Page 134 of Lady Waldrey’s Gardening Almanac for Cultivating Scandal

“Yes, but far less than the items are worth in this part of the world.”

“That just makes it excellent commerce.”

Candace smiled and played Lord Cavendish’s game. “And what kind of goods do you take from these poor, unsuspecting tradespeople?”

“Ah,” he said, placing a finger to his nose. “That’s a secret I’ll never tell.”

“Mysterious.” She leaned back and accidentally brushed against James's arm. She swore she felt it flex at the contact, and with difficulty, she continued the conversation. “An underrated quality in a man.”

“Is it?” Lord Cavendish said. “I rather thought that young ladies preferred fashionable men to us dour, boring bachelors.”

“There’s nothing boring about a pirate,” she teased.

James made a noise that strongly resembled one of Seamus’s grunts.

Candace continued, “As a young, somewhat fashionable lady myself, I think there’s much to be said for a gentleman who doesn’t strive to be the center of attention.”

Lord Cavendish scoffed. “Calling yourself ‘somewhat’ fashionable is like calling one of those folly statues an objet d’art. It doesn’t encompass the scope of the thing, and you know it.”

Her cheeks warmed with pleasure at the genuine compliment, perhaps because at the moment, she felt like a drowned rodent. She doubted even the baroness would have compassion on an animal in her state.

“Yes, yes. Candace is all that is glamorous,” James groused. “Don’t you have someone else to talk to?”

Lord Cavendish smiled as if in challenge. “None so beautiful or interesting as she, at the moment. Tell me, my lady, do you exclusively shop at Madame Aubert’s?”

“What a keen eye you have. I thought only ladies paid that much attention to fashion.”

“You’d be surprised at how interested men are in ladies’ garments.”

Candace shook her head, blushing anew as Lord Cavendish leaned back and grinned at her.

“Thank goodness we’ve arrived,” James grumbled as the wheels of the wagon crunched upon the gravel of Devon Manor’s drive. “That’s quite enough of that.”

James alighted, placed his large hands about her waist, and lifted Candace down. Despite the momentary thrill of the contact, she bit back a groan as she clasped his elbow and gingerly picked her way to the front door. She’d no idea how sore she truly was until she started moving again. She supposed it was only to be expected. She wasn’t a great swimmer—she’d had very little practice.

“Thank you, Lady Candace!” Arthur called from the back of the wagon. “I’ll see you tomorrow!”

She waved and smiled back at him, even as her heart tore within her chest. How she longed that were true! But she and James needed to speak—there was as much murkiness between them as there was in that lake.

At the front door, James sighed. “I’ll call upon you when I can. We should speak.”

Candace couldn’t meet his eyes; she was frightened of the grim resignation she feared she’d find. “Very well.”

A silence stretched between them, until finally she looked up. He frowned down at her.

“Candace, I’ve never been so frightened⁠—”

The front door swung open.

“Where on earth have you been?” Percy bellowed. “And why are you wet?”

CHAPTER 39- CANDACE

From Gardening for the Estate-

A greenhouse or garden conservatory can be used to start seedlings before the planting season, as well as to grow more exotic plants that would suffer in the English clime. Practical as they may be, they can also be beautifully designed and pleasing to look at, in order to increase the rarity of an estate garden.

Candace staggered back a step in surprise. “Percy! What are you doing here?”