ready?”
“Setting off around eleven should give us time enough.”
A half hour before eleven, I lingered near the entry hall, anxious—not only to get out of the house, but to go somewhere with Rhys.
When he descended the stairs, his gaze traveled from my head to my slippers before returning to my face. I raised my eyebrows in amusement and he looked away.
He reached me and dipped into a regal bow. “Your carriage awaits, Milady.”
He used the title in jest, but I stiffened at the formality. Luckily, he didn’t seem to notice and we crossed the entry hall. He handed me into the open carriage and I sat in the middle of the seat, expecting him to sit across from me, but he jumped in and nudged me over, settling beside me. I suppressed a smile.
“Off we go, Lionel,” he said to the groom sitting at the reins, and we lurched forward.
The weather was lovely and I found myself relaxing against the seat, tipping my head back to gaze up at the canopy of trees shading the road, admiring the splotches of bright and dark green mingling together in the sunlight.
“Not a bad day for a drive, is it?”
I smiled, closing my eyes in pleasure. “It’s a perfect day for a drive. I’m glad you suggested it.”
I thought I felt his fingers brush my hand, but when I opened my eyes and looked at him, his hands were clasped together. My imagination was getting away from me.
“It’s been far too long since I did something like this,” he mused.
“Something like what?”
“Something pleasant, something entertaining.”
“You keep yourself busy, then?”
He looked over at me then. “Probably too busy.”
“You don’t have time to play at being a socialite?” I tried to keep a straight face, but found it difficult when I was essentially mocking him with his own words. I bit my lips together to keep from smiling.
He tried to give me a scolding look but couldn’t quite do it. He looked away, shaking his head with a smile on his face. “It’s true that I don’t participate in many social events, but I’m not a complete recluse. I do attend small gatherings. Honestly, though, I usually find them more tedious than entertaining.”
“Hm,” was my only response.
He turned to me. “And what is that ‘hm’ supposed to mean?”
I shrugged. “I can sympathize. I used to hate social events.”
“But you went anyway?”
“I didn’t have a choice,” I said lightly. I didn’t resent my lack of choice. It was simply part of my responsibilities.
His brow furrowed. “Why not?”
My mouth opened, but no words came. I had to remember that I was Lily. So while trying to be honest in my response, I couldn’t reveal too much. I shrugged, trying for nonchalance. “I just always knew that it was what my parents expected of me.”
“Did you resent that?” His concern touched me.
“No. I understood that they had their reasons.”
He was pensive for a moment before asking, “So you don’t hate society events now?”
I smiled. “I’ve made my peace with them.”
He gave me a lofty nod. “That’s very diplomatic of you.”
We lapsed into silence, each of us enjoying the ride. Lionel veered off of the main road and followed a path that took us up a hillside until we reached an open meadow. There we disembarked and I stood stunned by the beautiful seclusion surrounding me while Rhys and Lionel laid out the picnic. The tall, lush grass waved in the breeze and trees stood sentinel at the perimeter, their branches reaching toward heaven.
When everything was set, Lionel went back to the carriage, where he lay down with his hat over his eyes. Rhys and I sat on the blanket and I watched him introduce each dish, as proud as if he sat at the head of an enormous banquet table.
The ease I felt in his presence surprised me. The situation was one that should have caused some anxiety, or at least nervousness, yet I felt neither. I felt a kinship with Rhys and he seemed to feel the same. It was
“Setting off around eleven should give us time enough.”
A half hour before eleven, I lingered near the entry hall, anxious—not only to get out of the house, but to go somewhere with Rhys.
When he descended the stairs, his gaze traveled from my head to my slippers before returning to my face. I raised my eyebrows in amusement and he looked away.
He reached me and dipped into a regal bow. “Your carriage awaits, Milady.”
He used the title in jest, but I stiffened at the formality. Luckily, he didn’t seem to notice and we crossed the entry hall. He handed me into the open carriage and I sat in the middle of the seat, expecting him to sit across from me, but he jumped in and nudged me over, settling beside me. I suppressed a smile.
“Off we go, Lionel,” he said to the groom sitting at the reins, and we lurched forward.
The weather was lovely and I found myself relaxing against the seat, tipping my head back to gaze up at the canopy of trees shading the road, admiring the splotches of bright and dark green mingling together in the sunlight.
“Not a bad day for a drive, is it?”
I smiled, closing my eyes in pleasure. “It’s a perfect day for a drive. I’m glad you suggested it.”
I thought I felt his fingers brush my hand, but when I opened my eyes and looked at him, his hands were clasped together. My imagination was getting away from me.
“It’s been far too long since I did something like this,” he mused.
“Something like what?”
“Something pleasant, something entertaining.”
“You keep yourself busy, then?”
He looked over at me then. “Probably too busy.”
“You don’t have time to play at being a socialite?” I tried to keep a straight face, but found it difficult when I was essentially mocking him with his own words. I bit my lips together to keep from smiling.
He tried to give me a scolding look but couldn’t quite do it. He looked away, shaking his head with a smile on his face. “It’s true that I don’t participate in many social events, but I’m not a complete recluse. I do attend small gatherings. Honestly, though, I usually find them more tedious than entertaining.”
“Hm,” was my only response.
He turned to me. “And what is that ‘hm’ supposed to mean?”
I shrugged. “I can sympathize. I used to hate social events.”
“But you went anyway?”
“I didn’t have a choice,” I said lightly. I didn’t resent my lack of choice. It was simply part of my responsibilities.
His brow furrowed. “Why not?”
My mouth opened, but no words came. I had to remember that I was Lily. So while trying to be honest in my response, I couldn’t reveal too much. I shrugged, trying for nonchalance. “I just always knew that it was what my parents expected of me.”
“Did you resent that?” His concern touched me.
“No. I understood that they had their reasons.”
He was pensive for a moment before asking, “So you don’t hate society events now?”
I smiled. “I’ve made my peace with them.”
He gave me a lofty nod. “That’s very diplomatic of you.”
We lapsed into silence, each of us enjoying the ride. Lionel veered off of the main road and followed a path that took us up a hillside until we reached an open meadow. There we disembarked and I stood stunned by the beautiful seclusion surrounding me while Rhys and Lionel laid out the picnic. The tall, lush grass waved in the breeze and trees stood sentinel at the perimeter, their branches reaching toward heaven.
When everything was set, Lionel went back to the carriage, where he lay down with his hat over his eyes. Rhys and I sat on the blanket and I watched him introduce each dish, as proud as if he sat at the head of an enormous banquet table.
The ease I felt in his presence surprised me. The situation was one that should have caused some anxiety, or at least nervousness, yet I felt neither. I felt a kinship with Rhys and he seemed to feel the same. It was
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