Page 37 of A Bluestocking for the Wicked Duke
Esther looked in the direction of his gaze. She stood up and walked towards the figures. William followed her closely behind. Her walk was like a dance. Her hips swayed tantalizingly to both sides, swinging the flowing gown in the opposite direction. She had grace he had not seen before; she just had an understated way of showing it. His mother would have detected on first sight.
She is just as unassuming as her mother appears to be but graceful in her own way.
Esther walked to the rabbit and put one hand on the longer ear.
“You mean this topiary, no not by himself,” she replied.
“I just thought because of his obvious love of animals, he would have done it himself,” he said.
“You already noticed he loves animals,” Esther said.
“And heard the famed stories of his hunting,” William replied.
Esther smile again. She walked around to where William was and stood in front of him. William could feel her hair graze his jaw; he smelt the ointment that made her hair shine. It was the familiar scent of lavender.
“He didn’t make them himself but he ordered the gardener to make it. We actually kept changing gardeners till we found one that could make topiary,” Esther said.
William stretched out and touched the smaller ear; his hand arched over her petite figure.
“This ear looks smaller than the other,”
“He spoke to the gardener about it and the gardener says it is better to allow the longer one remain as it is. He says in topiary it pays to allow the short one to grow to where the other one is right now than to cut the longer one and expect them to grow together. That might never happen,” she said.
“It would be something if you knew how to make them too,” William said
Esther turned around quickly. William leaned back a bit to prevent her bumping into him. She was so close her eyes were on the same line as his nose. William just had to nudge his head forward to rub their heads together. She raised her eyes to meet his, the smile still pasted on her face.
“And would you teach me?” she said.
Her voice was soft. William felt his breath become shallower.
Did her voice drop because her breath also caught?
His gaze fell on her lips again. They were full and more coloured than her skin, though not as pink as Joane’s.
Joane? I’m so close to another woman and all I can think is Joane.
Her lower lip dipped in the middle, making a seductive V-shape. She licked her lower lip, her tongue moving slowly over before moving back into her mouth. William felt his loins stare, his body was responding faster than his mind.
Would it be according to plan if I kissed her?
William wasn’t so sure what the plan was anymore. Esther had taken away all the constructive plots he had brought with her impressive mannerism. He leaned into her; his head dipped lower, his mouth eager to conquer hers. He saw her lips quiver too. There was a fire in her eyes, a yearning to respond. But she pulled out, turning her mouth down in the last moment. William closed his mouth quickly, more in an attempt to save face than in surprise.
“I am sorry Mr. William. I cannot do this. I have led you on long enough,” Esther said.
Led me on long enough? I was leading you on.
William was confused at her decline at his attempt to kiss and even more by her last statement. He rubbed the back of his neck with his right hand and placed his left hand on his waist.
“Led me on? I don’t understand,” William said.
Esther drew his left hand and walked back to the stone seat they were seated on previously. She refused to lift her eyes to meet his.
“Let me explain Mr. William,” she said.
“Then do so,” William replied.
“My father told me about your interest in me before you even approached me. He said your mother mentioned it to him in passing,” she said.
