Page 154 of The Good Duke
She held his fierce gaze.
“When you are a woman reliant upon employment, you appreciate sketching and painting will not feed you or ensure a home with a roof. And what had previously been a worthwhile pursuit for a young lady is now worthless.”
A sorrowful, animal-like groan rumbled in his chest.
Persephone responded with an answering calm. “Simon, I’m not telling you this to earn your pity—”
“I couldneverpity you.”
That tacit admission tore from Simon with such force, Persephone glanced around for voyeurs.
Wanting to bring him back to the place of his earlier lightness, she motioned to the vast stairway.
“Come,” she petitioned. “I have waited my whole life for this moment, and I’d rather share it with you than discuss unpleasant things.”
Anticipating he’d follow, Persephone made the long ascent.
As she’d thought, Simon fell into step beside her.
At last, they reached the summit, which opened to a grandiose room; from the floor all the way to the top of soaring, sweeping ceilings hung paintings.
Besieged by such profound reverence, she wandered into the middle of the empty, cavernous museum and stopped. Tipping her head back, Persephone took in those masterpieces high overhead. She gazed upon them so long the muscles of her neck ached.
It was more magnificent than she could have ever believed. Nothing could have prepared her for the majesty of this place.
“Breathtaking,” Simon murmured.
“Yes.” Her throat moved. “Isn’t it?”
She made herself tear her gaze from the beauty around her and looked at Simon. “I’ve never seen…” The rest of what she’d intended to say left her head.
Simon’s heated gaze pierced through Persephone.
Her breath quickened.
For there could be no doubting Simon’s gaze and words hadn’t been about their surroundings.
With sleek, languid strides, he wandered over to join Persephone.
When Simon reached her, he did a sweep of her face; as he did, he lingered upon each place his eyes touched.
“You’ve never seen a sight so magnificent?” he murmured in his low, sonorous baritone that would never not cause a fluttering in her belly…and lower.
God forgive her, Simon had just bestowed upon Persephone the most precious gift, and she stood before him reliving all the pleasure he’d brought her body to.
A slow, rogue’s smile turned his lips up in percipient tilt.
Disquieted and needing to get control of her thoughts, Persephone took a quick step away from Simon.
“It is funny…” The slightly strident timbre of her voice made a lie of Persephone’s attempt at casualness. “Whenever I imagined the Royal Museum, I also envisioned each room to be swarming with patrons, and worried that the din would be distracting, only to find no one here yet, except the two of us.”
Just Simon and I…
Persephone registered a quiescent stillness and cast a glance at a solemn-once-more Simon.
“That is because there is just the two of us here, Seph.”
That didn’t make any sense. How could there be only—
