Chapter Six
Gideon began to wonder whether Bonham was right about Berry, because she was disarming.
And charming.
And graceful.
And achingly sweet.
His heart skipped beats whenever she smiled at him, which she did often because it was in her nature to be warm and sunny.
Bollocks. What a time to find out that his heart was not permanently frozen and he might fall in love.
What a disaster this would be. A cataclysm of incompatible worlds colliding. As much as he ached for Berry, she was not for him. He would never have her, even though she was the pinnacle, the dream woman he had wished for but never expected to find.
Berry was the one who would be hurt the most in attaching herself to him. The ton would be cruel and unforgiving because she was a shining star in the firmament and he was entrenched in the gutter.
Well, he came from the rookery streets and had been found wandering there as a child. That much was true. He had done everything he could to lift himself up from the dregs, but it would never be enough for those like Hawthorne whose views represented most of the ton.
For the past several years, Gideon and Bonham had been working to shed their gaming hell investments and build respectable enterprises. But the transition would take several years because they were not going to give their clubs away for nothing. Only a sale for fair value would be acceptable.
Also, these gaming hells were profit centers for them and provided employment for many of the lads coming out of the orphanage. He supposed any new businesses acquired could take in most of them, and perhaps even a few of the girls.
“Eggshell white for the walls and antique ivory for the trim,” Berry said, regaining his attention.
“What?”
“Your new ballroom. These are the colors you must have. And three chandeliers, because the room is so large. Shall I help you select those?”
He smiled. “Yes, Lady Berry. That would be very much appreciated.”
“As for floors, I think oak, hickory, or maple woods are best. But my preference is for a dark oak.”
“Then oak it is. Next?”
She laughed. “Aren’t you going to question me as to why?”
“No, I trust your judgment.”
“Oh. Well, thank you. Mr. Knight, I—”
“Do you mind if we set aside formality? I prefer that you call me Gideon. May I refer to you simply as Berry? Of course, in public I realize we must maintain decorum.”
She nodded. “I suppose it is all right. You have a fine name. Gideon. I like it.”
He cast her a wry look. “So do I. It is all made up, of course. Gideon Knight. I spent the first fifteen years of my life as Gideon No-Name. I think the director of St. Brigid’s gave me the name Gideon, just pulled it out of thin air because I had no idea what my mother had called me.
I don’t even know if the woman who abandoned me on a London street was my mother.
No idea who my father was or whether he ever saw my mother again after I was conceived.
Who knows if they were acquainted at all?
It is highly possible I sprang from a five-minute encounter between strangers. ”
He gave a dismissive snort and continued. “Sorry, Berry. I did not mean to be so crude.”
“No, it is all right. Please go on,” she said gently, and gave him an encouraging look.
“Bonham and I are about the same age. We grew up at the orphanage together and left together. His name really is John Bonham, by the way. He even has a birth record to prove it. But as for me, I could have been dropped to earth from a cloud for all I know.”
“How did you end up with the surname of Knight?”
“Bonham and I happened to be watching a parade shortly after we left the orphanage and were scraping by on our own. There was a man dressed in shining armor upon a massive steed. His armor was the brightest silver and blinding in its brilliance. I had never seen anything so impressive. Someone mentioned the rider was supposed to be a Knight of the Round Table out of the legends of King Arthur.”
“Goodness, and this is how you came up with your family name of Knight?”
“Knights lived by a code of honor. Their code of chivalry. Do no harm to ladies. Be loyal to the Crown. Be merciful. I thought it was a good code to live by. So I became a knight. Gideon Knight.” He cast her a pained smile. “Pathetic, isn’t it?”
“No, it is a testament to your honor and courage. This is why Lord Berwick knew you were meant to be his successor…my very own knight in shining armor.”
He noticed a tear spill onto her cheek and gently stroked his thumb along her soft skin to brush it away. “Berry, you are far too sentimental. Do not cry because of what I’ve just told you about me.”
“But it is a beautiful story, Gideon. A tale of courage and perseverance. Of triumph against all odds. Yours is a story that ought to be told to others.”
He shrugged. “To the orphans, perhaps. A way to inspire them and tell them to not believe those who might put them down and insist they will never amount to anything. But I’m not sure it is a story to be told to your ton friends.
They would not see it as a victory for a young boy who started out with nothing. ”
“I see. They would believe you are a threat to a societal hierarchy that has placed them at the top.”
