An Earl, the Girl, and a Toddler by Vanessa Riley

Author:Vanessa Riley [Riley, Vanessa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Zebra Books
Published: 2021-01-22T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 31

MARKET DAY

With his palms on her waist, Daniel guided Jemina into his carriage. He hurried, not that he was opposed to holding her, but the Old Bailey was a central point of gossip.

This wasn’t the discretion he’d followed since beginning his practice. Yet, not touching, not helping her wasn’t an option.

Jemina sat opposite him as he put his wig away in the leather-trimmed box where he stored it.

“You’re mighty silent, my lord, for a man who won his trial.” He waited for the carriage to start, for the two of them to be away from this stiff showy world. “It’s a ritual of quiet reflection.”

“Oh.” Her head turned to the window with thumbs up, moving in and out.

The carriage turned the corner. He relaxed and stared at his companion, her buckled slippers and simple lavender dress. “What are you doing?”

“My ritual.”

Fresh-faced without the artifice of rouge or heavy perfumes like the typical spectators at the court, the woman was a welcomed change.

“You’re never boring, my dear.”

“Daniel, you say that as if you are.”

He sat back with folded arms. “Quite dull, except for my aunt’s escapades and my vingt-et-un nights.”

“Oh, the card game with your friends.”

His smile bloomed. He couldn’t help it. “You can’t help watching me, can you?”

Jemina leaned forward. “You could make things a great deal easier if you just confessed all.”

“I’m not a defendant, Jemina.”

“A hostile witness then to my secrets.”

Lifting off his spectacles, he took his handkerchief and wiped his lenses. “Why not leave all this law business to me? I’m quite good at it. Alas, I’m just a servant, serving at the whims of the Lord Mayor.”

Those thumbs of hers kept moving, opening and closing. “You make yourself sound so small.”

“Rest assured, I’m a big lad . . . ready for all challenges.” He rubbed at his face. “You want to tell me what your ritual is all about?”

“I don’t want to disturb you.”

Well, that was annoyingly considerate and wrong since they were conversing.

Those hand of hers kept moving. A dance? Some sort of code?

It definitely was a tactic to confuse him. It worked and left him staring at her perfect oval face, her smooth cheeks loaded with freckles. Those dots foretold a love of the outdoors. He could definitely see Jemina frolicking in the sunshine or barefoot on beach sand.

Her palms rested on her lap, the beginnings of her hips.

“Done with your ritual? Jemina, I can honestly say I was wrong about such formalities.”

She put a finger to her lips. “Shhhhhh.”

Then her hands lifted again, moving close to the window, thumbs sliding together then parting. Close. Parting, close.

He reached out and grabbed her wrists. “You will drive me insane. Do you do this on purpose to confuse me or to make me think about you constantly?”

“Maybe this is how I distract myself from thinking of you and the secrets you are silent upon.”

“We both need hobbies, Jemina.” He pulled her fingers close to his lips, enjoying how her eyes grew large with anticipation. “Or maybe we need to admit that friendship for us is not enough.

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