Page 39 of The Viscount's Daring Cinderella
Daisy, the maid, busied herself with preparing a plate for Theodore and poured a cup of coffee. The girls giggled and went back to eating their breakfast.
“Thank you. You may leave us,” he said.
Daisy curtsied before she took the path back to the house.
Theodore gazed at Beryl as he began to eat a warm, buttery roll.
“I trust you rested well, my lady.” He hoped she understood the clear implication that he had not.
The butter melted in his mouth, and he quite enjoyed it. There were more fresh rolls at the center of the table, and he decided to have another. They both reached for the rolls at the same time. Beryl’s long, elegant fingers brushed his ever so lightly, and it sent a spark of heat through him. It was as though he could feel her fingers exploring his body and caressing him.
“I did, thank you for asking. It was such a lovely morning. I thought we could have breakfast in the garden,” Beryl said quickly as she pulled her hand away.
Theodore noticed she had not asked him about his night. He started eating, and as he chewed, he glanced at Beryl and the girls, and he was happy. It all felt right. William had always seemed happy, and Theodore could now see how his sister-in-law and the children contributed to his brother’s contentment. Theodore had never felt incomplete, but somehow since Beryl had arrived, he had been thinking more about life. There was certainly much more to it than debauchery and aimlessness.
Louise and Mattie had finished their breakfast, and they became restless.
“Girls, you may go back to the house, and I will be with you shortly,” Beryl said as she took a sip of her tea.
“Yes, Lady Beryl,” they answered in unison.
Theodore was surprised when both girls came over to hug him. He felt a lump in his throat, and it was difficult to swallow. Whenever he was around before, he usually avoided Louise and Mattie. It was not that he was callous and indifferent; he did not know what to say to them. Furthermore, they did not seek him out, yet today, they were comfortable enough to show their affection.
He returned their hugs and gruffly said, “Off you go.”
They scampered away, giggling together and it was one of the sweetest sounds Theodore had ever heard. He glanced at his sweet tormentor. “Beryl, would you like to go for a walk before you return to the house?”
Color blushed her cheeks and she smiled. “A walk on such a pleasant morning would be welcomed, Theodore.”
He took the path that would lead them through the garden and to the edge of the pond. The water lettuce and chestnuts floated in the pond, and the reflection of the sun shimmered across the surface. The pond was bordered by the woods, and they walked along the path between both.
“William and I used to play here when we were young. We even managed to escape the tutor a few times when we should be in lessons.”
Beryl laughed. “I did not expect anything less.”
Theodore smiled ruefully. “We enjoyed the simple pursuits. Swimming in the lake, climbing trees and exploring the woods.”
“I am sure your tutor had a few things to say about that.”
“We only had each other. There was no one else around, so we were very close.” He chuckled. “William had the sharp wit and sensibilities of the heir while I was the mischievous rascal.”
“What were some of the things that the mischievous rascal did?”
“I remember convincing William that we needed to spend a night in the woods with no supplies.”
Beryl suddenly stopped. “You did not!”
“It seemed like quite the challenge at the time. We were missed by dinner, and being winter, it was already dark. To make matters worse, it started raining.”
“You must have been terrified.”
“I was but I refused to show it. William was quite brave when he realized we were lost.”
“Good heavens. I can imagine the entire household was in a tizzy.”
Theodore smiled at the memory. “They were. The first thing that they did was search the entire house. They had to be sure we were not there before they extended the search.”
“You must have given your parents such a fright.”
