“No,” she said at once, quickly checking each title to be sure. Lisa then glanced up and beamed, before simply throwing her arms around him and hugging him tightly. “What a wonderful man! These are the perfect gift.”

“Oh, well,” Findlay chuckled faintly and let his arms slip around her back. He started to tighten his arms around her as well, but then his eyes suddenly shot to Robert and he eased his hold and then stepped back, releasing her. “I should be going. You probably do wish to rest before having to prepare for tonight’s ball.”

“Thank you,” Lisa said sincerely, clasping the books to her chest as she walked him from the room and to the front door. “I shall start reading one right away and tell you what I think tonight.”

“I’d like that,” Findlay assured her. “And perhaps we could go for a picnic sometime later in the week and you could read to me. Or I could read to you. Or we could take turns reading to each other.”

“That sounds lovely,” she agreed with a grin.

The hell it did, Robert thought irritably. He and Lisa used to do that when they were younger— taking sandwiches and a blanket, enjoying lunch by the river between their homes and then reading aloud to each other. It had all seemed innocent enjoyment then. It didn’t with Findlay inserted in his place.

“Check your calendar then and tell me tonight when you will be free and I shall have my cook arrange a basket for us,” Findlay suggested, opening the front door.

“I will,” Lisa said, her expression becoming more solemn. For some reason that was more disturbing to Robert than her obvious pleasure had been. It sounded to him like a vow, as if she were agreeing to more than a simple picnic. He got the feeling Findlay had just taken the lead in her husband hunt . . . and the thought disturbed Robert more than he cared to admit. While she had so many men to choose from, he didn’t really have to consider someone winning her heart, but now . . .

He scowled at Findlay as the other man brushed a hand down Lisa’s cheek in parting and then turned and started up the walk. Lisa watched him go briefly, then closed the door with a happy little sigh and immediately charged upstairs, clasping her books to her chest like treasure.