“Can’t a lady visit her betrothed?” she asked. He only raised a brow and she sighed. “I came to check on the renovations. Well, Vincent urged me to.”
“I see.” He came closer, stopping when he was right beside her. “And you think that my house is sad and empty because there is only one portrait displayed?”
“It may sound quite rude of me to say—”
“Which comes as no surprise to me,” he cut in.
Lavender rolled her eyes. “But,” she went on. “I stand by what I said. Wouldn’t it be nice to have your portrait displayed as well? Or perhaps that of your mother’s? Both?”
“Surely you do not think it appropriate to display my father’s mistress? What would you think if you were to walk into a room and see such a thing?”
“Not every room needs to be open to the public,” Lavender responded easily. “If it is the judgment of others that worries you, which is quite surprising, then you may hang the portrait someplace private.”
Austin regarded her for a moment. “You are quite unusual. Do you know that?”
“I have been told,” she said with a smile. “Why don’t we take a break from all this talk of houses and portraits and go for a promenade in the park?”
“I cannot think of anything worse,” he grumbled.
“Marvelous,” Lavender quipped with a smile. She turned to the door. “I shall wait for you in the carriage while you fetch a coat.”
Austin didn’t make any more protests to the matter, to Lavender’s surprise and relief. She was free to traipse out of the room in far better spirits than she had been when she’d arrived.
Odd.
***
“I hate this. I hate every second of this.”
“Which is quite interesting considering how good you are at it.” Lavender couldn’t help her mirthful response. She was in too good of a mood to be bothered by Austin’s grumpiness.
After all, she’d managed to drag him out of the house to Hyde Park and they were now walking arm in arm down a well-traveled path under the curious stares of others nearby. It wasn’t the first time they were doing this and yet this time felt different. She didn’t care so much about what others were thinking as they watched them as she did simply relaxing and enjoying herself.
Relaxing and enjoying herself around the Earl of Derby had once seemed impossible.
“Why are there so many people here,” he continued to grumble. “I thought these people were important members of society. Don’t they have more important things to do than walk about a park?”
“They are likely here for the same reason we are,” Lavender responded lightly. “To relax and enjoy nature with their peers.”
“That doesn’t sound like what we are doing. You are here to put on a show for your quest and I am here because I have no choice.”
“How odd. Surely you aren’t admitting that a small helpless lady like me forced you into doing something you do not wish to do?”
Austin looked at her and Lavender met his eyes with a cheeky grin. “You are getting far too comfortable if you think it is a good idea to jest with me,” he mumbled.
“You will do me no harm. Perhaps you have even grown fond of me.”
“That assertion appears rather exaggerated.”
Lavender just laughed. She wouldn’t forget the fact that he had waited for her outside the powder room and had been ready to take her home. She wouldn’t forget the attempts he’d made to make her forget about what Lady Lively had said. Honestly, Lavender didn’t think shecouldforget. Perhaps that was the reason she was more than fine with being here with him rather than locked away in the library like she usually was.
“I know you are only here to put on a performance, Lavender,” Austin spoke again.
There was just something about the way he said her name that did something to her. Something she could not define just yet. “Of course I am. We are already here. We might as well continue our charade of acting like a loving couple.”
“Even though it is clear as day that our betrothal is an arranged one,” he pointed out.
“Well, perhaps it would not be so clear if you did not wear that frown all the time.” Lavender reached up and pressed a finger in the center of his forehead. It succeeded in getting him to relax. “See? Already better.”
