Who Wants to Marry a Duke - Sabrina Jeffries Page 0,52

what I was agreeing to.” She shivered. “Mostly, anyway.”

He searched her face. “Are you sure you’re ready to start all over again with a new laboratory? Or has this rattled your resolve?”

A faint smile crossed her lips. “You don’t know me very well if you think that. There’s very little that rattles my resolve.”

“Nonetheless, we intend to put the laboratory closer to the house this time and post a guard.”

“Aren’t you afraid I’ll set fire to your expensive manor? You’re very brave, letting me play with chemicals so close to where you live.”

“I’m not brave at all. Every time I think of some chemical accidentally mixing with another and going ‘boom,’ my heart falters.” More for her than for any part of his “expensive” manor. “But since you seem determined to continue—”

“Which I am,” she said stoutly.

“Which I knew you would be,” he countered, “there appears to be no point to arguing with you on the subject.”

“You know me better than I thought.”

Her minxish smile reminded him that he’d spent half of last night in an agony of unfulfilled desire. Combined with the time he’d spent worrying over the threat to her from some unknown villain, he’d had no sleep at all.

With a glance around to make sure no one was near, he lowered his head to kiss her. Just to reassure her, of course. That was all.

But before he could, his damned brother strolled up the path toward them. “I take it that you’re discussing our plan with Olivia? Has she agreed to go along with it?”

“Yes,” she told Grey. “Provided that Thorn can coax Lady Gwyn into being my chaperone, and that he can acquire everything I need to set up my second laboratory.”

“I’ve already sent someone to London to invite Joshua here and to inform Gwyn that Thorn is on his way there,” Grey said. “And fortunately, I kept that list you gave me of what was needed in your laboratory. Thorn will have that to refer to when he starts overseeing the purchase of the materials. So, by tomorrow or the next day, you should be able to leave.”

“And what if Mama gets wind of this sudden change in plans? What if she happens to run into me in London or hears of it from someone local?”

“Is she still in London?” Grey asked. “Surely, she’s returned to the country by now.”

Olivia’s face brightened. “That’s true. I forgot it’s not really the Season. Mama came into London only to join us all at Lady Gwyn’s ball.”

“What’s more,” Grey said, “I can’t imagine who would tell your stepmother that you’ve left Carymont for London. Everyone around here, including my servants, will be informed you went home to Surrey, so why should they mention anything to Lady Norley?”

“Good point,” she said. “I do hope you’re right.”

So did Thorn. Because if the baroness caught him with Olivia again, he knew exactly what she’d do. And this time he might be tempted to sweeten his offer of marriage to Olivia so that she’d actually accept it.

No good would come of that. Olivia had certain expectations about marriage, and one of them was that it meant a great deal more than just a civil union. She seemed to want love and all that it entailed. And he simply couldn’t offer her that.

Olivia had expected to miss Thorn during the day and night they were apart. But Beatrice and Grey had kept her so busy with preparations and packing for the trip that she’d had no chance to even think about him.

Not until she was on the road with the maid they’d sent with her did she realize that the carriage seemed much less cheery without him. And without her friends, too, of course. She amused herself by going over her notebooks and the journal articles in preparation for what she’d be doing once she did have a laboratory to do it in. But she was relieved when they reached London in record time. She only hoped that after all the trouble Grey’s family was taking to protect her she would finally be able to confirm or rule out arsenic poisoning.

Fortunately, she’d already been to Lady Gwyn’s town house for the ball last week and had felt wholly welcome. Still, the house her parents generally rented for the Season was in a less fashionable—and less expensive—part of London, so it was quite a change to be in Mayfair. She felt decidedly out of her element in the neighborhood, with its elegant facades and