Page 94 of The Viscount and the Vixen
“No, I wouldn’t.” He liked that she was strong, knew her own mind, went after what she wanted—even if it had brought her to his father’s door.
“Are you friends with the Duke and Duchess of Lovingdon?” she asked.
“I know them relatively well. You’ll like them, and they’ll like you. I chose their ball because the duchess is particularly kind when it comes to easing people into Society. Neither of them have any prejudice against commoners since a good many of their close relatives aren’t nobility by birth.”
“I don’t think the aristocracy is what it once was.”
“I fear you’re right. I suppose it goes without saying that you’re not to discuss my role at the mines.”
“Work is nothing of which to be ashamed.”
“I’m not ashamed—” Except maybe he was. He hadn’t told Ashe or Edward that he’d taken to digging alongside the miners. “I simply prefer that my business remain private.”
“I’m proud of you, you know. Proud to be your wife.” She glanced quickly out the window as though she’d revealed too much.
He was grateful that she was absorbed in the passing scenery rather than the shock and relief that had no doubt crossed his features. He was usually so good at keeping his thoughts, his feelings to himself, but she somehow always managed to unman him.
“It takes a great deal of courage to do what one must when it goes against the grain.” She peered over at him. “I know you’d rather not be working the mines.”
“All gentlemen prefer a life of leisure.”
“Only you’ve never had one, not really. It can’t have been easy growing up without a mother. Then all the traveling you’ve done. You went on expeditions that pushed you to your limits. You returned home to care for your father, the estates. Nothing easy in that. I’ve come to admire you, Locksley. I wish...”
Her voice trailed off, her attention went back to the window.
“You wish what?” he asked.
She shook her head.
“Portia?”
“I wish we’d met under different circumstances.”
Under different circumstances, the moment he’d have deduced she was a woman he might come to like or admire, he’d have walked away in order to protect his heart and his sanity. “Is there any other situation under which we might have met?”
A sad, hollow burst of laughter echoed throughout the coach. “Not anything particularly ideal, I’m sure.”
The coach slowed, stopped. She leaned closer to the window. “It appears we’re here. There’s quite a queue of vehicles.”
“It tends to move quickly. Shouldn’t take us long to get to the front.”
Portia bobbed her head, released a long sigh, and touched her fingers to the pearls, torn between wishing to get all of this over with and hoping the ball might have ended by the time they arrived. But Locksley was correct. The coach pulled to a stop in the curved drive sooner than she’d expected. A footman leaped into action, opening the door, handing her down. Once she was standing on the drive, she could see that they weren’t unloading a single carriage at a time but were unloading several so they could make way for the next group.
So many people dressed in glorious finery were climbing up the wide steps that led to the open door.
“Try not to gawk,” Locksley said, offering his arm.
“It’s an incredibly large residence.”
“It’s just a residence.”
“That’s rather like saying the queen is just a woman.”
“To Albert, she probably was.”
“It is said she ruled his heart. Do you think he could forget that she ruled an empire as well?”
“I should think love would demand it, but then it’s not my area of expertise.”
