“Yes.”
“Thank you.” He stared into her eyes, as if seeking out any lingering doubts. She knew he’d find them, but she was also sure he’d see her yearning.
Inevitably yearning overpowered her apprehension. Or she wouldn’t be here at all.
A faint smile kicked up the corners of his beautiful mouth, and he glanced toward the house. “What do you think?”
He’d kept their destination secret, although last night at the musicale, she’d tried to pry details out of him. The famous Italian diva had wasted her artistry on Amy, who had spent the evening in a daze. The only time she’d come alive to the moment was when she’d spoken to Gervaise. Even then she’d been jumpy and preoccupied, convinced every person in that worldly crowd must know of her imminent fall from grace.
This morning, Gervaise’s note had arrived on her breakfast tray. He invited her to luncheon in the country and asked her to be ready at eleven. Because she’d lain awake most of the night and only fallen asleep near dawn, she had to rush to dress.
She’d left the house without encountering her friends, thank goodness. Morwenna was walking in the park—Amy wasn’t nearly ready to confide her improper plans to her sister-in-law. Meg and Sally weren’t up yet, although Sally would guess the truth when she read Amy’s note about visiting the country with Lord Pascal.
Amy didn’t mind Sally knowing. She just didn’t want to talk about it.
When the curricle turned down a tree-lined drive, she hadn’t been sure what to expect. What she found was a pocket manor, like a full-size dolls house.
Now she studied the perfectly proportioned façade and smiled. “It’s lovely. How did you find it?”
“It’s mine. The tenants left a month ago, and the new people don’t move in until June.” He clicked his tongue to the horses and steered them around the building to a neat stable block. “If we go to an inn, someone could see us. And at my townhouse, the servants might let slip that I entertained a lady.”
She began to relax, although her heart still banged against her ribs like a trapped bird trying to escape its cage. “You’ve thought about this.”
“I don’t take this privilege lightly.” They rolled into the shadowy, hay-scented interior with its rows of empty stalls. “I’ll never do anything to cause you harm.”
She looked around, puzzled, when no eager groom rushed to take the horses. “It’s like an enchanted castle in a fairytale. Where is everyone? Asleep for a hundred years because a princess pricked her finger on a spindle?”
He smiled. “I’ve given the staff the afternoon off.”
More thoughtfulness. Everything Gervaise did today betrayed meticulous care and consideration. She’d never felt so cherished. Sternly she reminded herself that she had no intention of losing her head over Gervaise Dacre.
But she feared it was already too late.
* * *
As they crunched across the gravel forecourt to the graceful set of steps leading up to the imposing door, Amy held hands with Gervaise. They climbed the wide stone stairs, and he released her to fish in his pocket for a large iron key that also seemed to come from a fairytale.
She stepped into an airy hall, with high windows and chessboard tiles on the floor. Vases of massed spring flowers perfumed the air. He’d turned the house into a bower of earthly delights.
“Oh, Gervaise, I’m speechless.” She paused a few paces inside the room to draw a deep breath. “And a
ll for me?”
“All for you.” He closed the door after him, but remained beside it. Without shifting his gaze from her, he took off his hat and gloves and set them on a chair.
She removed her gloves and bonnet, placing them on a chest under the window. “You’ve been busy since yesterday.”
Gervaise made her feel so special. How on earth had she managed to hold out against him for over three weeks?
“I want you to smile when you look back on today.” He removed his voluminous driving coat, then came forward and helped her with the tight pelisse. “There’s champagne and a cold collation in the dining room. Are you hungry? I promised that I’d feed you when I invited you here.”
Emotion jammed her throat and roughened her laugh. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the trouble you’ve taken.”
He leaned one elegant hip against the chest and watched her steadily. She shivered with anticipation and pleasure. The desire in his eyes made her feel free and powerful and, for the first time in her life, truly beautiful.
“Try.”
She swept a dazzled gaze over the flower-filled room. “I was afraid I’d feel shabby. But standing here with you, it’s like we share a glorious secret.”