Page 70 of The Burning Passion of a Fiery Lady
She gazed down at her gown. She had dressed with care for this meeting. An elegant, subdued gown, in the lightest shade of pea green. Her hair had been pulled back into a simple bun, as well. The jewellery she wore was simple and understated. Nothing too elaborate or ostentatious.
Her heart started to thump hard in her chest. A carriage was slowly gliding through the gates, up the length of the circular driveway.
He had arrived.
She watched it slow down, drawing to a halt, outside the front door. Her footman sprang forward to open the carriage door. The next moment, she caught her first glimpse of Leonard Green.
He stepped down slowly, gazing around. He was dressed in black britches, with a matching beige vest and jacket, and was twirling a cane in his hand. The top hat he wore was ridiculously high. It took all her effort not to burst out laughing. He looked so self-consciously important, as if he had changed his outfit a dozen times until he had settled on the right one.
He kept gazing around in a complacent way, almost as if he were assessing the house. Almost as if it was on the market, and he was a potential buyer, studying it for flaws. Her stomach tightened in anger.
How dare he.
The next minute, he was walking towards the front door, disappearing from view.
She dropped the curtain and turned, walking slowly into the middle of the room. Taking a deep breath, she squared her shoulders, clasping her hands together in front of her, in an effort to stop them shaking.
She took another deep breath, watching the door. Her heart was thumping so hard, she thought it might leap out of her chest entirely.
This was it. At any second, that door would open, and he would be walking into the room. The wheels that had been set in motion were turning now, and there was nothing that she could do to stop them.
Everything was in place. She just had to gather her courage and do what needed to be done.
Her heart lurched violently as the door handle twisted.
Chapter 27
The door clicked open. He was standing there, twirling his cane, a complacent look on his face as he peered into the room.
She took a deep breath, clicking into action as if someone had pushed her in the back.
“Leonard,” she said smiling and walking towards him with extended hands. “Thank you for your promptness! You are looking so well …”
He stepped into the room, meeting her near an upholstered armchair. His eyes raked over her, almost lasciviously, taking in everything, from the top of her head to the tips of her slippers, poking out from beneath the hem of her gown.
Up close, she could see that he was freshly shaved. The scent of a strong aftershave assailed her. He had taken off his top hat, and his thinning brown hair was flattened against his skull, looking like a cap. She saw, too, that his clothes were expensive, and probably brand new. The buckles on his shoes were so polished they shone like gold, almost hurting her eyes.
“As are you, my dear Susannah,” he said slowly, taking her outstretched hands in his own. “I must say, that shade of green becomes you. A lovely contrast to your fiery hair, my dear.”
Her smile widened as her gaze briefly dropped to the gown. “This old thing? Oh, you flatter me, Leonard!” Her voice lowered. “But I must say I am thrilled to hear it. Every girl loves a compliment, after all.”
He laughed confidently. The sound seemed to fill the room, echoing around it.
“It is no flattery,” he insisted, his eyes avid as they gazed at her. “You must know that I think you are the loveliest creature that ever walked the earth by now.”
There was a soft knock on the door, and Kathy, the maid, entered, balancing a silver tray laden with items. Susannah was gratified to see that Cook had piled it high. A round of cucumber sandwiches, scones with lashings of jam and cream, the lemon sponge cake, strawberry macaroons, and last but not least, her best silver teapot.
She knew that she probably wouldn’t take a bite of any of it, and Leonard would probably be too distracted to as well. It was only designed to impress, to lull him, to make him relax and think this really was just a regular afternoon tea.
It was so overflowing that Susannah was scared for a moment that the poor girl was going to drop it.
She took another deep breath. “The afternoon tea has arrived. Will you sit down, so that I may serve you myself, Leonard?”
His smile widened, and he nodded. They walked together to the fireplace, sitting opposite each other in the upholstered armchairs, while Kathy set the tray down on a small table between them.
They didn’t talk as the maid poured the tea, placing the cups down on the tray.
“That will be all, Kathy,” she said, smiling. “I will call you to collect the tray once we are finished.” The girl nodded, exiting the room.
