Page 61 of The Runaway Duchess
Jeremy smacked his lips in satisfaction as he swallowed.
“One cannot suffer from bottle-ache too long if one does not put down the bottle for too long,” Jeremy replied, sinking further into the couch. He then stretched his one leg out onto the carpet as he placed the ankle of his other on his knee, and rubbed at his temple with his free hand.
Caroline closed her book and shifted in her seat to face him.
“Are you saying that you are always foxed?” she asked.
“The varying degrees depend on the time of day and what occurs on said day,” Jeremy answered with a careless shrug.
Though she kept her smile on her face, a sense of worry bloomed through her heart.
“Are you sure that is… healthy for you?” she asked.
Jeremy gave another shrug, appearing, as usual, completely unbothered.
“Oh, we do not always love what is healthy for us. But worry not about me, I have never been better,” he assured, patting her knee. “Enough about me. What are you two up to today? Done with your lessons already?”
George hopped up from the floor and joined them on the couch, adopting the same leisurely position as Jeremy. His legs could not reach the floor at all, and his tiny leg dangled humorously over the edge of the couch as he tried to balance his other ankle on his knee. Caroline pressed her lips together, holding back another giggle when he finally succeeded and started rubbing his temple, just like Jeremy was doing.
“I want to go on a picnic today,” George sighed, his tone mimicking Jeremy’s.
Jeremy shifted in his seat to look at George with an amused grin, which the boy immediately imitated.
“You do, do you?” Jeremy asked, clearly amused by his little shadow.
“Yes,” George replied. “Would you come with us? We can bring your favorite drink if you like. Maybe you could even let me try some?”
“No,” Caroline and Jeremy answered in unison, and they immediately followed up with a shared chuckle.
“Like boxing, you must wait until you are older to enjoy my favorite drink,” Jeremy replied. He paused, then added, “Much, much older.”
George pouted, but he did not argue. Caroline smiled at him fondly as she shook her head. The boy was starting to look up to Jeremy, and she was grateful that, even with Jeremy’s more lackadaisical outlook on life, he was still able to be responsible when it came to George.
“So, a picnic!” Jeremy mused, changing the subject. “That sounds delightful. Perhaps under the wonderful shade that thelarge tree by the pond casts? I do not know how long I would make it if we sat in the sun.”
At the mention of the pond, Caroline’s mind flung her back to her last memory of it. Of seeing Damien’s delicious physique so bare and on display. She blushed as heat pooled in the spot between her thighs and her nipples hardened under her corset.
“Well, I am not sure...” she began to say, but George excitedly jumped up from the couch.
“Oh, yes!” he said excitedly. “And then perhaps after that, you could teach me how to swim?”
Jeremy’s lips drew into a half-grin as he nodded.
“What if we start off with learning how to float?” he asked. “Today seems like a good floating day.”
Caroline chortled, wagering that with the bottle-ache still booming in Jeremy’s head, that was all he could probably muster in terms of exercise.
“Yes,” George readily agreed.
“Very well then,” Jeremy said, slapping his knee. “Let us have our picnic. What do you think? Should we encourage the grump to leave his study for a few short hours and join us? He could probably use some fresh air as well.”
“Are you sure he would want that?” Caroline asked, the words leaving her lips in a rush as her heartbeat quickened.
Though they had seen one another at meals now shared in the dining room, Caroline had not spoken to him since she confessed her momentary lapse of judgment a few days ago. She was not at all sure if she could keep her mind off whathad occurred between them at the pond, and even now she was blushing at what sort of thoughts might form in her mind as they visited the place together again.
Jeremy gave her an odd look, and she quickly shook her head, silently pleading for the heat in her cheeks to dissipate.
“I mean, yes! I suppose we could at least invite him,” she replied, focusing on George. “What do you think?”
