Storing Up Trouble, стр. 70
Norman tilted his head. “Perhaps you should be the one to wake him up since he does seem to like you more than me.”
“I’m not waking him up, and the only reason he gravitated to me earlier was because I’ve always enjoyed animals and they can sense that.” She caught Norman’s eye. “If you want Mort to like you, you might begin showing him more affection. You could also go off and find a carrot at one of the local groceries and give it to him when you do wake him up.”
Norman’s brows drew together. “I hardly believe Mort will hold me in any great affection if I abandon him to the sidewalk while I go off to find him a carrot.”
Beatrix glanced around, then nodded to a young boy who was waiting to shine shoes. “I bet he’d watch over Mort if you offer to pay him. But only give him half up front and then promise him the other half when you return so you don’t find yourself missing a mule.”
“Sensible to be sure.”
“I’m nothing if not sensible.”
“And stubborn as well, what with you being—”
Theodosia cleared her throat in a very telling manner, which had Norman stopping midsentence and sending his friend a quirk of a brow, which she returned, before he blew out a breath and shrugged. “Fine, I’ve nothing else to say on that matter.” He nodded to Theodosia. “I’ll be by the Huttleston house later to see you safely home. Don’t even think about leaving there until I come to fetch you.” He pulled out his pocket watch and frowned. “However, since I’ve just realized I’m running short on time, I’m off to . . .”
“Buy Mort a carrot?” Beatrix finished for him when Norman simply stopped talking.
Norman shot a look to Theodosia before he returned his attention to Beatrix. “Indeed.” With that, he strode over and had a quick word with Agent Cochran. He then set his sights on the shoe-shine boy, who grinned in delight over whatever Norman said to him before moving to stand beside the still-sleeping Mort as Norman strode away.
“Why do I get the feeling he’s not off to purchase a carrot?” Theodosia asked.
“What else would he be off to purchase?”
Theodosia winced. “I’d rather not dwell on that because there are endless possibilities at this point, what with the gauntlet you threw down at Norman’s feet.”
Before Beatrix could ask a single question about that, Theodosia was moving toward her wagon, barely waiting for Beatrix to take her seat beside her on the bench before she got Rosie, her pony, ambling down State Street.
“I don’t know where your aunt lives,” Theodosia said.
“Hyde Park,” Beatrix said before she rattled off the address.
Theodosia nodded as she urged Rosie into a trot, steering their way through the crowded street with a practiced hand.
“What gauntlet did I throw down?” Beatrix asked after they’d left the worst of the traffic behind.
“You told Norman you found his kiss merely pleasant.”
“I wasn’t complaining about it.”
Theodosia blew out a breath. “I didn’t say you were, but I have to imagine Norman was hoping for higher praise, such as you found his kiss to be invigorating or perhaps exhilarating.” She tilted her head. “Did you truly not find it to be either of those things?”
Beatrix released a sigh as she considered the question.
The truth of the matter was—of course she had.
His kiss had been responsible for her foot kicking up, an action she’d never thought to experience. That she’d even had such a reaction to his kiss left her reeling.
She was a lady who’d decided that she might never marry. But ever since she’d met Norman, she’d been feeling all sorts of peculiar. She’d begun to wonder if her aunt was right and that the unexpected path she now found herself on actually did include not only a chance to understand the plight of the working woman, but also had something to do with Norman.
Beatrix blinked as another terrifying thought sprang to mind.
For the briefest of moments, after Theodosia had announced Beatrix and Norman needed to get married, she had realized that she wasn’t exactly opposed to that idea and might have been just a touch disappointed when Norman seemed so shocked with the notion.
“You do know that Norman will put a concerted effort into proving to you he’s capable of delivering a more-than-pleasant kiss, don’t you?” Theodosia asked, drawing Beatrix from her thoughts.
“Surely not” was all Beatrix could think to say to that, the very idea of Norman attempting to kiss her again leaving her feeling rather tingly all over.
“I’m afraid so, although because it didn’t seem to me that you weren’t enjoying his kiss—not that I intended to gawk at you while the two of you were kissing. I don’t imagine you’re too concerned about him kissing you again, are you?”
“How do you know I was enjoying his kiss?”
“Your leg shot up.” Theodosia nodded. “I recently read about that in an article in Harper’s Bazaar. A rising leg often accompanies an exceptional kiss, especially if a lady is overly fond of the gentleman kissing her.”
“I never claimed to be overly fond of Norman.”
Theodosia didn’t seem to hear that as her eyes went rather distant. “I imagine my leg might very well kick up if the gentleman I hold in affection ever kissed me.”
Relieved to have a reason to avoid further talk of her kiss with Norman, Beatrix placed a hand on Theodosia’s arm. “I didn’t realize you held a certain gentleman in affection.”
Theodosia’s cheeks turned pink. “I must admit that I do, but this particular gentleman is beyond my reach. He’s far too handsome to be interested in someone like me, and besides, he has ladies fawning over him at all the society events. That he’s yet to settle on a specific lady, even though he’s in his thirties, suggests he’s a man with