Zeus licked his, ready to savor her scandalous taste, bask in her flavor, in the fragrant aroma he just knew would be exuding from her—
“Have you any experience successfully managing estates?”
The question came from far off, miles from the darkened bedchamber invading his mind.
“Mr. Tanner.” The daffodil recalled him to the room, the ugly, anything-but-succulent room, and asked again, “Have you any experience successfully managing estates?”
Estates. Now this was more in line with what he’d expected. Amherst over amour, he reminded his wayward-thinking mind and answered truthfully. “None at all.”
Keeping his attention firmly entrenched in this room, he allowed his gaze to be drawn behind her, to the crewel work decorating the framed partition. The outdoor scene was magnificently rendered.
“You’ve experience, then, managing them unsuccessfully?”
“No, not that either.” He turned to face her, catching sight of a forlorn expression. “No experience overseeing estates at all.”
“Yet you wish to do so now?”
“With all my heart.”
“Are you so very confident of your success, then? At so new an endeavor?”
“I cannot claim it with absolute certainty when so many facets beyond my influence come into play, Mother Nature being but one. It is a vast undertaking we discuss, of that I’m aware, but I vow to give it my unceasing effort.” Again his gaze fell on the screen’s outdoor scene. Shade trees, a waterfall, intricate vines of flowers adorning the perimeter…all created with yarn.
“What are the biggest failings you declare?”
“My failings?” His brows rose and he left off inspecting the impressive landscape to turn his attention to what—or who—might lie beyond it. “Would you not rather have an accounting of my successes? Estate management aside, I’ve had a number—”
“Let me articulate it differently. What are your most significantly unpleasant character traits? Deficiencies in your personality a wife might need to contend with?”
Personality deficiencies? These questions were enough to make his stomach roil!
After leaving Duffield at first light and traveling the seventeen miles on horseback to this neglected property where Hastings insisted he report—and not Amherst as he’d anticipated—then cooling his heels for hours in the grim study while studying his competition, Zeus realized hunger was likely the culprit his innards felt walloped, but regardless, he simply wanted to be done with these infernal questions. Wanted to meet the real Lady Scandal in the flesh, evaluate how eager his flesh was to join with hers.
Ready to bear his children, indeed. Vexing woman wouldn’t even bare her face. “I’m an absolute bear when hungry,” he fairly growled.
How much longer would he be obliged to wait? First the interminable delay in Duffield where Hastings had somehow scrounged the ballocks to order Zeus not to venture past the village. In defiance, he’d set out for Amherst three times, only to have ferocious storms boil up from nothing, forcing him back. As if Fate didn’t want him catching a glimpse of his long-denied reward.
“Very prettily answered. Now please tell me something less cavalier.”
He ordered his hands to stop strangling each other and brought his mangled fingers in front of him, clapping his palms together. “I’m impatient. I tend to be unforgiving when wronged. I don’t suffer fools, and in my experience, most all aristocrats act foolish. I—”
“’Tis enough, I’m sure.” She held up one gloved hand, biting back another smile if he wasn’t mistaken. “Can we then assume you aren’t a thief nor a murderer?”
“We?” His eyes flicked toward the partition behind her. Lady Scandal, my patience is hanging by a thread…
“You and I,” the companion replied, plumping her cheeks by freeing another of those cheerful smiles.
“A murderer? Nay. But I have been a thief.”
“Uh-ahhh…” She seemed at a loss, choking on some sort of reply.
Well, good. Strangest accounting of questions he’d ever been a party to. Most frustrating as well.
Zeus caught the hint of a whisper, then the daffodil cocked her ear toward the corner. So there was someone back there.
It irked him that these “ladies” were playing games with his life. “Why don’t you show yourself?” he called out, overloud. “Face your future husband and pelter him with questions directly?”
Let me see whether you live up to your name? And my infernal imaginings.
2
An Exchange of Forfeits Goes Afoot (Er, Awry)
“In due time,” the mysterious female rejoined immediately.
For not demurring, reluctant esteem for the woman rose in Zeus, though he couldn’t resist tapping one booted foot on the floor. When the edge of the rug that’d seen better years muffled the sound, he shifted back a step and tapped again. Louder.
“Exhibiting your lack of patience won’t hasten the process, I can assure you,” the same dulcet, unattributed voice admonished.
Plowing one hand through his hair, Zeus commanded his feet to still.
Displaying the composure he wished he felt, the companion calmly turned back to him. “Would you care to elaborate upon the circumstances which caused you to steal?”
“No, I would not.”
“Would you tell us anyway?” His mysterious wife-to-be asked through the screen.
Damn female, making it sound as though she uttered a sweetly phrased request when they both knew it was one he dare not ignore. He might hold the purse in this potential partnership, but she held all the strings. At least for now.
“Mr. Tanner?” his nebulous nemesis prompted.
“My mother was unwell,” he shared reluctantly.
It was a time he preferred not to dwell on or speak of, but when that brought no response from either of them, Zeus felt obliged to elucidate. “It was a harsh winter. She’d fallen ill and could no longer work. She was starving.”
“And you?” came the disembodied voice, subdued now. “Were you hungry as well?”
Zeus didn’t attempt to stifle his small but very real smile. “That I was, but my thieving had an unexpected boon when the butcher caught me pilfering his bacon.”
He heard a relieved sigh from the unseen woman. “Made you his apprentice, did he?”
“Nay, but he did make my mum his wife.”
“You may proceed to
