“No apologies necessary, Mr. Thayer. All’s well that ends well,” replied Caro.
“Ah, a young lady who can quote Shakespeare as well as poetry? How very lovely.” A pause as he slanted her a meaningful look through his gold-tipped lashes. “Very lovely, indeed.”
It was a handsome compliment—perhaps just a touch too handsome. His clever hands weren’t the only fast things about Mr. Edward Thayer, she decided. His tongue was moving a little too quickly as well.
“You are from Scotland?” she asked, steering the conversation to a more proper subject. His voice had a northern accent, though the burr was much softer than Alec’s flinty tones.
“Yes, but I spent several years at Oxford studying philosophy.”
“You are a scholar?” asked Caro.
The smile now showed a peek of perfectly white teeth. “Among other things.”
Including a practiced charmer, skilled at casting flirtations at the opposite sex.
She decided not to rise to the bait.
After taking a long look within the book of Wordsworth Odes, she snapped the covers shut. “I think I am finished with my shopping,” she announced, moving for the archway of the alcove.
“So soon?” asked Thayer, following along.
“I have some errands to run for my mother.”
“Perhaps you would have time for a cup of tea before you do so, Miss Sloane,” he pressed.
“The proper form of address is Miss Caro, as I am the youngest of three sisters,” she pointed out. “As for tea, that would not be proper, sir, seeing as we have not been formally introduced.”
“Quite right. Again I must apologize,” he said contritely. “I confess to being a bit rusty on English protocol.”
Caro softened somewhat in her resolve to remain aloof. “The strictures can be confining,” she said. “But you must understand that a lady cannot be too careful.”
“Of course. It’s just that I saw you at the teashop yesterday with Lord Strathcona, did I not? So I assumed…” The pause seemed deliberately drawn out. “Well, never mind. It isn’t important.”
His intention had clearly been to hook her curiosity, and this time she couldn’t resist rising to take the lure. “You are acquainted with Lord Strathcona, sir?”
“Yes.” He blew out his cheeks with a mournful sigh. “We were close in the past, but alas, a recent falling-out has severed the friendship.”
That was not overly hard to imagine, thought Caro. Alec was not an easy man to get along with under the best of circumstances. And yet, despite his faults, she had always found him to be scrupulously fair in his assessment of both others and himself. So she couldn’t believe he was mean-spirited or petty in his dealings with others.
Which raised the question of what had caused the quarrel.
“It seems that you, too, know His Lordship,” went on Thayer.
Caro nodded. “We met at a hunting party given by his cousin, Lady Dunbar.”
“How very fortunate for you to be included in one of her gatherings,” murmured Thayer. “The countess is known as a superb hostess who sets a sumptuous table.”
“It was a memorable experience,” said Caro absently, her thoughts still dwelling on what might have caused the rift between the two men.
“Oh?” He seemed hopeful of eliciting greater detail.
“Yes,” she said flatly, as they strolled back to the main room. Perhaps it was something about the Scottish burr, however soft, that was scraping against her skin, but at that moment Caro found herself unwilling to satisfy his curiosity.
“Did you enjoy Scotland?” To his credit, Thayer didn’t press, but turned the talk to general pleasantries while Caro completed her purchases and directed that the package be delivered to her residence.
He opened the shop door with a gentlemanly flourish as she turned to leave and accompanied her outside. “I hope I shall be permitted the pleasure of continuing our acquaintance, Miss Caro.”
“Does that mean you will be staying in Bath long, Mr. Thayer?” she inquired.