“Like truffles.” Tess smiled.
He nodded, studying her across the table.
“A few things are valuable simply because they’re beautiful. People crave beauty in the same way they crave air. Pearls, for example, are mainly decorative, but they’re also incredibly rare. They start as an accident—a tiny piece of debris on the inside of a shell, that over time develops into something extraordinary, layer upon layer.”
His gaze lingered on the necklace, on the pulse beating in the hollow of her throat.
“But thebestthings are valuable because they combine beauty with other qualities. Watchmakers use rubies in their timepieces as bearings for the pivots to reduce friction. Diamonds don’t just sparkle; they’re strong, so hard they’re used for engraving copper and glass.”
Tess felt warm, and oddly exposed. Was he only talking about the necklace, or was there a deeper meaning to his words? Did he see her as strong and rare, as well as beautiful? Or was that just wishful thinking?
She raised her glass. “A toast. To things that can’t be bought.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
He did not come to her room after dinner. After the dishes were removed, he asked Withers to pour him a glass of brandy and turned to Tess.
“It’s been a long day, and since neither of us got much sleep last night”—he smiled faintly at her blush—“I’ll see you in the morning.”
Tess had been both relieved by his consideration, and slightly disappointed that he seemed to find her so resistible.
Still, she would forge on with her plan to become his friend, as well as his lover. If they were truly to part ways in a few months, she wanted to do so on amicable terms. He might not fall madly in love with her, but there was no reason he couldn’tlikeher, at least.
Daisy’s probing in Debrett’sPeerage of the United Kingdomhad revealed that Justin’s mother had died when he was sixteen, of scarlet fever, and his father was also deceased. He had no siblings, nor close relations, so in that respect he and Tess were similar.
But who did he count as his most loyal companions? He was clearly good friends with Edward, Ellie’s cousin,and with Tom Careby, but Tess wanted to be someone he could rely on, too. She wanted to be valuable to him. Not just as a temporary lover, or as a useful social ornament, but as a true friend. Someone he could trust.
“I promised to visit the school in the village tomorrow morning, but if you’re free again in the afternoon, perhaps you’d like to go on another outing with me?”
He nodded. “Let’s hope it’s less eventful than today’s excursion.”
“Are you sure you remember where it is? We must be halfway to Hollyfield by now.”
Tess bit back a smile at Justin’s impatient grumbling.
“Of course I do. It’s just over this rise. And technically, we’re right on the border between our lands and Daisy’s father’s estate. The river marks the boundary.”
She pushed forward, leading him onward through the trees, her skirts billowing about her legs.
It was the perfect day for what she had planned; beautifully warm, with not a cloud in the sky. Justin had driven the open-topped gig, following her directions, but they’d had to leave the horse and conveyance up on the track and continue on foot.
“Ah! Here we are!” Tess stopped and pointed in triumph.
“A swimming hole.”
Justin’s voice gave nothing away, but Tess beamed at him, willing him to share her pleasure.
“I’m sure you’ve seen far lovelier ones, in your travels, but it’s one of my favorite places in England. I can’t tell you how many afternoons Daisy, Ellie, and I spent messing about here when we were younger. It’s where I learned to swim.”
She’d always thought of the dell as a magical place, a fern-lined fairy bower shielded from the rest of the world by the sloping banks of the stream. A natural bend in the river, and some large boulders, had created the most perfect pool—deep enough to dive into, and wide enough in which to swim.
She pointed to a knotted rope that hung from a tree branch suspended over the water.
“That’s not the original rope, of course. It’s been replaced several times over the years. We used to see how far out we could swing before we let go.”
His lips curved up approvingly. “And here I thought proper young ladies spent their days stitching samplers and arranging flowers. It sounds as if you were complete hellions.”
Tess laughed. “Oh, we were. But I must admit, I actuallylikestitching samplers, too. Embroidery is much maligned. I find it quite relaxing.”
