—
Before parting last evening, they had agreed to convene this morning at her home. Since both Nell and Maura would be away, Kate chose the folly in the rear gardens for her meeting with Deverill—a pretty, domed structure partially hidden in a copse of woods.
Surrounded on all sides by white trellises, which in turn were covered by thick ivy and climbing rose vines, the folly should provide privacy, yet because of the dreary, gray day, the setting was not romantic in the least. With a misty rain falling, the air was even a bit chilly, requiring outer garments. Kate rationalized that since she would be more heavily clothed Deverill would have less opportunity to fondle her bosom.
When he arrived at ten o’clock, she met him in the entrance hall. After donning a hooded cloak, she led him outside to the rear terrace and down the sweeping stone steps.
There was no sign of any gardeners as they traversed the graveled path. Deverill, however, seemed to divine her purpose, if his knowing gaze was any indication. He paused just inside the doorway of the folly, surveying the interior and the opposing wooden benches. “Shall I guess the reason you chose here?”
“I will happily tell you. I wanted a less intimate setting than my drawing room.”
“The setting wouldn’t stop me if I was determined to be intimate.”
Kate found herself flushing, then scolded herself for her reflexive response. She was acting very much like the prude Lady X had accused her of being.
“We have a good deal of ground to cover so we should begin at once.” Pushing back the hood of her cloak, she sat on one of the benches and indicated that Deverill should take the other. Instead of complying, however, he leaned one broad shoulder against the wooden door frame, waiting.
Kate took a breath. She should stop worrying so much about being alone with Deverill and get on with tutoring him. The trouble was, that intense stare of his—so tender and sensual—was unsettling.
“We must focus on increasing your appeal to your chosen candidate,” she said. “Since I don’t care to endure your roasting, I won’t bore you with my myriad lists—”
“Praise the saints.”
She cast him a narrow glance. “—but I will share some attributes of an ideal suitor. I believe most women will appreciate these same qualities in a husband.”
Deverill folded his arms over his chest. “Pray, proceed.”
“First, the negative. I have already mentioned that sheltered young ladies may be put off by your provoking nature and warned that you cannot be intimidating or arrogant or dictatorial. At the same time, you should never belittle her or act as if you are better than she is.”
“Do I act as if I am better than you are?”
“No, but you could take my advice a step further. It can be disarming if you can laugh at yourself. A self-deprecating manner can put a shy girl at ease. And you could strive to be a good conversationalist. At least some ladies want that.”
“Such as yourself. I will practice developing my witty ripostes after tea.”
Kate couldn’t help but smile. “You should be quick with a compliment, but not in the obvious way….Not necessarily with appearance or beauty, I mean. A plain woman will know you are feeding her falsehoods if you call her beautiful, but you could admire her best feature or praise an attractive character trait—something she takes pride in. Everyone has some attribute that is worthy of praise and admiration. But flattery must always be truthful, even if exaggerated a little.”
“You have amazing eyes.”
Heat bloomed in her cheeks. “That is overdoing it, my lord, but you are on the right track. It also helps to be forgiving of her flaws and accepting of her limitations.”
“Such as you and your lists.”
Kate flashed a bright smile. “Exactly. And at the top of my list: Attentiveness is perhaps the most effective quality in a suitor, to my mind.”
“What do you mean?”
“Listen to her, talk with her. And most important, you ought not close off your feelings.”
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“I thought you advised disarming her.”
“There are many ways to accomplish that. Show a genuine interest in her. Care about her interests. Ask about her hopes and dreams. Be considerate of her needs. But one of the best ways is opening your own heart to her.”
“Why?”
She leveled him a look tinged with exasperation. “The whole point is to try to make her fall in love with you, Deverill. I know you put little value on love, but if you want to earn her regard and perhaps even win her heart, you cannot come across as calculating or cold. She will warm to you if you sometimes share what you are feeling.”