Page 49 of A Lovely White Christmastide
“That is easy. It started at the inn when I fell into your arms and it was love at first sight.” Julianna clamped her mouth shut. Had she just said that out loud?
He grinned. “I like the way you think. Now how did I propose?”
“You did not.” She raised her eyebrows at him, hoping he would understand.
“But we must have something to tell everyone.”
She slowly turned to him, her hands clasped in front of her. Time passed as he searched her face, his brow knitted. Then slowly light filled his face.
“I see.” He glanced around, first up the lane, then down before his gaze landed on the tops of the trees.
Julianna imagined pictures forming above his head as he gathered ideas. Without warning he reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling her into the nearby grove of trees. She protested, but he did not stop until they were hidden behind the trunk of a rather large oak.
He spun to face her. “There, now we shall have no audience to ruin my moment.”
“Your moment?”
“Ourmoment,” he amended.
She smiled. For all of his charm, Daniel could be a bit odd at times.Daniel. She let the name roll about in her mind, bouncing off the fluffy clouds of her imaginary castle in the sky, and for one small moment she could see herself married to the man in front of her.
“Julianna, I— wait. You do understand that this is only for the time at hand. We will need to figure things out eventually or we will have to go through with this.”
The pretty picture blew away with the wind. She pulled her hand out of his and turned to walk back to the house.
“Wait!” he called. “Where are you going?”
“If I am going to be ruined I might as well get it over with before it goes much further,” she called over her shoulder.
Daniel darted in front, bringing her up short. She stumbled on a root and his arms came up to catch her.
With hands on her shoulders, he said, “I cannot allow you to take the fall for my ridiculous knight in shining armor notion.”
Against her will, moisture gathered in her eyes. “It served its purpose. You got rid of Mr. Waverly.”
“But he could return.”
Daniel was right. And while she did not believe her father would ever force her to go through with a marriage she’d never agreed to, she also knew he’d be furious to know she’d brought another scandal down upon their heads.
Peering into Daniel’s intent gaze, Julianna relaxed. There was compassion and a flicker of that certain something she witnessed each time they shared a conspiratorial glance, only this time the mischief was missing.
He stepped closer, allowing his hands to drop from her shoulders and trail down her arms until his fingers curled around hers. The light touch warmed her insides. It was so pleasant she closed her eyes to relish it. He squeezed her fingertips and then his left hand let go.
When she felt a touch on her chin she opened her eyes. He peered intently into hers. “I know we do not know each other well, and you may find someone far more to your liking in the next few weeks, but if that does not happen…” He swallowed.
At first she wondered if he was nervous or regretful, but when his eyes darkened with intent and his gaze flit to her lips, she realized he was in earnest.
“If you still will have me, I’d be honored to be your husband.”
She opened her lips to speak, but the words were completely gone. Her mouth went dry and all she could think about was how much she wanted him to kiss her again. As if he could read her mind, he dipped his head and captured her lips.
The tension that had rooted her to the ground suddenly lifted and pulled her into him by some imaginary string. She wrapped her arms about his neck and delightedly returned his kiss.
With their first kiss, she’d been too embarrassed to let it last longer than a moment, but this time she allowed herself to explore how two people’s lips might fit so perfectly together.
Daniel’s hands tightened about her waist and she nearly sighed with the perfection of the moment, but a steady thumping followed by the creak of a carriage wheel had them skittering apart.
“The others,” Julianna breathed out. “We best hurry or we will have to walk the whole three miles.”
