“Why were you properly dressed for the party?” he asked, idly plucking another gin sweet from the tray.
She would definitely charge him extra for all the sampling. After spending an evening in the world he inhabited, she knew he wouldn’t even notice if she doubled the price.
“My mother has her pride,” Amity said, watching him swallow. “She didn’t want her daughters showing up in work clothes.”
The duke nodded. His next words surprised her. “You looked beautiful.”
Their gazes caught, and she could not look away as warmth spread through her entire body. The Duke of Pelham thought she had looked beautiful. She could hardly credit it, especially when Lady Madeleine had been beside him.
“Both you and your sister,” he amended slowly, but the way his intense gaze was fixed upon hers, she felt like the only woman in the world.
“Thank you.” Her voice came out in a croak. She cleared her throat.
Before she could steer the discussion back to chocolate, however, he said, “I apologize on behalf of your dinner partners. You certainly got stuck with a couple of churls.”
She couldn’t help smiling. “They would not have been my first choice of companions.” The man standing in front of her would have been. No! Jeremy would have been. Of course!
“Their conversational skills were practically absent, and Lord Ridley...,” she trailed off, realizing she was about to criticize one of the duke’s peers. That could get her into rapid trouble.
“Ridley what?” he persisted. “I thought your main complaint would be with Greenley’s roving eyes.”
Amity couldn’t help blushing, even though it was on Charlotte’s behalf.
“I was lucky enough not to be under his scrutiny.” Lucky? Not to have a full enough bosom even for a lecherous lord? She felt her cheeks grow even hotter. “I mean, at least I was nearly able to converse with him. Lord Ridley didn’t even try, but merely gave me the shoulder.”
“Lord Ridley is a fool who cannot see past the large silver spoon sticking out of his thin lips.”
Amity couldn’t help the chuckle. “I take it he is not one of your favorite people.”
“Hardly. I have one sister, Penelope, and she thought herself smitten with that idiot until she overheard his mercenary reason for courting her.”
“That’s terrible.” She was glad she and Jeremy were on identical footing class-wise and financially, for she knew his affection was genuine. “I hope your sister has recovered from being so ill-treated.”
“Yes. It was a mild bump in her romantic vision of the world, and she has since happily married. I would like you to meet her. I shall bring her in another time. I think she would like you.”
“And how does she like Lady Madeleine?” Amity asked before she could stop herself. After all, that was far more important than the duke’s sister meeting her.
He looked surprised. “I ... I don’t know to tell you the truth.” He frowned. “Have they even met?”
Amity shook her head at his puzzlement. “I’m sure I don’t know. Don’t you socialize in the same circles as your sister? Doesn’t Lady Madeleine show an interest in your family?”
His frown became deeper, and he shrugged. “My sister and her husband do not frequent the events I do. As a single man, you see, I tend to be thrown in with the matchmakers, like Lady Peabody. As for Lady Madeleine, I don’t believe she has met Penelope. We haven’t spent too much time speaking about each other’s families.” He paused, then added slowly, “She has a mother—”
Amity snickered.
“—who had a cat once,” he finished.
Amity couldn’t help it. She started to laugh and couldn’t stop. Tears came to her eyes. She has a mother! She doubled over with laughter. Fortunately, the duke joined in.
“Oh,” she held her stomach. “I’m ... sorry, my lord.” She started laughing again. “It’s only ... do you suppose she has a father, too?”
They both laughed together at the inanity of his statement. It took a few minutes for her to regain her normal composure. When she finally reached for her notebook, they were still smirking at each other.
“Gin is questionable,” she said aloud as she wrote the words, which started them chuckling again.
“Well, I like it,” the duke said. “For that matter, I think brandy would be delicious inside your chocolates.”
“Already have those on the shelf,” Amity said, looking over her ingredients for inspiration. “The candied pineapple was very good last night, wasn’t it? Did Lady Madeleine adore it?”
“Even if she did, you cannot use it,” he reminded her, “since she’s already had a Rare Confectionery with pineapple.”
She considered a moment. “Shall I search for another exotic fruit?”
“As long as it’s not—”
“Orange,” she finished for him. “I know. I think we should narrow this down to what fruit Lady Madeleine likes.”
“Narrow this down?” he asked. “I am a pest, and you are eager to get rid of me.”
She shook her head. “Not at all, but we are running out of time. Cherries or apricots?”
He shrugged sheepishly, and looked so inviting, so attractive as he did, she felt tingly from looking at him.
“Peaches or ... how about greengages?” she persisted.
He looked at her strangely. “I’m afraid I don’t even know what that is.”
“Truly?” She realized he was staring at her mouth as she spoke, which made her quite self-conscious of her lips, which she licked nervously. “They’re like plums except smaller.”
The duke smiled and took a step closer. “Then why not simply ask me if she likes plums?”
“All right.” Although suddenly barely breathe able to breathe, her mouth formed the words, “Peaches or plums?”
“I haven’t the foggiest,” he confessed. She couldn’t step back as the marble tabletop was behind her, pressing into her backside.
“We are going to have to guess,” she said. It was getting distinctly hot in the small space. “What is your preference for the perfect Brayson — candied cherry, plum, peach, or apricot? A candied apricot is quite heavenly.”
“Are those my only choices?” he asked infuriatingly, his eyes appearing darker as he gazed at her.
How many choices did he need?
Nervously, she laughed again, but he stepped even closer, causing her to stop abruptly, her laughter ending in a hiccupping sound.
Slowly, unexpectedly, his arms went around her. She stilled before relaxing into the warmth of him and letting the tingling sensations overtake her.
The curtain was open, the way her mother had insisted. Customers might be in the shop. She hadn’t been listening for the bell at all since he’d arrived.
“I like being with you,” he whispered.
“I ... I....” She wanted to tell him how much she liked being with him, too, however inappropriate it might be.
Then he lowered his mouth to hers and claimed her lips.
Chapter Ten
The kiss probably lasted seven seconds, time enough for the duke’s mouth to move sensually across hers, time enough for him to nibble on her lower lip before he drew back.