Tony was not shocked by his frank, easy conversation, though she realized she should be. Moreover, she made a mental note to get the book.
Savage decided if Tony was going to become his son, he was in sore need of an education. There was a world out there that would swallow this innocent whole if he didn’t take him under his wing and give him a dose of worldly experience. Christ, he was willing to lay odds that Tony Lamb was still a virgin!
“I told Mr. Watson to double your allowance. I honestly don’t know how you’ve managed on the pittance granted you.”
Tony was startled. With a guardian in charge of the purse strings she imagined money would be difficult to obtain. Dear God, if he’d already been in touch with Watson and Goldman they must have presented him with the bills for the gowns and other stuff.
“I spent my last quarterly allowance on new harness for the horses. I’m afraid my money couldn’t pay for things my sister and grandmother needed. Now that you’ve told them to give me more, I’ll be able to settle the bills,” she said stiffly.
Savage dismissed the idea with a wave of his hand. “Everything has been taken care of, including the farm expenses. I’d like to inspect your tenant farms. If there are any improvements you can make, I think you should get the work done. It’s far less expensive in the long run to keep property well maintained than to wait until it’s run down and dilapidated.”
Antonia hoped that at least they could continue being frank with each other. It was hard enough to deceive him about her identity. It would be a relief if she could be truthful about all else.
“I don’t know a great deal about money matters, Mr. Savage … Adam, but I do know I shouldn’t dip into my principle.”
“I’ll reinvest your money at a much higher return. Unfortunately your finances haven’t been handled as well as they might have been, but I’ll change all that.”
Tony believed him. It was clear that here was a man capable of changing the world if he put his mind to it. In spite of herself she already grudgingly admired his directness and utter confidence. She knew immediately she could learn more from this man than all the tutors she and Anthony had had over the years.
Savage reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigar case. He took out a long, slim cheroot and then a thought came to him to offer one to his ward. He was well aware that the young man had never smoked before, but here in private was a perfect opportunity for him to experience tobacco without embarrassing himself in public.
Tony, startled, shook her head, “I’ve never—” Her eyes met his and saw the tolerant amusement. “I’ve never smoked Indian tobacco, only Turkish.”
“There’s a first time for everything, Tony,” Savage encouraged.
She felt strangely warm inside. His words were intimate and held a wealth of unspoken innuendo. Tony took the finely rolled tobacco leaves and, pretending a confidence she didn’t feel, stuck it between her teeth waiting for him to light it for her.
Savage gave his ward no instructions, guessing the lad was shrewd enough to copy whatever he did. Adam lit his own first. He did it slowly, biting off the sealed end, then removing the piece of tobacco leaf with his thumb and forefinger. He struck a match, held it steadily to one end while he slowly drew on the other end with his mouth. Then he puckered his lips to blow out a cloud of fragrant blue smoke.
Tony took a deep breath and tried to hold the cheroot steady until it was lit. It shook only imperceptibly as Tony’s lips pursed to draw upon it. Suddenly she felt as if her tongue was burned and stopped drawing immediately. However, when she saw the smoldering tip was in danger of going out, she drew again and got a mouthful of smoke. She almost swallowed it, realized that would be disastrous and blew it out quickly. She did not want to meet Adam Savage’s eyes. Suddenly it was extremely important that he admire her. If she saw contempt in his eyes she would be mortified.
She observed his hand, watching his expert fingers handle the cigar. She followed his hand to his lips and watched him inhale. The gesture was almost negligent, yet was palpably sensual. Carefully avoiding his eyes, she again drew in smoke, savored the feel and taste of it in her mouth, then slowly, casually, exhaled, keeping her eyelids half-lowered so the smoke would not sting her eyes.
When she felt fairly competent she glanced into the pale blue eyes. There was no contempt but neither was there admiration. His face showed that he took it for granted Tony would smoke a cigar well. They smoked in silence, each casually observing the other. Savage butted his cigar in a brass candleholder and Tony did likewise, suddenly feeling a little queasy.
“Show me the farms,” Adam suggested decisively, getting to his feet.
Tony resented his takeover attitude. Obviously Savage felt her incapable of meeting the tenants’ needs and thought her next to useless, but at the moment she felt worse than useless.
“All right,” Tony agreed reluctantly, knowing she had to be private before she totally disgraced herself. “Ask Bradshaw to saddle Neptune for me and I’ll meet you at the stables.”
As soon as Adam Savage closed the door, Tony leaned against it, closed her eyes, and moaned softly. Devil take the man! It was as if he had been sent deliberately to plague her. There was something about the dominant devil that touched her pride. Not for the crown jewels would she let him know she had never smoked before.
For one awful moment she thought she was going to be extremely ill. She barely had time to open the commode and drag out Anthony’s chamberpot before she was indelicately sick. Amazingly, once she had voided the contents of her stomach, the room stopped spinning. She washed her hands and face, picked up her brother’s riding crop, and walked downstairs very, very gingerly.
Tony saw the anxiety upon Roz’s face as she descended. Mr. Burke stood in the hall by the front door. Concern was also etched upon his features. Tony didn’t dare open her mouth. Instead she crossed her fingers and held them up to indicate so far, so good. If the Fates smiled upon her, she would carry it off.
She saw his beautiful Arab mount outside the stable but no sign of Adam Savage or Neptune. She went inside, trying not to breathe in too deeply. Usually the miasma of mingled horseflesh and manure had no effect on her; today, however, she was quite uncertain she could keep her gorge from rising.
She saw Savage and Bradshaw engaged in a lively conversation, but no move had been made to saddle Neptune. As Tony approached them, Savage picked up a saddle, handed it to her, and kept right on talking to Bradshaw. She got the message. Her guardian expected a young man of seventeen to saddle his own horse if he had any self-respect.
She groaned inwardly. Adam Savage was easily the most masculine human being she had ever encountered. He exuded strength and power. It would be the easiest task in the world for him to haul a saddle high upon a horse’s back and attach the necessary riding harness. Savage was enough to make a girl feel weak at the knees. As Antonia she would have glanced at his powerful muscles, fluttered her eyelashes, and watched breathlessly as he saddled her mount for her. As Anthony she could only struggle with the damned thing herself. With resentment simmering inside her Tony swung a long leg across the saddle and, without waiting, headed through the park.
Savage caught up with her as she galloped across the fields.
“Did you bring the Arab from Ceylon?”
“Yes. I brought two, but I’m looking for more. Do you know of any decent horses about here for sale?”