The Antique Love by Helena Fairfax Read Free Book Online Page A

steak pie. “I’m sure it won’t take me long to get to the bottom of it.”
    Penny watched him begin to make unconcerned inroads on his meal and, for the first time in weeks, felt a small lift of her spirits. Kurt was such a solid and dependable presence, she wondered if maybe he was right, and she did have intuition. She’d imagined Kurt in the role of a hero when he first stepped into the shop, and if he turned out not to be a cowboy sort of hero, what did it matter? Her guess was right. He’d ridden into town to help her with her accounts, and that was hero enough for her. The thought brought an inward smile.
    She turned her attention to the lamb stew in front of her, blowing absent-mindedly at the steam. “So,” she said, “I should get to know you a bit better, maybe. If I’m going to furnish your house, I mean?”
    “Ask away.” Kurt waved an airy knife.
    The invitation to ask anything threw Penny off guard for a moment. There was so much she was dying to know. Where to start?
    “Okay,” she said. “Can I ask…” She put down her knife and thought for a couple of seconds. “You said you were getting married?” Kurt nodded without looking up. “Then maybe I should know what sort of wife you’re looking for. How do you see your future in your house in Richmond? And why do you want to get married, anyway, if you don’t believe in love?”
    Her words came out in such an eager rush that Kurt laughed.
    “That’s a lot of questions,” he said, putting down his fork and giving her his attention. “Well, to start, I’ve always wanted a proper family. I’ve made a success out of my career, and now I need someone to share my life with. I guess a family is what I’m waiting for to make the rest of my life complete.”
    “So you think something’s missing in your life?” Her question silenced him for a moment.
    “Missing something,” he said after a while. “I hadn’t really thought about it, but that’s a good question. Maybe I am missing my family, here in England. Maybe starting a family of my own is just the logical answer.”
    There it was. Logic again. Penny frowned. There was no arguing with a logical approach, but in her mind where relationships were concerned, it was nowhere near enough. She felt like physically prodding Kurt until she could get him to see what she saw.
    “Have you ever been in love?” she asked in desperation.
    That was the question. She was startled to see all trace of amiability leave Kurt’s expression. It was as though a black cloud descended on him. He leaned back, a stony expression on his face.
    “No,” he said flatly. “Love is a deception for fools. I’ve seen passion bring a man to his knees and ruin him. Seen it with these two eyes.” He reached a hand up to his face in what for the laconic Kurt was an unusually dramatic gesture. “If you allow passion to rule you, then ultimately it will destroy you.”
    Penny stared. Her question had certainly prodded Kurt, but his response had been more than she bargained for. Now she knew she was right. His whole demeanour showed it, from the darkening of his eyes to the coiled reserve in his body. No matter what his protestations or how he tried to withhold it, a deep well of passion ran within Kurt, like the seam of an oil well. Is this why he kept such a tight rein on himself? Did he feel his own passionate nature was a dangerous thing? She was struggling to compute his answer when all of a sudden the black cloud lifted, and his expression softened.
    “Don’t look so concerned,” he said. “It was a simple question, and it should have a simple answer. No, I haven’t been in love. I’ve joined a dating agency, and you’ll find this hard to believe, but there are plenty of women out there who think the same way I do.” He spread his hands. “I’m perfectly open about what I’m looking for in a relationship, and you might be surprised to hear I’ve had a lot of responses to my profile.”
    He looked as