this."
"Who?"
"Robert Dudley, the Earl of Leicester," Richard answered as if that explained it.
Keely stared at him blankly. "I've never heard of the man."
Richard gave her a lopsided grin. "I'm beginning to like you more and more."
"I like you too," Keely replied, her lack of guile a refreshing change from the women at court. "Could we perhaps be friends?"
Richard nodded. He wanted more than friendship from this beauty, but he was wise enough to keep that thought to himself. Richard knew with a predator's instinct that unlike the other ladies of his acquaintance, Keely would fly away in fright if he moved too quickly. Besides, he needed time to investigate her part in her cousins' crime against him.
Feigning nonchalance, Richard stretched his legs out and drew a brandy-colored stone from his pocket. He rolled it around in the palm of his hand and glanced sidelong at Keely.
"Unique, isn't it?" he remarked, catching her wide-eyed stare.
She nodded and looked away. "The carnelian stone protects its owner from harm. Where did you get it?"
"I found it in Shropshire and keep it for luck," Richard answered. Slyly, he added, "Your cousins—"
Keely visibly jerked into alertness, and Richard realized she knew about the robbery. Before or after the fact? he wondered.
"Your cousins seem vaguely familiar," he went on. "Yet I cannot place where I've seen them."
"My cousins rode with me from Wales," Keely replied. "I'm sure you never saw them before that night at the tavern."
Richard smiled, nodded, and dropped the subject. He didn't want her thinking that he recognized her cousins. "Since you're newly arrived in England, please let me take you on a tour of London's most interesting sights."
"Without a chaperon, that would be improper," she objected.
Richard raised her hand to his lips. He gazed into her violet eyes and said in a husky voice, "Your beauty does incite me to impropriety."
His lips on her hand and his intimate words conspired against her. Keely was neatly caught by his disarming emerald gaze.
As a devastatingly lazy smile spread across his features, Richard moved closer, and slowly his mouth descended to claim her parted lips. Keely closed her eyes, and their lips touched in what would have been her very first kiss, but—
Honk! Honk! Honk!
Startled, both Richard and Keely leaped away from each other. She whirled around and saw a fat white goose with an orange beak waddling across the lawn toward them. Around its neck hung a gold collar inlaid with emeralds and diamonds. Lady Dawn, accompanied by two young boys, walked several yards behind the goose.
"Hello, Anthony," Richard called, then whispered out of the side of his mouth, "The countess's pet goose."
Keely stifled a giggle. "The goose is not for supper tonight?"
"Eat Anthony?" Lady Dawn cried. "Swallow your tongue, child!" She turned to her pages and ordered, "Bart and Jasper, return Anthony to his room."
As the boys led Anthony away, Richard stood and offered his seat to the countess. He bowed over Keely's hand, saying, "I look forward to our next meeting, my lady." His eyes promised her they'd begin exactly where they'd stopped.
"Sup with us this evening," Lady Dawn invited him.
"Unfortunately, I'm obligated to attend the queen," Richard refused. "Perhaps tomorrow?"
"You're always welcome at Talbot House." Lady Dawn drew Keely to her feet, saying, "The dressmaker is here to take your measurements, my dear. Tally is sparing no expense on your behalf."
"Enjoy your day," Richard said, turning away. He started across the lawn.
"The earl gifted me with this orchid," Keely told the countess.
Lady Dawn chuckled. "In the language of flowers, when a man gives a woman an orchid, he means to seduce her."
Staring at the earl's retreating back, Keely crimsoned with offended embarrassment. Richard chose that moment to turn around, sweep them a deep bow, and wink at Keely. Then he disappeared down the walk that led to his own estate.
"Nicely done," the
"Who?"
"Robert Dudley, the Earl of Leicester," Richard answered as if that explained it.
Keely stared at him blankly. "I've never heard of the man."
Richard gave her a lopsided grin. "I'm beginning to like you more and more."
"I like you too," Keely replied, her lack of guile a refreshing change from the women at court. "Could we perhaps be friends?"
Richard nodded. He wanted more than friendship from this beauty, but he was wise enough to keep that thought to himself. Richard knew with a predator's instinct that unlike the other ladies of his acquaintance, Keely would fly away in fright if he moved too quickly. Besides, he needed time to investigate her part in her cousins' crime against him.
Feigning nonchalance, Richard stretched his legs out and drew a brandy-colored stone from his pocket. He rolled it around in the palm of his hand and glanced sidelong at Keely.
"Unique, isn't it?" he remarked, catching her wide-eyed stare.
She nodded and looked away. "The carnelian stone protects its owner from harm. Where did you get it?"
"I found it in Shropshire and keep it for luck," Richard answered. Slyly, he added, "Your cousins—"
Keely visibly jerked into alertness, and Richard realized she knew about the robbery. Before or after the fact? he wondered.
"Your cousins seem vaguely familiar," he went on. "Yet I cannot place where I've seen them."
"My cousins rode with me from Wales," Keely replied. "I'm sure you never saw them before that night at the tavern."
Richard smiled, nodded, and dropped the subject. He didn't want her thinking that he recognized her cousins. "Since you're newly arrived in England, please let me take you on a tour of London's most interesting sights."
"Without a chaperon, that would be improper," she objected.
Richard raised her hand to his lips. He gazed into her violet eyes and said in a husky voice, "Your beauty does incite me to impropriety."
His lips on her hand and his intimate words conspired against her. Keely was neatly caught by his disarming emerald gaze.
As a devastatingly lazy smile spread across his features, Richard moved closer, and slowly his mouth descended to claim her parted lips. Keely closed her eyes, and their lips touched in what would have been her very first kiss, but—
Honk! Honk! Honk!
Startled, both Richard and Keely leaped away from each other. She whirled around and saw a fat white goose with an orange beak waddling across the lawn toward them. Around its neck hung a gold collar inlaid with emeralds and diamonds. Lady Dawn, accompanied by two young boys, walked several yards behind the goose.
"Hello, Anthony," Richard called, then whispered out of the side of his mouth, "The countess's pet goose."
Keely stifled a giggle. "The goose is not for supper tonight?"
"Eat Anthony?" Lady Dawn cried. "Swallow your tongue, child!" She turned to her pages and ordered, "Bart and Jasper, return Anthony to his room."
As the boys led Anthony away, Richard stood and offered his seat to the countess. He bowed over Keely's hand, saying, "I look forward to our next meeting, my lady." His eyes promised her they'd begin exactly where they'd stopped.
"Sup with us this evening," Lady Dawn invited him.
"Unfortunately, I'm obligated to attend the queen," Richard refused. "Perhaps tomorrow?"
"You're always welcome at Talbot House." Lady Dawn drew Keely to her feet, saying, "The dressmaker is here to take your measurements, my dear. Tally is sparing no expense on your behalf."
"Enjoy your day," Richard said, turning away. He started across the lawn.
"The earl gifted me with this orchid," Keely told the countess.
Lady Dawn chuckled. "In the language of flowers, when a man gives a woman an orchid, he means to seduce her."
Staring at the earl's retreating back, Keely crimsoned with offended embarrassment. Richard chose that moment to turn around, sweep them a deep bow, and wink at Keely. Then he disappeared down the walk that led to his own estate.
"Nicely done," the
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