Releasing the bars, she glanced at him. "Did you try to break out?"
"On more than one occasion." Straightening, he strolled to join her. "Me and Edward both. Together."
She looked at the bars with new respect. "If they withstood the pair of you, they must be safe."
He halted beside her; she didn't turn and meet his eye. "What are you doing?"
She gestured, went to step away, but he caught the hand that waved, slid his fingers around her wrist. She frowned, vaguely, at those fingers, then briefly at him. "I've been making a list of all that needs doing. Higgs and I missed these rooms when we went around earlier." She glanced about, waved with her other hand. "This needs refurbishing, as even you must see. It's been what — twelve years? — since there were babies here."
He caught her gaze, trapped it, without looking away, raised her wrist to his lips. "You would tell me, wouldn't you?"
She blinked. "Of course." Then she looked at the window. "But there's nothing to tell."
"Yet." He kept hold of her hand, wrapping his fingers around hers.
After a moment, she inclined her head. "Yet."
His gaze remained on her face, on her profile. Her jaw was set. "When there's anything to tell, you will remember to mention it, won't you?"
She glanced at him. "When there's anything you need know—"
"That's not what I said."
Chin rising, she looked back at the window; he stifled a sigh. "Why weren't you planning on telling me?"
It didn't really matter; if he was capable of keeping track of complicated investments, he was capable of working it out on his own, especially now she'd reminded him. But the fact she hadn't intended to tell him immediately… what did that say of how she viewed him?
"As I said, there's nothing to tell yet, and when you need to know—"
"Amelia."
She stopped, lips compressing. After a moment, she went on, "I know what you'll be like — I've seen all the others, even Gabriel, and he's the most sensible of the lot. And as for you — I know you — you'll be worse than any of them.
I've seen you for years with your sisters. You'll hem me in, confine me — you'll stop me from riding, even from playing with my puppy!" She tugged, but he didn't let her go; eyes flashing, she glared at him. "Can you deny it?"
He met her gaze squarely. "I won't stop you playing with the puppies."
She narrowed her eyes but he didn't flinch, didn't shift his gaze. After a moment, he said, "You do realize that if you were carrying my child, I would want to know, that I would care — not only because of the child, but because of you as well? I can't help you carry it, but I can — and will — keep you safe."
Amelia felt something inside her still. There was a sincerity in his tone, in his eyes, that reached her, touched her.
Under her scrutiny, he grimaced, but his eyes remained on hers. "I know I'll be obsessive, or at least that what I'll decree will seem so to you, but you have to remember that when it comes to pregnant wives, men such as I feel… helpless. We can order our world much as we wish, but in that one arena… everything we want, everything we desire, so much of what's at the core of our lives, seems to be placed in the hands of fickle fate, not only beyond our control, but even beyond our influence."
He'd spoken from the heart. Such a simple admission, one she knew was true, but one men like he so rarely made. Her heart leapt. She turned fully to him—
A commotion outside had them both glancing at the window; they stepped closer and looked down. A large traveling coach rocked to a halt before the front portico; a procession of smaller coaches rolled up in its wake.
Figures streamed from the house; others jumped down from the coaches. The Dowager Lady Calverton, her four daughters, and their entourage had returned from London.
Luc sighed. "Our privacy is at an end."
He looked at her. Amelia met his gaze, sensed his desire to kiss her, a desire that quivered in the air. Then his long lashes swept down; he released her and stepped back, waved to the door. "We'd better go down."
She turned, but instead of heading for the door she stepped closer, stretched up, and set her lips to his. Felt his immediate response, treasured the sweet moment, then she drew back.
Reluctantly, he let her.
She smiled and linked her arm in his. "Yes, I will tell you, and yes, we'd better go down."