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Georgiana opened her mouth to protest. The idea of traveling alongside Robert, sharing close quarters with someone so effortlessly composed and so assured of his own charm, made her hesitate.

But before she could voice her objections, he held up a hand, his expression unreadable, yet oddly gentle.

“No, no. No need to thank me,” he said with an amused glint in his eyes. “It is merely practical.”

“Thank you? For what, exactly?” she replied, arching an eyebrow and feigning indifference. “For deciding, without consulting me, that I am in need of your assistance?”

He tilted his head, his lips curling into a faint smile. “Not at all. But if we are both here to rescue your sister, it seems pointless to go our separate ways. I may know a thing or two about handling men like Newston.”

Georgiana looked away, her frustration turning into reluctant relief.

As much as she disliked admitting it, having Robert accompany her would make the situation less daunting.

“Fine,” she said finally, crossing her arms. “We shall travel together, but only until we find Daisy. After that, I can manage on my own.”

“Understood,” he replied with a slight bow, the humor softening into a respectful nod.

For a moment, they sat together in silence, the tension from moments earlier now mingling with a sense of cautious exploration.

“Well,” he said, his voice a touch softer, “we had best be off then.”

Riding in the carriage with Georgiana beside him felt surreal. He did not know where to put his eyes, choosing to gaze sightlessly at the passing scenery while he fought the urge to stare at her.

A year after Robert had met her at the altar and promised to love and cherish her, he was struck by the fact that he hardly knew her at all.

According to her parents, she was comely and obedient, a hard worker who was familiar with all the rules of decorum.

“She will not trouble you,” they had said, moments before negotiating a substantial sum for her unblemished purity.

He had not minded paying. It had been worth every pound to enable him to circumvent the marriage mart while fending off his increasingly insistent grandmother.

“I want to see my great-grandchildren before I die.”

Robert knew she was being melodramatic, but he could not stop her words from affecting him.

So, here he was, saddled with a bride, but not really a wife.

I wonder if I could change that.

He gave her a sidelong glance as she sat, chilled and miserable, beside him.

The morning was misty and damp, and she had nothing but a shawl to shield her from the cold.

She looked bemused as Robert began to struggle out of his coat.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“Well, it appears that you forgot to bring along any warm clothes, so I am forced to surrender my coat to you.”

“You do not have to do that.”

He snorted. “What kind of gentleman would I be if I did not?”

She looked around in an exaggerated manner. “Who is here to see you failing at your gentlemanly duties?”

Her comment took him by surprise, and his eyes crinkled with amused delight. Robert had to purse his lips to stop himself from laughing out loud. He removed his coat and handed it to her.

“Iam here,” he said tersely.