Ruin Me Please (36 page)

Declan’s eyes fell.  He paused before speaking.  He needed the words that he spoke to have meaning.  He needed her to understand.  He needed her to realize that his absence had nothing to do with her.

“I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
 
He rubbed his face and grimaced.

“Hurt me?”  Poppy stared at him.  “Now you’re speaking in riddles.”
 
Her forehead creased in annoyance.

“I took advantage of your innocence, Poppy.”

“I gave you permission to take advantage.” 
She snapped at him, straightening her back.

“It was not mine to take, no matter the permission.”  His jaw locked, his lips drawn in a thin line.

“Men are such insufferable creatures,” she huffed. 
“You want, you take, then you r
e
gret?”  Poppy stomped her foot not caring that she was acting as a child would.  “How is a woman supposed to respond when you don’t even know what you truly want?”

Before Declan could respond, Poppy added.  “So let me see if I understand.  You lured me to the library with romance and seduction in mind.  You pull
ed
me into your arms and lift
ed
my skirt taking what you want
ed
and now you wish that you could take it all back?”  Her eyes flashed a midnight blue instead of the color of a summer sky that he preferred. 

“I have the best of intentions.”

She stepped closer and jabbed him in the chest.  “Then cease this infernal apologizing.” 

He reached for her, grabbed her by the shoulders, and before she could react, his mouth fell upon hers.  He’d missed kissing her.  She tasted so good.  It was short but possessive kiss, one she didn’t fully return yet didn’t fight.

He breathed on her lips as she stared big-eyed at him.  After brushing her lower lip with his thumb, he released her.

“Don’t give up on me Poppy.”

“Quit giving me reasons,” she countered.

His mouth quirked up.

He grinned, and she felt it down deep in her bones.  “Can we resume our pleasant mor
n
ing walk now?”

Declan held out his arm and wrapped Poppy’s hand over the muscles bunched there.

Poppy glanced up.  “You can relax, Declan.”

He breathed a sigh of relief.

“What
do you do at Allingham Park?” s
he
inquired.  “I get the impression that you do not sit idly by and let others do the work.”
  She shivered at the rough callouses that covered his fingertips.

“Why, my l
ady,
I do nothing
,” h
e
said as he
quirked his brow autocratically.  “I am a ge
n
tleman of leisure.”

She snorted. 
“You are too restless to do
nothing
.”  Quirking her brow back at him
.
“I doubt
you allow your steward to do a
thing.  He is probably the true
gentle
man of leisure.”

He whispered close to Poppy
’
s ear
,
“
Well, I do help a l
ittle.
”
He placed a finger over his lips,
making a shushing sound
.
   “Do not tell
a soul.  If i
t got out that I actually worked, my rep
u
tation would be in tatters.
”  He deliberately let his breath brush her ear. 

Poppy returned a skeptical look.

“We have all the usual work to be done
,
but my specialty is sheep
.
”
H
e
whispered the last word,
grinn
ing
as he lightly nipped her ear.  “
We have l
ots and lots of sheep,
my l
ady.”

“
Sheep?
” 
She questioned looking up at him with a furrowed brow.

“You know the little balls of fluff that you make wool out of.”  His smile teased.

“I know what sheep are.” 
She
pinched
his arm
playfully.
“
I have always had a fondness for sheep. 
They are
adorable and fluffy
.
”

She rested her cheek against his arm
, feeling the reassuring rumble of his words
. 

“All
little girls
love cuddly little sheep
,
”
h
e said rolling his eyes.  “I assure you my inte
n
tion is to not keep them fluffy for long
.
  Do you think you would still find them so adorable without their fleece?”  He laughed as she swatted at h
im playfully.

“I have you know my sheep make some of the finest wool in all of England.” Obvious pride reflected in his green depths.

“Mrs. Donovan told us of a place in Berkshire that has the best wool.”  Poppy’s brow ro
se.  “Was she talking of you?”

Declan laughed.  “I don’t know.  I guess we will have to ask her when we visit today.”

She smiled up at him.  “You are going to come to the school with me today?”

“Of course,” he stated.  “It is the only way to see you, while you are away.”

She blushed. 
“So, you’re a farmer?”

“I suppose.
”  One brow rose, wi
th a smirk
he asked
, “Do you have a problem with me being a farmer?”

