passed the time in a pleasant manner.
Then she noticed his posture stiffen. His gaze
darted past her and toward the doorway. She managed a sideward glance and
recognized the man he had called Foster from the library. He stood at the door
in a most awkward fashion as if he were trying very hard not to be seen.
Rothford folded his cards and laid them aside. A
look and a nod from him told Eugenia to do the same. She did. The Duke made
their apologies to the remaining players then led her outside to the garden.
They stepped under a white latticed gazebo. “It is
time, my dear, for me to depart.”
Eugenia decided that if he were to leave now, she
would at least have some assurance of his affection. She wanted him to kiss her
and spent her energies on looking as fetching and irresistible as she could
manage. She tilted her head and gazed at him in pure adoration.
Rothford spoke to her, saying something of the
particulars of his journey. All Eugenia cared about was that he would be
leaving her again.
She pursed her lips into an adorable moue and
batted her lashes to no avail. With only a kiss to the back of her hand and a
fond adieu, he was off.
How very lowering.
A massive cloud floated overhead, blocking a great
deal of the sun. The dimming light grew evident with every passing minute.
Dismayed at her lack of appeal, Eugenia remained alone in the growing darkness.
Why would he leave her without expressing what he
truly felt? What Eugenia knew he must feel.
Sigh after heartfelt sigh, she remained for some
number of minutes. Eugenia was not certain how long before she heard footfalls
heading in her direction.
To her utter amazement, she instantly recognized
the confident swagger and the familiar rhythmic swing of the arms. It was
Rothford. He had returned.
She did not want to appear anxious at his
reappearance and took great effort to restrain herself. Eugenia took a deep
breath and held it. Slowly, she allowed it to escape and finally glanced
casually up at him.
The filtered sunlight illuminated the garden. The
lattice threw harlequin shadows across his face, giving him a dramatic cast.
She was not sure what to expect from him and remained silent. Eugenia gazed up
at him, giving him a chance to speak first.
“I wasn’t entirely satisfied with our farewell,” he
said. His words were slow, almost impossible for him to utter. “Before I leave
for …”
She stared wide into his dark eyes. “ Amberly ,” she finished for him, anxious to see what
direction he would take.
“Yes, Amberly ,” he
echoed, staring deep into her eyes.
Every lucid thought in her head left. He sat very
close to her on the bench. His proximity fended off the coolness of the deep
shade of the cloud.
At that moment Eugenia felt as if they were of one
mind, one heart.
“I shall miss you while I am away.” His gaze ran
over her face, caressed her shoulders, before returning to her eyes. “I shall
only be gone for …”
“Three or four days at the most,” again she
answered for him. She was a mindless creature, finishing each sentence he
began.
It was almost as if he had forgotten himself.
Perhaps Eugenia had succeeded in distracting him as he had once accused her.
“It is only for a short while—no longer than is
necessary, I can assure you,” he whispered ever so
softly. The volume of his voice grew only as he neared, for she felt his breath
upon her ear with every word he spoke. “Then, with your permission, I shall take
leave of you after a kiss.”
Her eyelids became heavy and lowered. Her lips
pursed ever so slightly in great anticipation of the long-awaited event. She
felt quite the half-wit when he placed a chaste kiss upon her cheek.
He backed away but the retreat lasted only for a
moment. Eugenia discovered the same disappointment that dwelled within her was
mirrored in his dark, dreamy eyes.
With a sudden spark, she noticed a new
determination overtake him. His hand slid to the back of her head, pulling her
toward
Then she noticed his posture stiffen. His gaze
darted past her and toward the doorway. She managed a sideward glance and
recognized the man he had called Foster from the library. He stood at the door
in a most awkward fashion as if he were trying very hard not to be seen.
Rothford folded his cards and laid them aside. A
look and a nod from him told Eugenia to do the same. She did. The Duke made
their apologies to the remaining players then led her outside to the garden.
They stepped under a white latticed gazebo. “It is
time, my dear, for me to depart.”
Eugenia decided that if he were to leave now, she
would at least have some assurance of his affection. She wanted him to kiss her
and spent her energies on looking as fetching and irresistible as she could
manage. She tilted her head and gazed at him in pure adoration.
Rothford spoke to her, saying something of the
particulars of his journey. All Eugenia cared about was that he would be
leaving her again.
She pursed her lips into an adorable moue and
batted her lashes to no avail. With only a kiss to the back of her hand and a
fond adieu, he was off.
How very lowering.
A massive cloud floated overhead, blocking a great
deal of the sun. The dimming light grew evident with every passing minute.
Dismayed at her lack of appeal, Eugenia remained alone in the growing darkness.
Why would he leave her without expressing what he
truly felt? What Eugenia knew he must feel.
Sigh after heartfelt sigh, she remained for some
number of minutes. Eugenia was not certain how long before she heard footfalls
heading in her direction.
To her utter amazement, she instantly recognized
the confident swagger and the familiar rhythmic swing of the arms. It was
Rothford. He had returned.
She did not want to appear anxious at his
reappearance and took great effort to restrain herself. Eugenia took a deep
breath and held it. Slowly, she allowed it to escape and finally glanced
casually up at him.
The filtered sunlight illuminated the garden. The
lattice threw harlequin shadows across his face, giving him a dramatic cast.
She was not sure what to expect from him and remained silent. Eugenia gazed up
at him, giving him a chance to speak first.
“I wasn’t entirely satisfied with our farewell,” he
said. His words were slow, almost impossible for him to utter. “Before I leave
for …”
She stared wide into his dark eyes. “ Amberly ,” she finished for him, anxious to see what
direction he would take.
“Yes, Amberly ,” he
echoed, staring deep into her eyes.
Every lucid thought in her head left. He sat very
close to her on the bench. His proximity fended off the coolness of the deep
shade of the cloud.
At that moment Eugenia felt as if they were of one
mind, one heart.
“I shall miss you while I am away.” His gaze ran
over her face, caressed her shoulders, before returning to her eyes. “I shall
only be gone for …”
“Three or four days at the most,” again she
answered for him. She was a mindless creature, finishing each sentence he
began.
It was almost as if he had forgotten himself.
Perhaps Eugenia had succeeded in distracting him as he had once accused her.
“It is only for a short while—no longer than is
necessary, I can assure you,” he whispered ever so
softly. The volume of his voice grew only as he neared, for she felt his breath
upon her ear with every word he spoke. “Then, with your permission, I shall take
leave of you after a kiss.”
Her eyelids became heavy and lowered. Her lips
pursed ever so slightly in great anticipation of the long-awaited event. She
felt quite the half-wit when he placed a chaste kiss upon her cheek.
He backed away but the retreat lasted only for a
moment. Eugenia discovered the same disappointment that dwelled within her was
mirrored in his dark, dreamy eyes.
With a sudden spark, she noticed a new
determination overtake him. His hand slid to the back of her head, pulling her
toward
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