***
Juliet stared at her husband, too stunned to return his kiss. “I think we’re here,” she forced herself to say.
“Right you are,” he agreed, peeking out the curtains.
Relieved, Juliet scooted off his lap. He may only be saying such things to gain her favor, but that didn’t stop her heart from wishing he really felt that way for her. Restoring her calm reserve, she allowed Drake to help her from the carriage and show her about his London residence.
While nowhere near as large as Briar Creek with its imposing columns, winding hallways, and stone floors, Drake’s townhouse was still impressive. Two oversized drawing rooms, one blue, one yellow, were positioned near the front of the house on the main floor, with a library, study, and a sizable dining room down the hall. Upstairs, at least six bedchambers were furnished and aired. Five of them held no interest to her, however, as the girls had eagerly gone to stay with Caroline at Watson Estate for the week. Nor did she feel the least bit shy or timid following Drake into the master suite.
“Are you ready to go see Mr. Nills?” Drake asked as the morning light filtered in through the curtains.
Juliet rubbed her eyes then put on her heavy spectacles for what she hoped would be the last time. “Absolutely.”
“Shall we walk?” Drake asked after they’d finished breakfast.
“We shall,” Juliet agreed, tying on her bonnet. The weather was turning and it was rather cold, so she grabbed an extra muffler and wrapped it around her neck.
Drake chuckled. “You look rather fetching dressed like that.”
“Well, it’s rather brisk out, wouldn’t you say?”
“Not today it’s not.” He opened the door, and much to Juliet’s surprise, she wasn’t given an instant chill.
“Odd,” she commented, reaching for the end of one of the scarves she was wearing.
Drake’s hand shot out and stopped her. “Leave them. I’ll enjoy peeling all those layers off of you later.”
A chill ran down her spine at his promise. “Which way, my lord?”
“To the left, my lady.” He offered her his arm, then they descended the steps. “We’re only a short distance from Mr. Nills’ shop. There’s no reason for us to take the carriage.”
A block later, they were there.
“You weren’t jesting,” she murmured as he opened the door for her.
“I rarely do,” he admitted, walking in behind her. “For reasons I have yet to understand, most of my jests are misunderstood.”
Juliet blinked. How could that be?
Chair legs screeching across the wooden floor stole Juliet’s attention.
“Ah, Lord and Lady Drakely,” the clerk inside the building said.
Drake removed his hat. “We’re here to see Mr. Nills.”
“Yes, yes,” the clerk agreed. The stout man pushed his chair in, and dropped his quill. “I’ll be right back, my lord.”
“No need to come get me, Davis,” a tall slender man with short blonde hair, and a flawless suit of clothes said, walking into the room.
“Nills,” Drake greeted.
“Lord Drakely.” Mr. Nills shifted his gaze to Juliet. “Lady Drakely, I presume.”
“Pleasure to meet you,” Juliet said.
Mr. Nills cocked his head to the side and tapped one long, slender finger against his thin lips. “Those have to be the thickest lenses I’ve ever seen.”
“Forgive him, Juliet,” Drake said, taking her hand and giving her an affectionate squeeze. “Nills here often speaks without thinking.”
“Oh, so you two have a lot in common, then,” Juliet quipped.
“Indeed,” Drake agreed.
“Enough chatting, let’s go have a look at those orbs,” Mr. Nills said. He gestured to an open room.
Juliet walked in first. This room was nothing like what she’d seen in that little back room in Mr. Hunt’s shop. In the middle of the room sat an elevated chair, surrounded by tables. On the tables were boxes with rows and rows of marked lenses and prisms. She smiled. Caroline would never want to return to Watson Estate if she saw this room.
“Have a seat, Juliet. Today is all about you.”
Juliet turned around to look at the strange man she’d married. Ever since he’d cleaned her up and held her following the first time they’d been intimate, she’d realized there’d been far more to him than she’d originally thought. He wasn’t always an insensitive brute who didn’t give a fig about others, he did. He just didn’t have a clue how to show it.
“Mind if I have a peek at those?” Mr. Nills asked, reaching for her spectacles.
Juliet slid them off and handed them to him.