“She has spirit, Grandson,” his grandmother said, to his surprise. He could see the laughter in her eyes as she looked at Eva; it seemed his wife had enlisted the dowager to her ranks of devotees.
“May I steal her away, Grandmother?”
“Yes, go. I have much to do. But I will see you again on Thursday, Granddaughter.”
“I will be prompt, Grandmother.” Eva bent to kiss her cheek, something Daniel rarely did. It seemed Eva was breaking down barriers and not just inside him.
Daniel moved to kiss his Grandmother, too. “Thank you for making her welcome.”
“Look after her, Grandson, or you will have me to answer to,” the dowager whispered back.
“With my life,” Daniel vowed.
“Where are we going, Daniel?” Eva asked him when they were in the carriage.
“Be patient and you shall soon see.”
A short time later, Daniel helped Eva from the carriage after it drew up outside the British Museum.
Two days earlier, he’d told her in an offhand way that he intended to visit a new exhibit of Parthenon sculptures that had recently been put on display. To Daniel’s surprise, Eva had immediately said, ‘Not the Elgin Marbles?’ to which he’d replied in a stunned voice, ‘Yes.’#p#分页标题#e#
“So how do you know about the Elgin Marbles?” he asked now, watching her face intently as she looked up at the building before her. Her eyes were sparkling and her body quivered with excitement.
“I read about them in the newspaper. It said Lord Elgin acquired a collection of stone objects when he was ambassador to the Ottoman Court of the Sultan in Istanbul, plus there were some items from Athens. I understand the British Museum has only just purchased them from him.”
Surprised that his wife knew of such things, and stunned that she might actually share his passion for old artifacts, Daniel could only manage to nod.
“I have always wished to visit here.” She stood beside the carriage with her hands pressed together, looking up at the museum. She looked sweet and tempting in her long blue coat and bonnet and Daniel wondered at her allure. Was it the innocence of a woman raised outside society or the vulnerability due to how she had been raised that got to him? She had no false side, no arts or allurements and he would do his damndest to ensure she stayed that way.
“Then let us grant that wish, Duchess.” Daniel held out his hand and she took it, slipping her fingers between his.
She dragged him everywhere, to see every vase, every Egyptian artifact, exclaiming while studying each from every angle. A poor hapless curator was often asked to explain what Daniel could not, although he acquitted himself quite well.
“Do we get to stop for tea?” Daniel brushed a smudge of dirt off Eva’s cheek as she turned to look up at him.
“This is your place, Daniel, isn’t it?”
“My place?” he questioned, studying his disheveled wife. He had never known anyone who studied an artifact as thoroughly as her. Several long curls had escaped her bonnet, her pale lemon-and-white dress was smudged in places, but her eyes were alight with an energy that he could not help but share.
“Where you go to be on your own and escape all the pressures your position places upon you.”
How had she known that? “Yes. When I’m in London, I come here when I need to think or be alone.”
She turned back to the cabinet to continue inspecting its contents.
“Everyone needs a place like that.”
“Where was your place, Duchess?” Daniel moved behind her to look over her shoulder.
“A small shed tucked in the forest behind my father’s home.”
She had a shed to hide in while he had a whole museum. “Well, now you can share my museum.”
She didn’t look at him but he heard her softly spoken words. “I’d like that.”
“Now I think we should leave the rest for another day.” Daniel took her arm and started propelling her toward the exit before she found something else to inspect.
“Must we? I am sure there is still time before closing, and I wanted to see everything,” Eva batted her eyelashes at him, then licked her lips for good measure.
“That only works in the bedroom, and yes, we must,” Daniel ignored her pleading, instead taking her hand in his. “We will stop at Gunthers for an ice and you can have another first,” Daniel said, which mollified her slightly.
She’d lost her inhibitions in the museum and chattered like a small child the entire carriage trip, telling him all the things she had seen, which, naturally, he had also seen, but Daniel did not remind her of that fact. Instead, he simply listened. She made him feel young again, less jaded. Here and now the shadows he often saw in her eyes had vanished and the secrets he was sure she still hid from him were, for a while, forgotten.