“
No,
I suppose not,” Poppy said.  “
But, you are no more a farmer than I am. 
I didn’t think dukes were supposed to do physical la
bor
or any trade at all
?”

“
Well I guess I’m a different kind of duke then,” he murmured.  “
I will be a man of le
i
sure here and when I am in London
for the Season,
but not at my home.
”

“
I’m impressed.
” 
She tapped
him playfully on the arm
again, smiling
up at him.
 
Touc
h
ing his hand with her finger, she looked up at him through her lashes.  “So
that is why you have such a deep
tan
.
”

Declan threw his head back and laughed.  “Boy, you and y
our aunt sure do think alike.”

Blushing
, she whispered, “Did m
y aunt
say
the
same thing?”

He g
ave her a roguish look.  “Yes.”

“Oh
,
dear,
”
she murmured.

“Don’t worry
,
my
love
.
”
  He wriggled his eyebrows suggestively.

“Pooh,
”
Poppy exclaimed. 
“You will have to show me your sheep
one day
.  I absolutely insist that you do.”  
She looked
at him through her lashes.

“
Say the word, I will have my carriage brought around posthaste
,” he chuckled softly.

“
I’m sure Parker would have a thing or two to say about that.  Absconding with the marquis’ sister?”

“
I shall have to commission a shawl be made from some of Allingham Parks wool.  R
e
member, that I am a lady of
some
influence with fashion.  All of London will requi
re one by the end of next S
eason
.
”
H
er lively eyes flash
ed
with h
u
mor.

Sp
ellbound by the slender column of her throat
, by the roses in her cheeks, by the bri
l
lia
nce of her blue eyes, which the early morning sun
only enhanced
,
Declan gritted his teeth.  Sometimes being a gentleman was tedious business.  He sighed audi
bly,
la
ying
Po
p
py’s hand on his arm
again, r
e
suming
their i
n
nocuous stroll in the garden.

“A shawl yo
u say?”  In a rough whisper he responded,
“I will see what I can do.”  He smi
led down at her upturned face.

***

The carriage
ride to the school passed without incident. 
He settled against the squabs as they
pa
ssed through
the
two miles of pretty countryside
to reach the school
listening inten
t
ly as Lady Peregrine explained in great detail the benefits the girls received by being a part of her institution
. 

He felt a vague sense of restlessness when he thought of Poppy with children. 
He had never really thought that deeply about children before.  He hadn’t really thought about b
e
ing a father before.  But thinking of Poppy and children caused of a lot of thoughts to swirl around in his mind. 
He didn’t think of himself as old, but in the eyes of the world he was pro
b
ably older than he should be to start a family. 
He knew that he had to sire an heir. 
It was e
x
pected and nece
s
sary.
He abruptly put a lid on his contemplations when he
noted the sign attached to the top of the archway the carriage
was
pass
ing
through. 
The Ashford Lane School for Girls.
 

He knew Poppy was very proud of the work they did
at the school
.  She
had told him of the
great sense of a
c
complishment
she felt
after each weekly
visit.

Poppy hoped Declan would appreciate what she was about to show him.  In her
limited
experience, most peers d
idn’t
real
ly care about helpless children. 
Her stomach fluttered an
x
iously as they made their way to the school. 
This was important to her.  Hi
s response was i
m
portant to her.

The carriage continued to travel down a very straight path lined with tall elm trees for several minutes bef
ore the school came into view.

Declan caught a glimpse of water off in the distance and
well-manicured
open lawns on either side of the
manor
.  According to Poppy, a walled garden was around the
back
.
The house
was
a symmetrical building of three stories, built of rendered ruble and with a slate roof.
The house
consisted of ten
bedr
ooms, three parlors, a ballroom
and
a
gallery library.  It was the pe
r
fect size for a
small
school.

Adele was the first to speak up.  “So what do you think of the school so far?”
  Her que
s
tion asked just as the
coachman opened the carriage door and set down the steps.

Declan immediately leapt to the ground and assisted Adele and Poppy with exiting
b
e
fore he spun around on the gravel
t
o g
ain
a full view of the park.

“I don’t know what I imagined
,
but this wa
s not it.”  Declan smiled, glancing up at the building
.  “It is
certainly
far
lovelier than I imagined.”

“
Indeed
,
”
Poppy agreed reflectively.
  “I think it helps that it is in a house instead of some old
rundown brick
building in London.”