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Authors: Candace Camp
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nothing short of exhilarating. Vivian believed in enjoying the moment.
Vivian dressed with her usual eye to fashion. She did not believe in leaving the house looking anything but her best, even if she was going only to the jeweler’s. Today she wore a deep blue wool round gown and over it a matching pelisse in a military cut with black frogged fastenings marching down the front and black braid around the cuffs and collar.Her hat was a cunning little black one she had bought last summer, shaped like an upside-down boat, coming to a point on her forehead. Black kid gloves and half boots completed the ensemble.
Just as she stepped out of her house and started down the steps toward her carriage, she spied Lord Stewkesbury crossing the street toward her. He pulled up short at the sight of her, then continued, his face set in a look of iron determination. Vivian had to smother a smile; clearly Oliver was steeling himself to face her with an apology.
“Lord Stewkesbury,” she said pleasantly, not giving him a chance to get started. “How fortunate I met you; I was just about to leave.”
“My lady.” He bowed somewhat woodenly. “Please, do not let me detain you. I shall call on you another time.”
“Nonsense.” Vivian’s amusement increased at the clear sound of relief in his voice. “I am going to the jeweler’s. It can wait for a moment.”
“What?” He scowled. “Why? The devil. Don’t tell me you are snooping about. I told you—”
“Yes, no doubt you did. But I have something to pick up at the jeweler’s. Why don’t you escort me, and we can talk on the way?”
He looked at her for a long moment, then said somewhat sourly, “My pleasure.”
Vivian ignored his tone, smiling at him sunnily and accepting his hand to step up into the carriage.
“Here we are again,” she said. “Odd, isn’t it, two days in a row when it has been months since we have seen each other?”
He ignored her attempt at light conversation, settling into the seat across from her and straightening his shoulders with the air of one facing a firing squad.
“I came today to apologize, my lady, for the way I behaved last night. I deeply regret my actions.”
Vivian raised her brows. “You regret kissing me? I must say, Stewkesbury, that’s rather an ungentlemanly thing to say. Was it so terrible?”
“What?” He stared at her. “No, of course not. It wasn’t terrible at all.”
“I am relieved to hear that.” A smile hovered at the corners of Vivian’s mouth. “I found it quite pleasant myself.”
“Vivian!” He closed his eyes.
“What? Would you rather I had found it unpleasant?”
“No! Of course not. Oh, the devil! It is more than a man’s life is worth trying to talk to you. I came to apologize!”
“So you said. What I can’t understand is why you should want to, since it seems that both of us enjoyed the experience.” Vivian’s eyes twinkled.
“Well, you shouldn’t have,” Oliver retorted crossly. “Or, at least, you should pretend that you didn’t.”
“Really, Oliver—I feel I may call you by your given name, don’t you, now that we are, well, better acquainted?” He stifled a groan, and Vivian paused, one eyebrow raised, then went on, “I cannot understand why I should pretend something I don’t feel and which surely would not make you feel any better.”
“I did not behave like a gentleman,” he replied, goaded. “And you should not be so blithe about the whole matter. You should be shocked. Upset.”
Vivian laughed. “I am twenty-eight years old, Oliver, and, though I know you will think me vain, I am aware that I am pleasing to look at. I have been kissed before. It seems absurd for me to be upset.”
He scowled. “You routinely go about letting fellows kiss you?”
“No, not routinely. Truthfully, there have not been many men I wanted to kiss me. And some I have even slapped because they were quite presumptuous. But I could see that you wanted to kiss me, and I did
Vivian dressed with her usual eye to fashion. She did not believe in leaving the house looking anything but her best, even if she was going only to the jeweler’s. Today she wore a deep blue wool round gown and over it a matching pelisse in a military cut with black frogged fastenings marching down the front and black braid around the cuffs and collar.Her hat was a cunning little black one she had bought last summer, shaped like an upside-down boat, coming to a point on her forehead. Black kid gloves and half boots completed the ensemble.
Just as she stepped out of her house and started down the steps toward her carriage, she spied Lord Stewkesbury crossing the street toward her. He pulled up short at the sight of her, then continued, his face set in a look of iron determination. Vivian had to smother a smile; clearly Oliver was steeling himself to face her with an apology.
“Lord Stewkesbury,” she said pleasantly, not giving him a chance to get started. “How fortunate I met you; I was just about to leave.”
“My lady.” He bowed somewhat woodenly. “Please, do not let me detain you. I shall call on you another time.”
“Nonsense.” Vivian’s amusement increased at the clear sound of relief in his voice. “I am going to the jeweler’s. It can wait for a moment.”
“What?” He scowled. “Why? The devil. Don’t tell me you are snooping about. I told you—”
“Yes, no doubt you did. But I have something to pick up at the jeweler’s. Why don’t you escort me, and we can talk on the way?”
He looked at her for a long moment, then said somewhat sourly, “My pleasure.”
Vivian ignored his tone, smiling at him sunnily and accepting his hand to step up into the carriage.
“Here we are again,” she said. “Odd, isn’t it, two days in a row when it has been months since we have seen each other?”
He ignored her attempt at light conversation, settling into the seat across from her and straightening his shoulders with the air of one facing a firing squad.
“I came today to apologize, my lady, for the way I behaved last night. I deeply regret my actions.”
Vivian raised her brows. “You regret kissing me? I must say, Stewkesbury, that’s rather an ungentlemanly thing to say. Was it so terrible?”
“What?” He stared at her. “No, of course not. It wasn’t terrible at all.”
“I am relieved to hear that.” A smile hovered at the corners of Vivian’s mouth. “I found it quite pleasant myself.”
“Vivian!” He closed his eyes.
“What? Would you rather I had found it unpleasant?”
“No! Of course not. Oh, the devil! It is more than a man’s life is worth trying to talk to you. I came to apologize!”
“So you said. What I can’t understand is why you should want to, since it seems that both of us enjoyed the experience.” Vivian’s eyes twinkled.
“Well, you shouldn’t have,” Oliver retorted crossly. “Or, at least, you should pretend that you didn’t.”
“Really, Oliver—I feel I may call you by your given name, don’t you, now that we are, well, better acquainted?” He stifled a groan, and Vivian paused, one eyebrow raised, then went on, “I cannot understand why I should pretend something I don’t feel and which surely would not make you feel any better.”
“I did not behave like a gentleman,” he replied, goaded. “And you should not be so blithe about the whole matter. You should be shocked. Upset.”
Vivian laughed. “I am twenty-eight years old, Oliver, and, though I know you will think me vain, I am aware that I am pleasing to look at. I have been kissed before. It seems absurd for me to be upset.”
He scowled. “You routinely go about letting fellows kiss you?”
“No, not routinely. Truthfully, there have not been many men I wanted to kiss me. And some I have even slapped because they were quite presumptuous. But I could see that you wanted to kiss me, and I did
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