“Quite so, and they do not want an upstart pushing them off their precious pedestals.” He took her gently by the elbow and led her to his study. “What about this room? How should it be decorated?”
She perked up right away and began tossing out ideas. “Mahogany desk and bookshelves. Although a cherry wood would also work nicely. Do you have a preference?”
“No, Berry. Whichever you think best.”
“They are both beautiful. I lean toward the cherry.”
He nodded. “So be it.”
“Warm, dark colors are most appropriate here, for it should be a masculine room. Do you prefer maroon or green?”
He shrugged. “No preference.”
She sighed. “Green. A deep, pine-forest green. Maroon leather wing chairs for your guests. A manly carpet. Paintings of horses.”
He laughed. “What is a manly carpet?”
“I’m not sure, but I’ll know it when I see it.” She cast him an impertinent smile. “Dining room next?”
“Yes, Your Highness,” he said lovingly. “I am but your humble servant.”
She scribbled notes to herself as they moved on from his study. “Fiona had wallpaper here, as you can plainly see. Isn’t it lovely?”
“Pure heaven,” he remarked, not meaning to let his sarcasm slip in.
But how could he not? She did not need his input when she clearly had a more refined palate than he had or ever would have.
All she needed him to do was bob his head as they went from room to room and she spouted ideas, all of them brilliant as far as he was concerned. “Yes, it is lovely.”
“The wallpaper certainly took a beating during her move. It has to be replaced, but I think we ought to stay close to this oriental flower design and its color scheme, don’t you?”
“Berry, if you think we must, then so be it. I have complete faith in you.”
We.
If we must?
Yes, somehow this was no longer just about him, but them. He could see her in his home. Indeed, he could think of nothing nicer than coming home each night to be greeted by Berry’s smiling face.
But who was he fooling? He was slipping into his dreams again.
“Kitchen next?” she asked as they finished with the rooms on the main floor.
“Sure.”
“Go on ahead. I’ll meet you in a moment. I just want to check on a measurement in the library.”
“I can wait for you. Do you need my help?”
She shook her head. “No, I’ll be right there.”
“All right.” He strode ahead to the kitchen to see how Bonham was faring with the new water pump he’d decided to tackle this morning.
Bonham looked up as Gideon walked in. “Where’s Lady Berry?”
“She went to check on something in the library. What’s wrong? You don’t look happy.”
“Because I’m not. I’m trying to prevent a flood in here,” he grumbled.
Gideon frowned as he approached. “That doesn’t sound good. What happened?”
“Oh, no. Don’t get too close or you might get soaked. I think I am missing a part.”
“How is it possible? I saw for myself what was delivered, and everything was there.”
Bonham was on his back, but now sat up with a grunt. “Blast, it’s that new lad, then. I thought he looked shifty—did I not warn you about him? This is the third time Henry’s done this to us.”
“Fourth, actually,” Gideon muttered. “I’ll need to have a talk with him. He may be stealing parts and selling them elsewhere.”
Bonham looked angry. “I’ll tan his hide if that’s what he is doing. We’ve given the little wretch every opportunity, and what does he do? Steals from us.”
Berry suddenly emerged from the doorway. “Wait…you heard Mr. Knight?”
Bonham’s eyes widened. “What?”
She gasped. “You heard me, too.”
Gideon’s heart shot into his throat.
Oh, hell. How much of their conversation had she heard? And why did his friend have to look so guilty?
“Gideon, tell her,” Bonham said, releasing a deflated breath.
“We might have been teasing you just the littlest bit,” Gideon said, inwardly groaning because he had meant to tell her, and should have told her much sooner, about their little prank. “Bonham’s hearing is perfectly fine.”
“Well, it was perfect before you spent hours shouting in my ear,” Bonham said, thinking to make a jest of it.
But Gideon knew Berry did not find it funny and had taken it to heart. “Gad. Shut up, you dolt.”
Her expression went from shocked to angry to utterly wounded in the span of three seconds. “You were both mocking me all the while? Letting me make a fool of myself and saying nothing? Why would you do this to me?”
“Never that,” Gideon said emphatically, his stomach now twisting into knots because he had never had to deal with someone as gentle and trusting as Berry before.
She was a little angel, so achingly good and sweet. She looked so hurt.