She laughed. “She does seem rather more interested in cats than people.”
His eyes crinkled with amusement. “It was practically the first thing she said to me when we met. And now the first thing she says to me each morning is ‘Wegettingthatkittentoday?’ Which she repeats at intervals throughout the day.” His mouth quirked. “At that first meeting I did mention a vague possibility of getting a kitten. How was I toknow she’d take it as a sacred oath signed in blood—my blood.”
Alice laughed.
“In my defense,” he added, “I had no idea quite how determined a person that small could be. She’s utterly relentless.” It was clear he adored the little despot.
“So are you going to get her a kitten?”
“Of course, if only to save my own sanity.” He gave a snort of amusement. “The headmistress of the school she was at told me that Debo had been checking the kitchen cat every day, waiting for it to give birth. ‘It’ being a very fat tom.”
She chuckled.
“The difficulty is in finding suitable kittens in London. It seems very few kittens are allowed to grow to a size ready to be given away—most people, unless they want one for themselves, drown them at birth.”
“Oh dear. How very sad for the mother cats—and the kittens, of course,” she added. Thaddeus had never allowed her any kind of pet. It suddenly occurred to her that she could have a cat or a dog now—in fact she could fill the house with pets if she wanted.
It was odd how these random reflections kept popping into her mind. She supposed after eighteen years of having the law laid down to her—and in a way the eighteen years before that had been just as strict, though Papa’s law had been slightly more benevolent—she was only just getting used to her freedom.
She suddenly became aware that he was looking at her with a quizzical expression. “What?” she said.
“You went away, somewhere else. Somewhere not very pleasant, I suspect.” His voice held no criticism or accusation, just a quiet observation.
She felt herself blushing. “Sorry, I was just... just thinking about cats and keeping pets. I’ve never had one.”
“Never? Don’t you like animals.”
“Oh, I always wanted one—a dog rather than a cat, but I would have been happy with either.”
“Then why did you never get one?”
“My father didn’t approve of unnecessary animals—which was his definition of a pet—and my husband didn’t like them, either. Cats made him sneeze.”
“They make me sneeze, too.”
“And yet you’re going to get one?” she said in surprise.
His mouth twisted with wry humor. “Of course. Can you imagine my little ‘Yougotacat?’ Debo being happy without one? What are a few sneezes compared with the happiness of my daughter?”
Alice swallowed, touched by his complete willingness to endure discomfort for the sake of his child’s pleasure. For a moment, she couldn’t say anything.
He gazed back at her, his eyes darkening. His eyes dropped to her mouth, then he leaned forward, his expression suddenly intense. “Lady Charlton,” he began.
At that moment the clock in the hall chimed the half hour. Alice jumped, suddenly tense, though why she had no idea. “Speaking of your daughters,” she said hastily, “we’d better go and see what they’re up to. My cook has been preparing a feast to delight a little girl’s heart, and I’d hate us to be late.”
With a rueful look, he rose and held out a hand to help her up. She took it without thinking, though of course she could rise perfectly well unaided.
Neither of them wore gloves, and as they touched, skin to skin, a shiver ran through her: it wasn’t at all unpleasant. Quite the contrary. She released his hand and brushed her skirt down self-consciously.
“Through here.” She led the way to the back gate and the garden.
Lord Tarrant paused at the gate, his gaze taking in the wide expanse of greenery, the winding pathways, brightflower beds and mature trees. “Good lord, I had no idea there was such a large garden behind all these houses. There is no indication of it from the street, though now, I come to think of it, you can see a few treetops. It’s your own private park, isn’t it?”
“Yes, the garden is the reason my maternal grandmother bought the house. She was a countrywoman at heart, but my grandfather was much involved in politics and had to live in London for a good part of the year. This was their compromise.
“I share it with the other house owners.” She gestured to the houses that enclosed the garden square. “Several are owned by the Earl of Salcott, who lives in that large house on the corner. The old earl recently died, so I suppose his son will be taking over. Otherwise few people seem to use the garden except as a backdrop. Lucy comes out here most mornings and says she rarely sees anyone other than the occasional gardener.”
“It’s a beautiful retreat. You’re very lucky.”
