a rather accidental discovery the other day. I was making a solution, and had my mind on something else entirely. I don't quite remember what I mixed together, but moments later, I was rowing with Lucien, Esmerelda and my sister's dog Pork were going insane, and the damned solution spilled onto the floor. Next thing I knew the dogs were lapping it up —"
"Oh, dear God!"
"Yes, that was my reaction exactly. I tried to pull them off, but the damage was done, they had already ingested some. A few moments later, they were . . ."
"They were what?"
To Celsie's surprise, he actually blushed. "They were . . . uh, trying to make puppies."
"Puppies? Was the bitch even in season?"
His cheeks went even darker at her brazen words. "No. She was not."
"And yet they were . . . " She made a little motion with her hands.
"Yes, they were."
"Good heavens, Lord Andrew, you discovered an aphrodisiac! Have you tried it on anything other than the dogs?"
He stared at her in amazement. "Are you bloody serious? What sort of monster do you think I am?"
"Well, I was just curious . . . Something like that would be incredibly valuable, you know. Why, just think of all the uses you might have for it!"
"I would rather hope that my carriage or plumbing would enjoy far greater acclaim," he said, somewhat sullenly.
"I'm sorry. I meant no offense."
"It was an accidental discovery. I could not duplicate it even if I tried, so therefore it is of no value, really, to anyone."
"Can I see it?"
"It is locked in Lucien's safe."
"All of it?"
"Most of it."
"Oh, Lord Andrew, would you consider selling some to me?"
He stared at her incredulously, looking quite shocked. "Whatever for?"
Now it was her turn to blush. "Well, you see, I have a lovely stallion at home who seems to have no interest whatsoever in mares. He is very handsome, with splendid bone, a beautiful, crested neck, and an uncommon amount of intelligence. I would like to breed him so that these qualities might be passed on to his get, but since he will not mount a mare, there's not much I can do, really. I'm thinking that a few drops of your aphrodisiac might just do the trick . . ."
"And you accuse me of experimenting on animals?!" he exclaimed, staring at her in disbelief.
Celsie's face flamed. "I love my horse! I would never give him anything that I thought would hurt him!"
"No?"
"No! And — and just to prove it, I dare you to let me try some of your so-called aphrodisiac myself! Why, I wager that there's nothing in it to cause a . . . a reaction, anyhow! No doubt your dogs were just feeling amorous that day, that's all!"
"You want to try my aphrodisiac on yourself."
"I want to try your aphrodisiac on myself, yes, if only to prove to you that I would never give my animals something I wouldn't put in my own body!"
He just looked at her, one brow raised, weighing the idea in his mind. "No."
"And you accuse me of being a coward."
"I dare not think of the consequences if I allow you to sample it."
"What, are you afraid that I might attack you?" She laughed, instantly dismissing such a ludicrous thought. "Really, Lord Andrew, I hardly know you. I am in no danger of falling into your arms, I can assure you."
He looked dubious. She saw his mouth working as he chewed the inside of his cheek, contemplating her challenge, wrestling with himself over whether he should accept it.
"I'll pay you a fortune for those few drops, my lord. And give you one of Sheik's foals just to show my gratitude."
"You're serious, then."
"Dead
"Unfit for — " And then his mouth curved in a reluctant grin, and for the first time Celsie saw that he had a very boyish, very attractive, dimple in his chin. "Oh, that ."
" That? "
He busied himself collecting the drawings into a pile, as though unwilling to meet her searching gaze. "I had a rather accidental discovery the other day. I was making a solution, and had my mind on something else entirely. I don't quite remember what I mixed together, but moments later, I was rowing with Lucien, Esmerelda and my sister's dog Pork were going insane, and the damned solution spilled onto the floor. Next thing I knew the dogs were lapping it up —"
"Oh, dear God!"
"Yes, that was my reaction exactly. I tried to pull them off, but the damage was done, they had already ingested some. A few moments later, they were . . ."
"They were what?"
To Celsie's surprise, he actually blushed. "They were . . . uh, trying to make puppies."
"Puppies? Was the bitch even in season?"
His cheeks went even darker at her brazen words. "No. She was not."
"And yet they were . . . " She made a little motion with her hands.
"Yes, they were."
"Good heavens, Lord Andrew, you discovered an aphrodisiac! Have you tried it on anything other than the dogs?"
He stared at her in amazement. "Are you bloody serious? What sort of monster do you think I am?"
"Well, I was just curious . . . Something like that would be incredibly valuable, you know. Why, just think of all the uses you might have for it!"
"I would rather hope that my carriage or plumbing would enjoy far greater acclaim," he said, somewhat sullenly.
"I'm sorry. I meant no offense."
"It was an accidental discovery. I could not duplicate it even if I tried, so therefore it is of no value, really, to anyone."
"Can I see it?"
"It is locked in Lucien's safe."
"All of it?"
"Most of it."
"Oh, Lord Andrew, would you consider selling some to me?"
He stared at her incredulously, looking quite shocked. "Whatever for?"
Now it was her turn to blush. "Well, you see, I have a lovely stallion at home who seems to have no interest whatsoever in mares. He is very handsome, with splendid bone, a beautiful, crested neck, and an uncommon amount of intelligence. I would like to breed him so that these qualities might be passed on to his get, but since he will not mount a mare, there's not much I can do, really. I'm thinking that a few drops of your aphrodisiac might just do the trick . . ."
"And you accuse me of experimenting on animals?!" he exclaimed, staring at her in disbelief.
Celsie's face flamed. "I love my horse! I would never give him anything that I thought would hurt him!"
"No?"
"No! And — and just to prove it, I dare you to let me try some of your so-called aphrodisiac myself! Why, I wager that there's nothing in it to cause a . . . a reaction, anyhow! No doubt your dogs were just feeling amorous that day, that's all!"
"You want to try my aphrodisiac on yourself."
"I want to try your aphrodisiac on myself, yes, if only to prove to you that I would never give my animals something I wouldn't put in my own body!"
He just looked at her, one brow raised, weighing the idea in his mind. "No."
"And you accuse me of being a coward."
"I dare not think of the consequences if I allow you to sample it."
"What, are you afraid that I might attack you?" She laughed, instantly dismissing such a ludicrous thought. "Really, Lord Andrew, I hardly know you. I am in no danger of falling into your arms, I can assure you."
He looked dubious. She saw his mouth working as he chewed the inside of his cheek, contemplating her challenge, wrestling with himself over whether he should accept it.
"I'll pay you a fortune for those few drops, my lord. And give you one of Sheik's foals just to show my gratitude."
"You're serious, then."
"Dead
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