“Hm.” She held up her glass in a mock toast. “Well, I could hardly wish the guillotine on my twice-savior, could I? How is your shoulder, by the way?”

The glow of those green eyes scrambled his brain, and he required a moment to comprehend that she was referring to the stallion’s kick. “A slight twinge now and then, nothing more.”

In reality, he felt a persistent dull throb, but the brandy should take care of that. He tossed back half his drink, then went to the hearth and added fuel to the fire, poking it with the fire iron so that a shower of sparks flew up the chimney. He needed to get a grip on himself. This hunger he felt had no place in a cordial association with an American governess. Having been awarded the designation of gentleman, he didn’t want to ruin his image by succumbing to the urge to kiss her senseless.

Hadrian turned back around to see her paging through the book that had been lying on the table. She glanced up, frowning slightly. “This atlas has a marker at the map of North America.”

“I was looking at it earlier, hoping to locate the settlement where you and Leo lived. Bellingham, you said it was called, after Audrey and Jeremy.”

Sampling her brandy, Natalie nodded. “It’s in the southeastern part of Michigan territory, but it’s too new to be on this map.”

“Ah. I’d wondered. I’m not entirely familiar with the country, so I was probably looking in the wrong spot, anyway.”

He took a place on the settee across from her. It was best to keep a circumspect distance. That way, temptation could be easily resisted, a necessary precaution since she looked entirely too pretty in the soft firelight.

He had no sooner taken a drink than she arose. Carrying her brandy glass and the atlas, Natalie came around the table and seated herself right beside him. Her nearness was a jolt to his senses. What was it about her that made him feel as besotted as a schoolboy infatuated with his first girl?

She regarded him a little doubtfully. “I hope you don’t think me too forward. It’s just that you sounded interested in viewing the map.”

“I am interested. Very much so.”

Damn, now that sounded forward. But she either didn’t notice the double entendre or chose to disregard it. She spread the open atlas across their laps, so that the right half rested on his thigh and the left on hers, with the spine in between them.

“The reason you couldn’t find Bellingham,” she said, “is that the mission was built only seven years ago, and this map appears to be outdated by over a decade. See? It lists Ohio as part of the Northwest Territory.”

“Then where is Bellingham?”

“Right here, close to the western end of Lake Erie and just above where the Ohio border is now.”

He moved the lamp from the side table so that the light fell on the place where she was pointing. “Ohio … is that now part of the United States?”