Total pages in book: 115
Estimated words: 107763 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 539(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107763 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 539(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
“My brother knows of this as well? Have you spoken to everyone in my family?”
“No, for I have yet to meet your oldest sister—”
“Those traitors!” I huffed as I moved to take a seat on the stone bench in the center of the pavilion. “My own blood, my own family, a den of ravenous wolves conversing behind my back with my enemy?”
“Oh, but it’s all right for you to converse behind mine?”
“What?”
“You and Lukas yesterday. Were you not speaking of me?”
I froze and stared at him. How did he know? “All right. Fine, you win that round. So we shall call it even. Nevertheless, you owe me an apology.”
“Again with this need for an apology. If left to you, I’d be forced to atone daily.”
“Because you insult me daily!”
“I do not mean to insult you,” he said, turning to face me. “Somehow, it just always ends up that way.”
“What do you mean it just—”
“This! Here! Your manner of speaking is combative and unforgiving, which leads us to argue, because you will not show grace.”
“Why must I be the one to show grace?”
“You are a lady!”
“You are a gentleman! In fact, a prince. It is you who must show grace first. But you only pretend to, and so everyone else is pretending along around you. I refuse to do the same.”
“Is it not part of the common courtesy you hold so dear, to pretend? All the men here are pretending they are not lustful beasts in order to secure a wife. All the ladies are pretending to be the perfect embodiment of refinement in order to gain a husband. Even you, as I have seen with any gentleman but me, speak gently and walk gracefully, smiling at jokes you do not find the least bit amusing. If not for having met me earlier, you, too, would be giggling at my side as everyone else does.”
I hated to admit it, but he was right.
“Even still, was I truly deserving of your words yesterday?” I said gently. “How am I, or any young lady, to know a gentleman is deceiving us with pitiful lines?”
He sighed and shook his head. “Forgive me. I apologize.”
“I shall accept that and call a truce—but only if you show me your art.”
I pointed to the bag in his hand, the one with his sketchbook. He seemed surprised at himself for still holding it.
“I would, but…the art is not acceptable for a young lady.”
“The only thing that would be deemed unacceptable would be a drawing of the nude human figure, and I have already seen those, so worry not,” I replied, stretching out my hand for it.
“Even still, it would not be—”
“Would you like a truce or not?”
He inhaled and then handed me the bag. “Should you scream or shudder, know you only have your own stubbornness to blame.”
“Yes, yes, the silly girl would scream at…” My voice trailed off as I saw the drawing of nude human figures…not just standing or posed as I had seen in other books but engaged in the act of lovemaking. A man kissing a woman’s neck and his naked chest pressed against her breast…. and then another man kissing her…Was such a thing done?
Dear God.
12
Wilhelm
I did not know what to make of her. Nor of myself for that matter, because whyever would I show her such works? I was sure she’d already heard far too much about me from Lukas. I did not want to show her any more of my dishonorable side. But at the same time, was this not better? If she found me horrid and kept her distance, it would be perfect. Then I could lay all the blame at her feet should my aunt wonder why her matchmaking once again failed.
But instead of looking appalled, she turned her head to the side to examine further…never did I dream that seeing a lady intently study art could be so lust-inducing. However, the more she looked, the more I found myself desiring to be closer to her. When she bit her lip, her brow furrowed, I swallowed the saliva pooling in my mouth and turned around.
“How did you create this type of texture for the bedding?” she questioned, clearly not human, as I was, to remain so unaffected.
“Lady Hathor, your reputation could be ruined simply from looking at that, let alone if I should go into detail…as would mine,” I said, not at all turning toward her. I could feel myself growing rather…hard, and I did not wish to push my already low limit of tolerance.
“You are right, forgive me, I often lose myself when I see such beautiful work.”
“Beautiful or vulgar?” I asked, looking out at the rain.
She was quiet for a moment before speaking. “If husbands and wives are truly involved in such ways…I do not think it is anything but beautiful.”