“You have never done so until now, you mean?”

He gave her a questioning look and she gestured around them. “You live in the country now.”

“Ah. No. I do not. I have spent less than a month here, in total, since construction was completed, and I have no plans to reside here on any permanent basis.”

She shook her head. “Less than a month? Why did you build it?”

This time, when he looked at her, she felt as if he really looked. “Why did I build this house?”

Again she nodded.

“Because one must have a country house in order to conduct business with the aristocracy.”

Never had she heard such a thing put so baldly. She would have given a great deal to hear him say such a thing to the duke or duchess.

“So that is the only reason for,” again she waved, “all this? This enormous house, these grounds you wish to shape, the sculptures you want to fill them?”

His sleek brows rose only half-way this time. “Yes.”

He appeared to find nothing odd in expending hundreds of thousands of pounds for something that was only a tool. “Do you like your house?”

He frowned slightly.

Ah, finally a reaction.

“I’m afraid you misunderstand me, Mrs. Lombard. It is not a matter of liking or not liking. It is whether it will prove efficacious.”

Serena decided she needed more tea to pursue this conversation. “More tea?”

***

Gareth shook his head at her offer of tea and studied her closely as she refilled her own cup. His opinion of her had altered subtly in the course of the evening. While he still found her hair in need of proper management and restraint, he had come to the conclusion that something about her drew the eye. At least it drew his often enough. Gareth tended to avoid women’s company as he usually had no idea what they were thinking and therefore tended to either insult or disappoint them when they realized he was abysmal at either conversation or flirtation. Mrs. Lombard seemed not to mind at all. In fact, he found conversing with her to be not so different from speaking with Declan, his only real friend. Not that Declan was always easy or direct, mind. There was also the slight smile both Mrs. Lombard and Declan seemed to wear as a matter of course. Gareth was not sure they weren’t amused by him, but at least they kept any such observations to themselves. At least Mrs. Lombard did. Declan would often chide him for this or that.

But what he liked about both of them was the fact they did not belabor him with uninteresting and cloying bits of information and social affectations. They both possessed clean, logical approaches he found refreshing.

“When you say efficacious, what do you mean, Mr. Lockheart?”

There. Yet another example of what a wonderfully direct female she was. Gareth couldn’t help congratulating himself on having the perspicacity to recognize such a gem when he saw it and offer her employment. He had no doubt she would accept his offer, even though she had not yet done so—and on his terms, as well. Everyone had a price, even her, even though she did not believe it.