She blinked dazedly. Her lips tingled, and her fingers remained tangled in his shirt for a few seconds more before she let go.
“Yes. Of course,” she murmured, trying to gather herself.
He stood and helped her up without looking at her directly.
They walked back in silence. She hoped, absurdly, that he might stop. That he might change his mind.
But he didn’t.
They walked over to change behind their respective screens and parted with no more than a polite nod.
Georgina dressed slowly, her hair damp and sticking to her neck, and touched her lips once.
She didn’t know what the kiss had meant, or if it had meantanythingat all.
But she knew she wanted it to happen again.
Chapter Ten
“What do you need?” Lysander asked without glancing up from his desk.
Georgina stood in the doorway, framed by maple wood and shadows. The only light came from the candle on his desk, its flickering glow catching the edges of her figure in silhouette.
Her hair was unpinned. Whether that had been intentional or not, he couldn’t tell, but the sight of her like that—half-illuminated, half-obscured—made it difficult to concentrate.
“I wanted to ask why you’ve been avoiding me.”
He finally looked up, brows lifted. “Avoiding you?”
Georgina folded her arms, her tone deceptively light. “It’s been three days since we went swimming. I haven’t seen you since. I’d say that qualifies.”
He put his pen down with deliberate care and leaned back. “Is it avoidance to carry out my responsibilities? I hadn’t realized the estate was to be neglected in favor of social calls.”
“Is it neglecting the estate to say good morning to your wife?” she asked.
Lysander’s jaw ticked. He had not meant to be short with her, but he also hadn’t expected this confrontation tonight of all nights. He had three ledgers open, letters awaiting reply, and a shipment dispute he needed to sort out before the next market day.
“I assumed you preferred your independence,” he said. “I didn’t want to crowd you.”
“Crowding would require presence,” she replied crisply. “You vanished.”
“I didn’t vanish. I’ve been right here.” He gestured to the desk. “Running an estate is not an idle man’s pastime, Duchess.”
“And I never suggested it was. But you kissed me, Your Grace. Then you disappeared. That may not be avoidance to you, but it certainly feels like it to me.”
He exhaled slowly, rubbing the space between his brows. “You were distressed. I acted on instinct.”
“You kissed me because I wasdistressed?” Her brows rose. “That’s a novel approach to comfort.”
“I shouldn’t have,” he said.
“Perhaps,” she replied. “But you did.”
She stepped further into the study, her slippers quiet on the wood floor, her presence suddenly too large for the room.
“I didn’t come to fight,” she said more quietly. “I just wanted to know where we stand.”
He met her gaze. “Where we’ve always stood. This is a marriage of necessity.”
