Page 74 of The Lady’s Great Escape

Chapter Twenty-Five

Kit left Penbrook House shortly after Celia quit the room. It was difficult to enjoy his breakfast when temptation beckoned. It would have been an easy thing to go to Celia’s room and take her up on her earlier offer of sating each other’s needs. But they’d agreed that part of their relationship was over.

Instead, he’d gone home to take care of…matters.

And now he had a wife to woo.

He pushed thoughts of Celia from his mind as he stepped down from his carriage and rushed up the steps to Derforth House. The door opened immediately and Willa stood next to the indulgent butler who held out her pelisse. Kit smiled at her eagerness feeling excited himself.

Willa looked lovely in her walking dress. With the tension eased from his body, he was better able to smile and play the doting companion rather than the scoundrel he normally was in a beautiful woman’s presence.

“I’m glad the weather is more agreeable today. I admit to being excited about our outing today, my lord. I do enjoy our conversations.”

“As do I,” he said truthfully.

He did enjoy talking with her. She was quite good at talking. In fact, her lips hardly stopped moving when he was near her. He much preferred it to being with a woman who was too shy to speak.

Perhaps he could fall in love with Willa. Maybe they could make a happy life together. He hated that the thought of moving on with someone else made him instantly think of Celia and what could have been between them.

Standing straighter, he made a silent promise not to slip into those thoughts again. Celia was not to be his. No matter how he might have wished it.

Before he’d even helped Willa into the conveyance, she was off in conversation, hardly waiting for him to answer the first question before asking the next.

“I’m sorry, my brother often says I’m guilty of unleashing a verbal barrage on innocent bystanders.”

“Not at all. Though I find myself unsure which of your questions to answer first.”

She laughed at herself and shook her head. “Please feel free to answer any or none. Perhaps you have your own questions.”

He paused thinking over her words. Perhaps he was guilty of letting her rule their discussions. Had he not asked anything about her?

He already knew about her family. He knew she liked riding. They’d shared their mutual desire for a large family and how they enjoyed town, but found they preferred the country.

What else could he wish to know?

His thoughts went dark as he considered his other questions. What color were her nipples? Would she squirm as he kissed the inside of her thighs?

He cleared his throat and pushed those inquiries far away. He would not know the answers to those questions today. Or in the very near future. Courting a debutante could take months. And then if they agreed to marry it would be additional months or even a year before they actually wed.

He swallowed down a groan.

“Do you like dogs or cats?” he asked instead. Pets were safe enough.

“Dogs. Though I have both at Dalforth Manor. What about you?”

“I’ve never had a pet so I’m not sure.” His answer rather ended that thread of conversation.

As he struggled to come up with something else to discuss, he was flagged down by someone who was sure to ruin his day. Stopping the carriage he excused himself, and gestured for his coach to hold the horses while he stepped away to address Lord Hamlin.

“As you can see, I am busy. Whatever you have to say, do it quickly.”

“It’s come to my attention that you have been spending a lot of time with Lady Hamlin.”

Kit looked over his shoulder at Willa who was frowning at the man.

“As you can see, that is not Lady Hamlin.”

“I didn’t mean at the moment, but I’ve heard you spend a great deal of time at Penbrook House.”