Page 20 of Romancing A Wallflower
“Clara, his lordship has asked me to take a turn about the garden with him. We will be in the rose gardens, should anyone ask. Cooper will act as my chaperone.” At that moment, Cooper walked in, presenting a comical sight. The dog’s teeth firmly gripped the large ball, which banged against his paws on the left side of his body, dragging and impeding his gait.
Harlow roared with genuine laughter. “He is barely bigger than his new ball—which reminds me…” Breaking off, John reached into his pocket and withdrew a smaller red ball, securing it in Lilian’s palm. “He may enjoy this. I recall that dogs enjoy sport.”
“Yes, he loves playing with a ball.” She chuckled. “Mama recognized that very quickly. She gave Cooper a ball with a blue tether attached so that I could throw it and retrieve it. Cooper enjoys himself immensely.” Lilian loved her dog. How quickly that had happened, she reflected.I do not want to discuss Cooper. I want to know more about him…about the two of us.Could we be a twosome?She realized she wanted them to be a twosome.
They opened the side door of the morning room and moved outside onto a small, stoned courtyard. A row of still-green Camellia bushes added an element of privacy to the area. A large elm tree provided shade, while a carpet of bright green moss grew from the bottom of the tree and extended to the lawn, where the sun broke through the leaves. Red and yellow rose bushes lined a stone walk which led to a small white gazebo covered with the foliage of a jasmine that had long since bloomed, which stood behind carpets of pink asters, purple verbena and white daisies.
“This is beautiful,” Harlow whispered close to her ear. “You have a very insightful gardener.”
His breath sent delicious shivers down her spine. “It is my mother’s passion, mostly. Williams does the heavier work, but you can frequently find my mother out here, wearing a large hat and gardening gloves. She says it is her way of painting.” She pointed ahead. “Would you like to sit in the gazebo? Mama had a small ramp attached to it so I might easily gain access to it. I love to read out here.” Lilian could smell his fragrance of bergamot and bay leaf, even amongst the blooms, and inhaled quietly. She enjoyed his nearness as much as she feared it would be short-lived. They were leaving.
Harlow pushed her chair into place beside the small iron one in the gazebo and turned her towards him.
“I have a few things I would like to say, if you will allow it.”
She did not want to hear bad news. She nodded her head quietly, steeling her insides for what he might say.
“I must leave Town for the Cornwall coast tomorrow, to hopefully conclude some business. I had hoped you might be willing to continue allowing me to court you.” His throat worked, but he said no more.
Her pulse quickened. “When will you be leaving?” She swallowed, struggling to control her excitement.
“Would you mind if I sat next to you?” he asked.
“Not at all.” She clasped her hands in front of her and glanced around, spotting Cooper chasing a butterfly behind the elm tree. Her throat pulsed wildly. The window to her father’s study opened to the garden, and she speculated if he was in there, but the curtains were closed. She imagined he had drawn them yesterday to keep the sun from overheating the room. This morning he had escorted Mama and Lydia into Town to purchase last-minute items for their journey back to Tintagel, and she had not heard them return.
“May I kiss you? I have so much to discuss with you, but while we have a moment alone, I would like to kiss you. We may only have a moment before your maid appears.”
Kiss me?The question startled her back to reality. “Yes,” she breathed, placing her hand over her fluttery stomach. Absently, she wondered how this could be achieved from her wheel-chair. Impulsively, she shuttered her eyes.
Harlow moved closer and slipped one arm around her, pulling her nearer. She felt his hand slip into her hair, gently moving his fingers among the curls hanging at the back of her neck. His lips touched hers, tenderly at first, then with more pressure, with his tongue teasing her lips to open.
Lilian enjoyed his kiss and leaned further into his caress, yielding to the pressure of his mouth. His tongue swiftly entered, parrying and dancing with her own as it explored the recesses of her mouth and stirred up tingling, strange feelings in the very centre of her body, compelling her to want more—of what, she was not sure.However, she knew she did not want this kiss to end.
A small bark from the corner of the garden brought them back from the heavens, alerting them to visitors, and they pulled apart, both breathing heavily. Cooper barked again, and Lilian saw Clara come through the door from the house and take the bench in the stoned courtyard.
“I believe we have a champion in that little dog,” Harlow observed. “Thank you. I enjoyed that kiss.”
“I enjoyed it too,” she said shyly. “I confess I would have liked it to last a moment longer…” She stopped then, suddenly realizing the lack of propriety in her words and behaviour. Whatever was she about, to be enjoying stolen minutes alone with him and a kiss that had singed her to her core. What must he be thinking? She was little better than…than a bird of paradise!
“Lilian, you are the first woman I have courted in a very long time. I fear I need to dust off my rules of etiquette!” He tried to appear apologetic and failing, laughed instead.
“Oh…are there written rules for gentlemen, too?” A gurgle of laughter escaped her throat. “I am truly sorry,” she excused herself quickly, lifting a hand to her mouth. “I did not mean to offend—I suddenly visualized a book of rules gentlemen must follow in order to court a lady. It struck me as funny. I apologize.”
“There is no need to apologize. There are rules, ah…principles, if you will. For example, as boys, our tutors teach us we must be honest, be prompt, even early…that type of thing. My father showed me a book and asked that I read it. I think I may still have it.” He sat back in his chair and laughed. “I have not thought about that book in years. I believe it was called something like, ‘The Gentlemen Instructed…’ He stopped. “There was more to the title, but it escapes me. Anyway, I am endeavouring to adhere to those teachings.”
“In what way are you falling short, John?” Lilian watched his lips as he spoke to her. His lips were perfect, not too thin and not too full. She wanted to feel them again.
“I have not wanted to get married because I have bad dreams.” He rushed the words forth, his eyes fixed on her.
“What kinds of dreams?” she ventured cautiously, grasping her hands to her heart.
“Ever since the war, I wake up sweating, sometimes screaming. I am sure I have no notion why I am telling you this. It seems most unseemly to be discussing such a thing, yet, I fear to mislead you. I feel I can trust you and tell you this about me, not knowing for sure where our…connection…will lead.”
Lilian became quiet and folded her hands into her lap. “Thank you for sharing that. It could not have been easy. In fact, I cannot imagine my brother talking about such matters, even with my mother or father.” She looked up at him, carefully taking her hand and caressing the side of his face. “You can trust that I will never speak of this to anyone. I will not marry unless there is love or the chance of love. I would rather not marry if I have no feeling for a gentleman,” she spoke softly, almost whispering.
“My parents were a love match, but Mother seems to have put that aside in her concern for an heir. She wants grandchildren, and I can understand that.”
Lilian dipped her head slightly in acknowledgement. She had no idea how else to respond. Her doctor had not indicated any concerns with having children, and until now, she had given no thought to courtship in the past year.
