Page 68 of Courting a Luscious Lady

“Luke, you can say anything to me. You never need be nervous with me.” Her soft words made that fidgeting stop, and he found the question that he was so longing to ask fell from his lips.

“Annie, if I was to court you, properly, in public for the world to see, would that be agreeable to you?”

“Agreeable?” Annie laughed. “You are the one who has always talked of bending the rules of propriety, now you ask me such a thing in a formal way.”

“That I did.” He took her hand and lifted it to his lips, kissing the back. “I find I cannot resist, though. I wish we could be open and that we did not have to hide together like this.”

“I’d like that too.” Her words filled him with such joy that he lifted her hand to his lips another time, kissing the back, only he held it longer on this occasion, his eyes on hers, never once blinking or looking away. “Maybe someday, we could be a courting couple.”

“Maybe so,” Luke said with excitement as he lowered her hand down at his side. “How long do you reckon we have until you are called to your house for breakfast?”

“Ten minutes, perhaps.”

“Then let us make the most of these ten minutes. What shall we talk of today?” he asked as he led her around the garden once more.

“I know. Tell me of what you plan to see on the continent, when you manage to get there.”

“We speak of dreams.”

“I see no bad thing in speaking of dreams, Luke. Maybe it means we could someday make them a reality.”

I rather like the sound of that.

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