Dangerous in Diamonds - Madeline Hunter [23]
“It could take a year if you only tend to these things once a week.”
“You exaggerate. After all, you said it would take a year of Tuesdays before your color rose with me again, and here it is less than a fortnight later, and it has happened several times today alone.”
It rose again at his casual reference to that night in the greenhouse. It worried her that he could cause her to flush so easily and frequently. No one else could.
She moved the conversation back to what mattered. “I should like to know where I stand soon, if possible. If I must leave, it would be better for the plants if it were in the autumn, and it could take a while to find another suitable property.”
“Mrs. Joyes, are you now insisting that I decide today, when you just upbraided me for doing so? You are a confusing woman.”
“It is disconcerting to be unsure of one’s abode and means of sustenance. I do not want to rush you to an impulsive judgment, of course, but would be grateful for a timely one.”
He stood and paced around the chamber while her plea hung in the air. Finally, he crossed his arms and sighed deeply. He looked like a man about to say something that he already regretted. “I suppose, just this once, so you are not left to worry indefinitely, I could take up this one bit of business on other days besides Tuesdays.”
“Oh, thank you, Your Grace.”
“I do not want to waste my time or suffer more intrusions than necessary, however. If a question arises that requires your aid, I want a quick answer. If I am to be bothered on any random day by new developments, I should not like details left unsettled, following me around all week.”
“I promise that if you or Mr. Goodale write, I will respond through return post.”
“Return post? That will hardly do. It would be better if you just stayed in London while we are on it. Then you can respond immediately.”
The demand caught her by surprise. He looked at her, the picture of a reasonable man assuming she would accommodate him, now that he had accommodated her.
“That is not possible. I have duties too. At The Rarest Blooms.”
“Surely Miss Johnson could tend those flowers and plants while you are gone a short while. It is very much in your interests to take residence in town. This would get settled much more quickly that way. You would be here to influence my decision too. I am surprised you do not see the benefits for your position.”
She searched his expression for some sign of humor in how he was cornering her. She only saw the face of a duke concluding she was stupid not to realize that he was making her victory easier.
“How long do you think this would be?”
“A week. Perhaps ten days. I can’t imagine it being longer than that.”
She could not help but be suspicious. Still, if it would settle this more quickly, and if she could influence his decision—“I suppose that I could ask Celia—Mrs. Albrighton—for a chamber in her home.”
He returned to his chair and made himself very comfortable. “I doubt her new husband will appreciate the intrusion. Also, she lives near Bedford Square, does she not? That is too far away and inconvenient. Better if you stay here, as my guest.”
His innocent expression did not fool her. She had guessed the game he might be playing, and with that last sentence he showed all his cards.
“If I care a shred for my reputation, best if I do not stay here, Your Grace.”
He smiled devilishly and looked more like he had at her house than he had all afternoon. “I forgot that Mrs. Joyes is fairly strict about proprieties.”
“Yes, she is boring and inconvenient that way.”
Still smiling, he gazed over in that familiar, incisive way that subtly crossed inappropriate lines. “And if I insist?”
So, there it was. This call was not only about that property and his decision. Perhaps it was not about either at all. She felt as if, rather suddenly, she had come under a predator’s examination. It would help enormously if the caution he raised in her was not heavily tinged with alarming, warm