He held up his hands in a gesture of innocence. “I swear I had nothing to do with his abrupt departure.”
“Hmm.”
There was no mistaking her lingering distrust, and Gabriel heaved an impatient sigh.
“What is troubling you?”
“I am not entirely certain.” Her features settled into a stubborn expression. “I simply sense you are keeping something hidden from me.”
He gave a sharp, humorless laugh. “An impossible task, as I am quickly discovering.”
It was an impossible task, but that was precisely why an unpleasant sense of trepidation settled in the pit of her stomach.
“Fine.” She wrapped her arms around her waist, feeling suddenly cold despite the cheerful fire that burned in the white marble fireplace. “I suppose I shall be able to question Hugo once we arrive in London.”
He shrugged, angling to the side so he could reach out to grab the fabric of her robe.
“If you insist, now…”
Talia danced backward, tugging her garment from his fingers.
“And when will that be?”
He scowled at her persistence. “Really, Talia, you should not be putting your husband through the Inquisition when he is attempting to seduce you.”
“You may seduce me all you desire once you answer the question,” she promised, refusing to be distracted. “When do we leave for London?”
There was a long silence before Gabriel folded his arms over his chest and heaved a resigned sigh.
“In the morning.”
Her lips parted in shock. “For goodness’ sake, when were you intending to tell me?” she chided. Really, did men have no notion of how difficult it was to prepare for such a long journey? “I promised Mrs. Grossman I would call in the morning with a poultice for her weak chest and then I intended to spend a few moments with Mr. Clark, who requested that I write a letter to his sister in Yorkshire whom he has not seen in the past fifty years.” She waved a hand toward the large armoire set between two windows overlooking the cliffs. “And, of course, I must pack.”
His hooded gaze skimmed over her flushed cheeks. “There is no need to excite yourself, my dear.”
She shook her head. No doubt he expected to climb onto the nearest horse and gallop down the lane. A mistress of a house, however, had a great deal more to consider.
“I will never be prepared to leave tomorrow if I do not tend to at least a few tasks this eve,” she muttered, already making a list in her head of what she could finish before retiring for bed and what must be left for the morning.#p#分页标题#e#
“Talia, listen to me.”
Talia waved a hand, pacing the floral carpet. “I do not have time to waste, Gabriel.”
“You will not be traveling with me tomorrow.”
Preoccupied with her thoughts, it took a moment for Gabriel’s words to penetrate. Finally, she slowly turned to study his inflexible expression.
“I beg your pardon?”
“I intend my journey to London to be a short, excessively discreet visit,” he said, his tone carefully stripped of emotion. “The fewer people who realize that I have sought a meeting with the king and prime minister, the less chance that I will arouse the suspicions of the traitors.”
It was a reasonable explanation, and yet, she was not convinced.
Perhaps it was only her bothersome insecurities that made her certain that he was deliberately attempting to keep her from traveling with him to London.
But it did not matter.
She was not going to settle for being hidden away like a nasty secret. Not again.
“It does not matter how careful you might attempt to be, the word of your arrival is bound to become known.”
He shrugged aside her warning. “Even if it does, I shall be gone before word can spread.”
Talia forced herself to pause and consider her words. There was no use in directly accusing him of trying to keep her at Carrick Park. He would only deny her claim. No, she must be clever enough to outwit him.
She forced herself to move forward, perching on the edge of the bed and deliberately allowing her robe to gape just enough for a small glimpse of her breasts. Predictably his gaze shifted down to linger on the soft mounds, and Talia hid a small smile of triumph. She was not above using what few weapons she might possess.
“You must know that it will only cause more speculation if it appears you are attempting to sneak about.”
“And what do you suggest?” he demanded.
“Society will find nothing suspicious in the arrival of Lord and Lady Ashcombe in London.”
He made a sound of disgust, but his attention remained focused on her gaping robe.
“You cannot be that naïve.”