Page 20 of Things We Do for Love and Science
He grinned. “You’re always welcome to pop in for tea and biscuits or sometimes cake if I can manage.”
“Great, I’ll keep that in mind.” When their gazes met, heat rushed into her cheeks. “Now, where’s that cake I’ve been promised?”
“Ah, yes.” He stepped away from the easel so fast, he nearly pushed it over. “Back in a minute.”
“Wait.” Her voice came out louder than intended, and she cringed.
He stopped in his tracks.
“If we’re done for today, I might as well change. Will you...?” She pointed at her back.
“Yes, of course. Sorry, I didn’t think.” With a bit of wrangling, he loosened the zip, then left the room.
She stripped out of the ballgown and laid it on the chaise longue. Dressed in her own comfortable clothes, she ambled to the arm chair facing the fancy side table and sat.
A few moments later Gabriel returned with tea and cake.
“Chocolate fudge, my favorite.” She put a piece of the rich dark cake into her mouth. “Don’t give me cake every time I come over, or I’ll have to run extra laps around the playing fields to make sure I’ll still fit into your granny’s fancy gown.”
“I run as well; it’s the best way to exercise. No gym fees required.” He broke off a piece of cake with his fork and lifted it to his mouth, his tongue swiping across his bottom lip to catch a few stray chocolate crumbs.
She stared at him a beat too long before she caught herself. “And blessed silence instead of thumping music and the smell of other people’s sweat.”
They laughed.
“But isn’t it a bit repetitive to run around the playing fields? Or do you also use the path along the river?”
She chewed on another forkful of cake. “The river? Not the safest place if you’re female.”
His face became serious. “Oh, I’m sorry, I never even thought of that. It’s an outrage that women can’t use public spaces safely.” He tilted his head. “If you like, you can run here, in Renwood Park. It’s enclosed by a high wall. I’ll give you the code to the gate. Feel free to come and go as you please.”
“That’s so generous. It would be fantastic, but are you sure?” She leaned forward, her heart light in her chest. He was such a thoughtful man.
“Absolutely. While the park’s mine, it’s yours to use.”
“Goodness me.” She placed a palm on her sternum where warmth bloomed in her chest. “I feel very special now, to be able to run in a park nobody else has access to. Except you and your friends, of course.”
“By the way, I was wondering, since you’re here, would you like to see the original portrait of Edwin?” he asked.
She briefly touched his forearm. “Yes. Let’s see the man behind the DNA sequence.”
They went along the corridor leading to the vestibule and, from there, turned into another, wider hallway.
She suppressed the impulse to grab Gabriel’s sleeve so as not to get lost. “Whatever you do, don’t abandon me in here. I’ll never find my way out by myself.”
“The Hall is a bit of a maze at first glance, but you’ll get the hang of it, eventually.”
She was still puzzling out the meaning of the last part of his sentence, when they rounded a corner and entered the ancestor gallery. How would she get ‘the hang’ of Renwood Hall since they only had a couple of painting sessions left?
“This is the man himself.” He stopped in front of a full-length portrait of a gentleman wearing a tailored coat in navy blue, its large cuffs edged with gold embroidery.
Gray silken breeches covered his shapely legs, and he looked very much like Gabriel dressed up for some kind of historical re-enactment event. The same clean jawline, full sensual lips, and a mere hint of a cleft in his chin, with matching intensely blue eyes.
She twisted a strand of hair through her fingers and took a step back from the painting. The resemblance was positively wild, but the brass plaque beside it confirmed this was indeed Lord Edwin Kirwan, the third Earl of Renwood.
“His portrait was painted in 1766 by Angelica Kauffmann,” Gabriel said.
Does he expect me to know the artist?Well, she didn’t. Art history wasn’t her forte. She leaned closer to him. “And she would be...?”
