Free Discovery of Desire by Susanne Lord

don’t wish to speak of stamina, Mr. Mayhew.”
    Now she wasn’t looking at him at all. “Why don’t you call me Seth?”
    That worked. She looked at him over her burning cheeks. “I don’t think—”
    â€œAnd I’ll call you Minnie.”
    She blinked. “My friends call me Mina.”
    â€œAm I your friend?”
    â€œI don’t know. Aren’t you?”
    â€œNot sure,” he said. “Who calls you Minnie, then?”
    â€œNo one.”
    He grinned. “Good.”
    She started to speak, then looked to be weighing his request—just like a lady would, just to be nice and polite.
    â€œ Minnie makes me sound small,” she said.
    â€œI know it. But I could carry you around in my pocket, couldn’t I?” He crossed his arms and winked.
    â€œStop that, Mr. Mayhew. That is seven times now.”
    He didn’t know what she was saying there. He shook his head, chuckling. “I don’t know about wiles, Minnie—”
    â€œ Mina . Or Wilhelmina, or—”
    â€œI don’t know any other way to talk to women except with a little teasing. It might do me a harm to try. Georgie always said I was the Worst Flirt in the Midlands.”
    Whatever he said seemed to sober her, and she dropped her gaze. “Yes.” She threaded her hand around his arm. “Shall we return to Thomas?”
    Disappointment swept over him, but he stood straighter anyway. It was a rare thing to escort a lady anyplace. Even if it was only across a room. “So, Miss Mina, as I’m not proper, will you speak for me?”
    â€œYou’re not improper, just distracting.” She shook her head a little. “I’ve offended your feelings—I’m sorry. You and your wiles are blameless, so you mustn’t be uncomfortable if the ladies imagine you an object of attraction.”
    An object of attraction…? He considered that. “No. I’ve no objection to that.”
    She shot him a confused look, and his heart softened seeing the peach tips of her ears. The woman could blush there, too. But she’d not answered his question. “So would you? Speak for me?”
    She raised her chin and looked him straight in the eye. His little officer again. “I will do everything I can to help you.”
    Ah…damn. He was a little in love with her.
    Someday, he might meet another lady as fine as her who wouldn’t mind marrying him. A lady who’d be such a credit to him that people would think twice about seeing him as just a laboring man. And they’d live in a house with a library full of books she’d probably already read, and a pianoforte their children knew how to play. Someday. If he wasn’t cursed.
    She shied from his gaze and looked into the conservatory. At Tom.
    She pulled her hand from his arm. “I understand you and Thomas were invited to the picnic and snipe hunt tomorrow at Vehar Lake.”
    â€œI heard that, but it’s not likely we’ll attend with all there is to do.”
    â€œCould you both come along after your work is done? I had hoped to see Thomas.”
    He huffed a surprised laugh. “You do speak plain, Minnie.” And damn if it didn’t hurt his feelings. “Tom and me, we have telegrams to send, and plans to make, and that Mr. Fallon to meet.”
    â€œThe carriages do not leave until eleven.” She planted herself square in front of him again, her head tilted back to look straight at him, and he was caught by those big, brown eyes. “Please, Mr. Mayhew?”
    Well… hell .
    â€œThe hunt would not be a bad use of your time,” she said. “If you spend the forenoon on your planning and letters, the rest of the day could be employed reminding others of your search.”
    Seth bit back a sigh. Mina was making sense. It wasn’t as if he could go haring off to all the corners of Asia without information. Patient, polite, proper