attentions.
Damnation! Why should he care? Her nonchalance meant he held no place of importance in her heart, which would facilitate his mission. If she had no tender feelings for him, she would be more apt to choose a replacement husband quickly. Another wave of irrational anger swept over him.
“It seems Mrs. Price—”
“We are finished discussing Mrs. Price,” he snapped.
Vivian planted her feet, and her maid bumped into her with a surprised cry. She opened her reticule, withdrew a coin, and wheeled around to press it into her maid’s palm. “Winnie, would you be a dear and retrieve a sweet for us?”
The servant’s forehead creased in bewilderment as she searched for and then spotted the sweet shop across the lane. “As you wish, milady.”
“Don’t forget one for yourself.”
Once Winifred crossed the lane and disappeared through the shop’s door in a tinkling of bells, Vivian looked up at him.
“Do you like sweets, Luke?”
“Pardon?”
Her eyes gleamed with a touch of wildness now that she stood toe to toe with him. “I asked if you liked sweets. It’s a simple question.”
There was nothing simple about her inquiry. Or Vivian.
He couldn’t hold back a pleased grin.
Ten
Vivi hated the tightness in her throat and the way her voice broke. Jealousy was an unbecoming attribute. It reminded her of a mad creature with bulging, bloodshot eyes and spittle dripping from yellowed fangs. But she didn’t like Mrs. Price or the way the woman had allowed her gaze to roam up and down Luke’s body like she wanted nothing more than to toss him on the lane and do unspeakable things with him. Or how the woman tried to lure him to her bedchamber with the promise of a treat.
“Well, are you fond of sweets, Your Grace?”
There was a slight narrowing of his sparkling blue eyes. “Do you reference baked goods, or are you schooled in code and espionage?”
He was laughing at her again, finding her a source of amusement and adding to her humiliation.
“Forget I inquired.” She turned her back to him, her toe tapping against the cobbled walk before she realized it. She forced her body to be still and fought against the urge to fidget as she waited for her maid to return.
His hand on her shoulder gave her a start. “I suppose it depends on the baker, Vivian.” The softly spoken words were like a tonic, smoothing her ruffled feathers. Tingles radiated from the spot where his hand rested. She wished she really were his betrothed, so she could turn into his embrace and snuggle her cheek against him. Instead, she reluctantly shifted away from his touch.
He sighed. “I have heard it said Mrs. Price is too free with her baked goods. I can assure you I have no desire to be a recipient of her generosity.”
“I see.” Heat singed her cheeks. She was not so ignorant as to be unaware of Mrs. Price’s position in society. Yet, it was overwhelming for a country girl, having never been exposed to the sophisticated life of the ton. She glanced toward the coaching yard, uncertain what her response should be. More than anything, she wanted to avoid appearing like a naive girl in Luke’s eyes. She was a woman, and she wanted to be his wife.
He urged her to face him. “I have never been fond of bakers being too free with their sweets. I intend to speak with Lord Brookhaven about reconsidering his traveling party if he wishes to stay at Irvine Castle.”
Vivi turned back toward the sweet shop, trying to hide her relieved smile.
A bell jangled as Winnie emerged. She looked both ways then crossed the dusty lane. When her maid reached her side, she held out the treats. “The shop had your favorite.”
“Thank you.” Vivi took the bundle, handed a chocolate biscuit to Winnie, and selected one. She wrapped up the third treat and placed it in her reticule.
Luke fell into step beside her as they resumed their stroll. “You’re not going to share with me?”
Vivi bit into the biscuit and made him wait for an answer. After drawing out the silence, she flashed a teasing smile. “You made it clear you don’t appreciate sweets given out too freely, Your Grace.”
His deep chuckle lifted her spirits. He seemed to have forgotten her unseemly display of jealousy already. “I really must question your brother on your education, Lady Vivian, for I have the distinct impression you were tutored in codes.”
When they returned to the inn, she and Winnie retired upstairs so Vivi could change