Page 61 of Better Than a Duke
“Well. Given Delilah’s loss, it’s only fair that you ride me.”
“Hmm. Until the engagement announcements appear in the newspaper, anyway,” she muttered, kissing him until she realized she would never have her fill. Reluctantly she lifted off him. Standing, she shook leaves and dirt off her skirts and settled the material back down around her again. Her knees felt a bit wobbly. Her insides felt a bit wobbly, and her thoughts were infinitely wobbly. It was those blasted daydreams again, and at this moment, she could almost taste them.
“There’s a stone under my arse,” Beckett muttered, and climbed to his feet, as well. Shoving his shirt back into his trousers,he refastened them. He looked a little disheveled, but not so much that anyone else would notice, she decided. She more than likely looked precisely the same.
“I should go.” Handing him the wine, she turned away. “If Rebecca would like to come over for Edmund’s rhyming lessons tomorrow, she’s more than welcome. At ten o’clock?” She looked over her shoulder at him, deliberately giving him a head-to-toe glance, pretending that she wasn’t one whisker away from falling to the ground with him again. “You may attend, as well. I’ll have tea and biscuits.”
“I may just do that.” Beckett caught her hand, drawing her back in so she had to put her free palm against his chest to keep her balance. Bending his head, he kissed her again, slow and soft. “I needed that, as well,” he murmured. “Good night, Iris.”
Now her face felt hot; she seemed to be blushing.Wonderful. “Good night, Beckett.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Beckett looked up from his breakfast. At the far end of the table, a good ten feet away from where she generally sat at his left elbow, Rebecca buttered her bread with admirable concentration.
“Are we still not speaking?” he asked, glancing at the newspaper beside him but leaving it be. Rebecca’s annoyance was distraction enough, and that didn’t take into account the way he kept catching himself smiling this morning. He’d had a damned fine evening, and afterward had slept better than he had in weeks. Months, perhaps. Thank God for fiery, clever, and exceedingly attractive next-door neighbors.
“Butler,” Rebecca said, adding far too many lumps of sugar to her tea, “please inform Lord Hentrose that he is correct. We are not speaking.”
The butler looked from her to him, his expression a combination of amusement and reluctance, probably at being dragged into the fight. Sighing, Beckett motioned for him to proceed. “Lord Hentrose,” Butler said, clearing his throat, “I’m to say that you are correct.”
“Thank you, Butler. And I do understand, Cricket, that you don’t like the idea of Lady Pauline taking ownership of a horse being used by someone else. I do hope you noted, though, that Mrs. Silbern didn’t protest in the least.”
“Butler, please tell Lord Hentrose that Mrs. Silbern didn’t have any choice, and that she was very brave to say Delilah was a present for Lady Pauline just so Papa didn’t look buffle-headed.”
While the servant repeated her words, verbatim, Beckett frowned. He hadn’t been confused. He’d been ambushed. By both females, yet. Before he could inform Pauline that the mare belonged to Iris, Iris had stepped in and given the horse away. “It was a misunderstanding, Rebecca. Mrs. Silbern spoke when she did to keep Pauline from embarrassment, which was a kind thing for her to do, but the fact remains thatIdidn’t give away Delilah.”
“You let her do it, just because of politeness.”
“Politeness is important.”
“Friends are more important. Eddie says he heard his lady aunt say that his mama punched a man who was mean to her when no men stepped in to stop him. I like that. You keep talking about how important it is to be polite and well-mannered, but all that got Mrs. Silbern is a missing horse. More women need to begin putting their feet down in the face of ill treatment and bad manners.”
He opened and then shut his mouth again. Well, she’d just demonstrated why he needed a proper, composed woman in the house as Rebecca’s mentor. “If you engage in fisticuffs regarding anything other than your own safety, Cricket, neither of us is going to be pleased with the consequences. And there will be consequences. Is that clear?”
“It’s not fisticuffs when I say you still need to give Mrs. Silbern a horse. I’m just saying what needs to be said.”
Stifling a sigh, Beckett shook his head. Perhaps the not-speaking to each other wasn’t so bad, since he seemed to be losingthis argument. “If I purchased another horse this week and gave it to Mrs. Silbern after presenting one to Lady Pauline, several things would happen. Do you know what they would be?”
“Iwould think you’re a wonderful man because you replaced the mare that Mrs. Silbern misses terribly and probably cries about in her sleep.”
“Firstly it would make me frivolous for spending that much money. Secondly it would embarrass Lady Pauline, because she would realize she erred in claiming Delilah for herself, which is what Mrs. Silbern attempted to forestall in the first place. Thirdly my gifting two women with horses would be construed… in a gossipy sort of way that none of us would appreciate.”
Rebecca stood, shoving her chair backward. “So the only one who doesn’t have to feel bad about anything is the one who stole the horse. That is not a good lesson, Papa.”
She made a good point. “Perhaps not, Cricket, but sometimes there’s no perfect solution.”
“I don’t like it.” She took a breath, balling her fists and clearly still furious. “You need to do something nice for Mrs. Silbern, to show that you appreciate the way she didn’t embarrass you.”
They’d done something very pleasurable together that proved she didn’t blame him for anything, but he couldn’t very well tell his daughter about that. “Our morning is spoken for, but I don’t see why we couldn’t ask Mrs. Silbern and Edmund over for dinner this evening. Would that suffice?”
“May we have orange meringue pie?”
“Yes.”
“Very well.”
“Did I mention that tomorrow evening we’re going to the theater?” he continued, hoping that would distract her from the horse incident. “Sheridan’sThe Rivals. You’ve been asking to see it.”
