Page 10 of A Figure of Love

“He has grown up in a houseful of teachers. But he is ten now, and I am undecided as to whether he will go away to school or I will have to engage a tutor.” Yet another subject of dissention between Serena and the duke and duchess, who insisted all male issue of the family go to Eton.

“You could bring him here. I believe country air is said to be quite beneficial for children.”

“Is that so?” she teased, eating a biscuit to hide her smile.

The question gave him pause and his smooth brow wrinkled. “It seems I have read that, although I cannot think where.” He fixed her with his cool stare. “Is this something you would wish to have confirmed before you—”

Serena couldn’t help it, she laughed.

His eyebrows shot up, making his handsome features look haughty and almost regal. “You disbelieve me?”

She shook her head, still smiling. “Not at all, Mr. Lockheart, I, too, believe children thrive in the country.” She hesitated. “Did you spend time in the country as a boy?”

He looked up from his plate, which she saw was largely untouched. “I was raised in an orphanage in London. I have never lived anyplace other than a city.”

She’d heard a variety of rumors about his past but had hardly expected such a naked admission. In her experience, people did not admit to negative aspects of their lives. At least not so unequivocally. Serena could think of nothing to say. An orphanage? What must that be like? Dozens of questions popped into her mind, none of them the kind she had any right to ask.

“You have never done so until now, you mean?”

He gave her a questioning look and she gestured around them. “You live in the country now.”

“Ah. No. I do not. I have spent less than a month here, in total, since construction was completed, and I have no plans to reside here on any permanent basis.”

She shook her head. “Less than a month?Why did you build it?”

This time, when he looked at her, she felt as if he really looked. “Why did I build this house?”

Again she nodded.

“Because one must have a country house in order to conduct business with the aristocracy.”

Never had she heard such a thing put so baldly. She would have given a great deal to hear him say such a thing to the duke or duchess.

“So that is the only reason for,” again she waved, “all this? This enormous house, these grounds you wish to shape, the sculptures you want to fill them?”

His sleek brows rose only half-way this time. “Yes.”

He appeared to find nothing odd in expending hundreds of thousands of pounds for something that was only a tool. “Do you like your house?”

He frowned slightly.

Ah, finally a reaction.

“I’m afraid you misunderstand me, Mrs. Lombard. It is not a matter of liking or not liking. It is whether it will prove efficacious.”

Serena decided she needed more tea to pursue this conversation. “More tea?”

∞∞∞

Gareth shook his head at her offer of tea and studied her closely as she refilled her own cup. His opinion of her had altered subtly in the course of the evening. While he still found her hair in need of proper management and restraint, he had come to the conclusion that something about her drew the eye. At least it drew his often enough. Gareth tended to avoid women’s company as he usually had no idea what they were thinking and therefore tended to either insult or disappoint them when they realized he was abysmal at either conversation or flirtation. Mrs. Lombard seemed not to mind at all. In fact, he found conversing with her to be not so different from speaking with Declan, his only real friend. Not that Declan was always easy or direct, mind. There was also the slight smile both Mrs. Lombard and Declan seemed to wear as a matter of course. Gareth was not sure they weren’t amused by him, but at least they kept any such observations to themselves. At least Mrs. Lombard did. Declan would often chide him for this or that.

But what he liked about both of them was the fact they did not belabor him with uninteresting and cloying bits of information and social affectations. They both possessed clean, logical approaches he found refreshing.

“When you say efficacious, what do you mean, Mr. Lockheart?”

There. Yet another example of what a wonderfully direct female she was. Gareth couldn’t help congratulating himself on having the perspicacity to recognize such a gem when he saw it and offer her employment. He had no doubt she would accept his offer, even though she had not yet done so—and on his terms, as well. Everyone had a price, even her, even though she did not believe it.

“I am pleased you have asked this question. You are a woman who works for her bread, Mrs. Lombard. Perhaps you might not be aware of the habits of the upper class?” She smiled and nodded rather than clutter up their conversation. “I was not aware of it myself, you see. But I began to notice a certain point beyond which I could not progress when it came to business negotiations. The barrier was invisible to me and, I will admit, as a man who is often incapable of recognizing nuances, I was unable to discern the problem. It was my business partner Declan McElroy who explained it to me.”