“It is merely overly warm in here.” She forced a smile. “And ofcourseI am well. I am shopping for bulbs and plants, my most favorite thing, no?”
Her mother shook her head. “I do not understand you. You would rather grub about in the dirt than look at reticules and bonnets.”
“I have all the reticules and bonnets I need. But Heath needs a better garden, and I mean to help him build one.” She would much rather make herself useful to him that way than by letting him seduce her with kisses and caresses.
Shewould. She really would. A pity it got harder and harder to convince herself of that every day.
Until she remembered how he had used her for his own purposes, disregarding the feelings of her and his brothers. Clearly, he wanted her only for a while. That was not worth losing her innocence for. Or risking finding herself with child and not yet married, like her mother.
Trying to keep her mind off that lowering thought, she peered into a basket of bulbs. “What do you think, Maman? Shall I buy the lily or the white tulip bulbs?”
“The tulip, of course. It is more suitable to his rank. And lilies are much too pungent.”
“I like the scent of lilies,” Giselle protested.
“Hmph. Well, here comes your fiancé now. We shall see if he agrees withmeabout the tulips or with you about the lilies.”
Giselle blinked at her mother, then glanced over to see Heath strolling between the tables of the market, looking as mouthwatering as ever in his dapper morning coat, tight trousers, and top hat. He was followed closely by one of his footmen, making her think this was more than just a chance meeting.
“Maman!” she hissed. “What is he doing here?”
Her mother shot her a quizzical look. “I invited him to join us. You’ve been so cold to him, I had to do something to keep his interest.” She leaned on her cane. “I thought you liked him.”
Giselle sighed. Maman had gone from disapproving of Heath to being delighted at the prospect of her daughter marrying such an important fellow. More and more each day, Giselle had a hard time keeping quiet about the true nature of her agreement with the earl. Her mother would be so disappointed when Giselle jilted him.
“Of course I like him,” Giselle said. “I accepted his proposal of marriage, did I not?”
“Then stop acting otherwise.” Maman sniffed some lily water the bulb seller had put out to tempt customers to buy, then shook her head. “Such an awful scent. How can you stand it?”
Giselle thrust out her chin. “It cheers me.”
“All the same, you should buy whichever flowerheprefers,” her mother said under her breath, “even if it doesnotcheer you.”
Giselle sighed. Some things never changed. Maman was always pressing her to change who she was for any eligible gentleman who might marry her. Too bad Maman did not know that Heath would never marry her.
“There are my ladies!” Heath cried in French as he approached. “I got your mother’s note about meeting you at the garden market, but I wasn’t sure exactly why you were shopping here.”
“I am looking for bulbs for your garden.” Giselle glared at her mother. “It wasmeantto be a surprise for your birthday.”
“Bah,” her mother said. “Surprises are for children. His lordship is a grown man. He would want a say in what you buy for his garden.”
He gazed at Giselle, seemingly bemused. “How did you know tomorrow is my birthday?”
“Renham told us.” Giselle cocked her head. “And since we willonly have a few months where you are older than I, I mean to enjoy them. Preferably by planting flower bulbs in your garden.”
He lifted one dark eyebrow. “Putting down roots, are you?”
She stared at him. “Do you mind?”
“Of course not,” he said coolly. “That’s what fiancées do.”
Real fiancées, anyway. Which she was not.
Her mother cleared her throat. “We were trying to decide between white tulips and lilies. I think tulips are best, but my daughter wants lilies. Which do you prefer, my lord?”
Glancing between the two women’s expectant expressions, he said, “I prefer hyacinths, to be honest.”
“Ooh, hyacinths!” Giselle exclaimed, all her irritation with him temporarily forgotten. “I do love hyacinths. We must have those, to be sure.”