conversation, but how could he do that when he couldn’t look at her without thinking about what it would be like to—stop. He must stop this madness.
He turned on his heel and marched back to the dining room.
“Back so soon?” she inquired while spinning her spoon in her hand. “I wasn’t sure if I should keep eating while you were gone.”
He pulled out his chair, sat down, and placed his napkin back on his lap. “Of course you can continue eating.”
“Oh, good.” She took a bite of her biscuit. “Did you arrange for dessert?”
Confound it. He’d forgotten that was the excuse he’d used to leave the dining room. “Ah no, actually I didn’t. I had second thoughts that you’ve had enough for today. Let’s keep our lessons short. I don’t want to overwhelm you.”
She chewed and looked at him with wide eyes. She bit down on her biscuit again, and he watched with longing as a tiny crumb fell from her mouth to the crevasse between her breasts. He refused to look down but instead kept his eyes riveted to hers.
“We were discussing my dress before you abruptly departed from the room.”
“Ah, yes, your dress.” He looked down at his soup to gain time in gathering the right words. “You must be at the height of fashion if you’re to procure a good match.” He looked up, certain to hold her gaze. “I’ve arranged for a modiste who will fit our tight—our very tight—time schedule.”
Blast. He hadn’t meant to say tight , but the word had slipped out anyway.
Nodding, she peered at him beneath a guileless, hooded gaze. “Whatever you think is best, my lord.”
“Thank you, Miss Duvall. I think we both agree that if we work together we’ll find a perfectly suitable match for you. I did for Arabella. I’ll do the same for you.”
“So far we haven’t agreed on Sir Richard Hamilton. In fact, you didn’t even want to discuss him yesterday.”
“That’s because he’s too old for you. I guarantee Oliver will say the same. He will not give his approval,” he replied smoothly.
“If you agree with me, he might listen,” she said with a wicked smile. In fact, he decided that smile of hers could probably cause a few peers to stop and take notice of her. However, once they discovered her American heritage, that is where the interest would end.
They had a lot of work to do to prepare for the party. “But I don’t agree with you.”
“You don’t want this tutoring arrangement any more than I do. The sooner I find a husband, the better, correct?”
“While I can appreciate your logic…I want to understand why you could be interested in marrying someone like him.”
“By someone like him, you mean someone who’s older?”
“Yes, that’s what I mean.”
“He’s a good rider, he enjoys the country—at least, as near as I can tell because we met when I was riding. He has a nearby estate, so I’ll remain close to Arabella and Oliver. What more could I need?”
“But what of children?”
“We discussed children before, my lord. While you require them because of your title, I do not.” She brought a spoonful of soup to her mouth, and Will refused to look at her, or more specifically, at her mouth.
They both ate their soup in silence for a time while Will contemplated the other reasons to marry besides children. Granted, it was the primary reason he’d marry one day, but if you didn’t desire children, what then? Was there another reason to marry? He’d never contemplated the idea of marriage without children. Of course some couples remained childless if they were unable to conceive, but it was a strange thought indeed. Certainly there was friendship and companionship at the very least, and what of the marriage bed? “All right, but what of the other aspects of marriage?”
“Such as?”
Despite himself, he was curious how she might respond. “Companionship.”
“Is there some reason to believe Sir Richard wouldn’t be a companion to me?”
“No, but I meant more
He turned on his heel and marched back to the dining room.
“Back so soon?” she inquired while spinning her spoon in her hand. “I wasn’t sure if I should keep eating while you were gone.”
He pulled out his chair, sat down, and placed his napkin back on his lap. “Of course you can continue eating.”
“Oh, good.” She took a bite of her biscuit. “Did you arrange for dessert?”
Confound it. He’d forgotten that was the excuse he’d used to leave the dining room. “Ah no, actually I didn’t. I had second thoughts that you’ve had enough for today. Let’s keep our lessons short. I don’t want to overwhelm you.”
She chewed and looked at him with wide eyes. She bit down on her biscuit again, and he watched with longing as a tiny crumb fell from her mouth to the crevasse between her breasts. He refused to look down but instead kept his eyes riveted to hers.
“We were discussing my dress before you abruptly departed from the room.”
“Ah, yes, your dress.” He looked down at his soup to gain time in gathering the right words. “You must be at the height of fashion if you’re to procure a good match.” He looked up, certain to hold her gaze. “I’ve arranged for a modiste who will fit our tight—our very tight—time schedule.”
Blast. He hadn’t meant to say tight , but the word had slipped out anyway.
Nodding, she peered at him beneath a guileless, hooded gaze. “Whatever you think is best, my lord.”
“Thank you, Miss Duvall. I think we both agree that if we work together we’ll find a perfectly suitable match for you. I did for Arabella. I’ll do the same for you.”
“So far we haven’t agreed on Sir Richard Hamilton. In fact, you didn’t even want to discuss him yesterday.”
“That’s because he’s too old for you. I guarantee Oliver will say the same. He will not give his approval,” he replied smoothly.
“If you agree with me, he might listen,” she said with a wicked smile. In fact, he decided that smile of hers could probably cause a few peers to stop and take notice of her. However, once they discovered her American heritage, that is where the interest would end.
They had a lot of work to do to prepare for the party. “But I don’t agree with you.”
“You don’t want this tutoring arrangement any more than I do. The sooner I find a husband, the better, correct?”
“While I can appreciate your logic…I want to understand why you could be interested in marrying someone like him.”
“By someone like him, you mean someone who’s older?”
“Yes, that’s what I mean.”
“He’s a good rider, he enjoys the country—at least, as near as I can tell because we met when I was riding. He has a nearby estate, so I’ll remain close to Arabella and Oliver. What more could I need?”
“But what of children?”
“We discussed children before, my lord. While you require them because of your title, I do not.” She brought a spoonful of soup to her mouth, and Will refused to look at her, or more specifically, at her mouth.
They both ate their soup in silence for a time while Will contemplated the other reasons to marry besides children. Granted, it was the primary reason he’d marry one day, but if you didn’t desire children, what then? Was there another reason to marry? He’d never contemplated the idea of marriage without children. Of course some couples remained childless if they were unable to conceive, but it was a strange thought indeed. Certainly there was friendship and companionship at the very least, and what of the marriage bed? “All right, but what of the other aspects of marriage?”
“Such as?”
Despite himself, he was curious how she might respond. “Companionship.”
“Is there some reason to believe Sir Richard wouldn’t be a companion to me?”
“No, but I meant more
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