The notion rattled him. He had no intention of altering his plans. He had already made his choice for a wife.

Yet the ground seemed to be shifting beneath him. Wouldn’t his London friends laugh if they knew that after a string of elegant mistresses, he could feel so drawn to a provincial spinster? That he found well-worn flannel to be more titillating than a filmy negligee? That having selected his blue-blooded bride, he lusted instead for an eccentric, lively, and outspoken American?

Devil take it. This was a moment out of time, that was all. Tonight, nothing else mattered to him but Natalie.

Setting down the plate of tarts, Hadrian went to her side. He took the candle from her and placed it on the table. Lacing her cold fingers with his, he guided her to the settee that he’d occupied earlier. “Your skin is like ice. Come and sit near the fire.”

As she took the seat closest to the hearth, Natalie seemed to make a concentrated effort to rally herself. “I haven’t yet thanked you.”

He sank onto one knee and clasped her hands between his to warm them. He was keenly aware of the softness of her skin, the delicacy of her fingers. It felt like cupping a small bird between his palms. “Thanked me?”

“Yes, that’s the second time today that you’ve saved my life.” She turned over his hand, examining the reddened area on the back. “First you hurt your shoulder on my behalf. And this time, you’ve skinned your knuckles.”

“The incident with the stallion was a fluke. As for tonight, you brained the villain yourself. I merely delivered the coup de grâce.” He cocked an eyebrow. “Remind me never to venture too close when you’re wielding a pot.”

His jesting tone brought a sparkle to her eyes. “Behave like a gentleman and you’ve naught to fear. And by the way, gentleman has little to do with exalted birth. I’ve met fine, honorable gentlemen from all walks of life. What’s important is courtesy, principles, and respect for others.”

“I do hope you’ll include a duke in that group.”

“If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be here right now.”

Absurdly pleased to be the recipient of her approval, he arose and went to a nearby cabinet. “Would you care for a glass of sherry? Or something stronger, a brandy, perhaps?”

“Brandy, please. I often enjoyed that or a whiskey with my father.”

Hadrian wasn’t surprised by her unconventional tastes. He busied himself with filling two glasses from the decanter. “You’re right to believe that character matters. I know aristocrats who possess none of those qualities. But I suppose every class of society has its bad apples.”

“In America we have no classes,” she pertly reminded him. “No one rules over others by birthright.”

The mild jibe only amused him as he handed her one of the tumblers. “An egalitarian system of governance seems to work well in a fledgling country like the United States. However, we’re much more entrenched in our ways here in England. The aristocracy has been around since the time of William the Conqueror. To change it now would risk chaos and societal collapse, as happened in France during our parents’ generation.”