She glanced up at him, beside her on the bench, as he directed his bays onto Panton Street. “You never told me the furthest place you’ve traveled,” she said.
“Belgium.” He cast her a sidelong glance, while keeping his focus on the road and his matched pair. “Visited my brothers before Waterloo.”
That was definitely farther than York. “Oh? What did you think of it?”
“Brussles was bustling, I suppose.” He shrugged. “Though most of my memories are the aftermath of the battle. Not the most pleasant of thoughts, to be honest.”
No, Bella supposed not. “Well, is there any place you’d like to travel?”
That disarming smile of his spread across his face. “Does Nottinghamshire count?”
Bella couldn’t help but laugh as she shook her head. “I think I shall have to see it for myself in order to judge the validity of your choice.”
Greg pulled back on his ribbons, drawing the phaeton to a stop before the jewelry shop. Then he turned his head to better see her. “If you’re of a mind to do so, that can certainly be arranged.”
He hopped down from the conveyance, offered a lad on the street a few coins if he’d keep an eye on the horses, then navigated around the back of the phaeton and plucked Bella from her seat as though lifting her took no effort at all. Goodness, his hands on her waist made her heart pound and her breath catch. And that serious look in his green eyes made her mouth go a little dry. Bella was fairly certain she could study his expressions for a lifetime and never grow tired. What would it be like to have him touch her every day, for him to kiss her, for him to show her all Nottinghamshire had to offer? Nottingham didn’t sound bad in the least, not really, not as long as Greg would be there. “I think I would like that,” she said softly. “To see Rufford Hall.”
Greg’s green eyes twinkled as he squeezed her waist just a bit. “If you keep looking at me like that, Bella, you’ll make me believe this is all for real.”
Perhaps it was. Or perhaps not. She wasn’t even certain how to tell. But goodness, she needed to keep her wits about her or she’d end up with the worst of broken hearts when this was all over.
Greg released her waist and offered her his arm. Bella felt the loss of his hands on her almost instantly, but she accepted his proffered arm and let him lead her into the jewelry shop.
“…it is highly usual, my lord,” a fellow behind one of the counters began, talking to a patron... “We cannot keep—”
“Yes, well, His Grace appreciates your discretion in the matter,” the client replied. Goodness! Was that Elliott!
Bella tightened her grasp on Greg’s arm. She couldn’t help it. What in the world was her brother doing at Garrard? He’d mentioned His Grace, but she didn’t for one moment think he was there on an errand for Grandfather.
“Elliott?” she said, catching her brother off guard as he spun around in his place.
His silvery eyes flashed from Bella to Greg and back again. “What are you doing here?” he asked, a guilty expression splashed across his face.
“I was about to ask you the same thing.”
Elliott glanced over his shoulder at the fellow behind the counter and said, “Just looking a few items over. Your turn.”
Looking a few items over? What utter nonsense. Just a few days ago, Elliott was begging Bella for her pin money and asking Greg for a loan. The last place she imagined her brother would turn up was at an exclusive jewelry store to make any sort of purchase. And this particular jeweler was a bit out of the way. She highly doubted Elliott had simply stumbled in off the street just to look around. No, no. He was up to something. His guilty expression said as much.
“Lord Avery is shopping for his sister’s birthday and asked for my assistance,” she said, trying to sort out exactly what her brother was about.
“I’ll be right with you, my lord,” the store clerk said, glancing toward Greg.
“No rush,” Greg replied. “We’re not in a hurry. Please do finish up with Lord Gillingham.”
Elliott swallowed a bit nervously, then he muttered something over his shoulder to the clerk, though Bella couldn’t possibly hear whatever it was. Then the man disappeared through a back door with something that looked quite a bit like Grandmama’s yellow diamond earbobs in his hands, and Bella’s heart twisted painfully. Elliott was clearly selling their grandmother’s jewelry for money! He had to be, and the pieces weren’t even his to sell.
“Those were Grandmama’s,” she accused after the door closed behind the jewelry clerk.
“They’re part of the Chatham estate,” her brother countered. “Which will be mine someday.”
So it was all right to steal from it now?
“There’s no harm in me taking an early advance on what will be mine.”
Goodness! What was wrong with him? How could he not see how awful his actions where? Bella thought she might be sick. “Papa meant to give those to me, Elliott. He said Grandmama wanted me to have them.”
A bit of red stained her brother’s cheeks, and he should be embarrassed considering what she’d just caught him doing. “Yes, well, I’m sure Avery will keep you awash in jewels after you’re married. You’ll never have need for those particular earbobs.”