sounds like a fearsome beast.” She once again los t her train of thought as she watched a gli m mer of amusement light up his eyes.
He cleared his throat, biting bac k a grin. “B east , most definitely. F earsome , no. He is a pussycat. ” Their encounter amused him. A feeling of excitement coursed through his body. They both seemed genuinely flummoxed by their mee t ing.
“I noticed that you don’t have a si ngle rose in your garden?” His narrowed gaze su r veyed the colorful array that surrounded him. “Do you not like them?”
“I like them well enough.” She glanced around with pride. “ But roses are not allowed in these walls. T his is my wildflower gar den. We have a formal garden that includes roses b e hind the conservatory. A Parterre, but I prefer the wildness inside here .” H er eyes glowed with pride .
“It is an attractive garden . ” He repeated the sentiment, taking one last glance around. “ We have a large rose gar den at Allingham Park with over seventy-five varieties of roses.” He walked t o war ds the ivy-covered wall. “E nchanting .”
She watched as he slowly circled the garden smelling a few of the flowers along the wall. He turned, smiling softly then continued his quiet survey of hi s surroundings. “In fact, when I first stepped through the arch I believed you to be a fairy.”
Poppy opened her mouth to respond when another voice called, “Pop py, I know you’re out here.” Her eyes widened and her face turned a bright shade of red when she r ea l ized she was staring . She whirled away calling, “ Come Georgie. ” Leaning down she scoop ed him up . “ Coming, Piper.” Without waiting, she strode towards the voice moving around him to cross u nder the arch way , then she turned to face him. “You migh t as well meet my sister .”
“Delightful,” he sounded distantly amused, chuckling when the d isembodied voice called again , “Do you know who has arrived?” The voice contin ued, “A brute of a horse was just st a bled .. . ”
Declan watched as the girls eyes wide ned and she whispered t hrough her teeth, “Who is that?” Color r ose in her cheeks, and she appeared flustered to be caught gawking him.
Speaking loud enough for him to hear, “The Duke of Hawksley has arrived.” Poppy glanced over her shoulder, gestur ing his way, as he stood framed by the low arch .
Piper’s mouth formed a perfect ‘O’ .
Declan ducked under the archway and straitened to his impressive height before bowing elegantly .
“Your Grace , this is my twin sister , Piper.”
Piper curtsied with a knowing smile , “ Your G race .”
“Twins?” His brow furrowed his eyes moving back and forth between the two. There were strong fa mily similarities, of course, but they looked nothing like one would expect of twin s .
“Don’t worry. ” Piper chuckled at the perplexed look in his eyes. She linked her arm through his . “ W e get that reaction all the time. I look like the Peregrine side of the family and Poppy looks like the Wakefield side. ”
“Indeed.” Although they were not identical twins , they both had the same piercing blue eyes as Ashford .
“You must be famished , Your G race . L et us show you to the b reakfast room ,” Piper i n vited . “I ’ m sure Parker is already breaking his fast.”
Poppy’s brows furrowed as she searched desperately for something clever t o talk about.
“I don’t r ecall if Parker mentioned where your home is located.” Poppy glanced down and took a hold of his other arm. Her touch light, yet he felt it to his bones.
“My family’s ancestral pile is in the wilds of Berkshire , ” h e advised. “ In fact it is quite close, onl y a few hours ride from he re. N ot far at all. Have you every traveled to Ber k shire?” He asked slant ing a look out of the corner of his eye.
“No, I have n’t traveled through
He cleared his throat, biting bac k a grin. “B east , most definitely. F earsome , no. He is a pussycat. ” Their encounter amused him. A feeling of excitement coursed through his body. They both seemed genuinely flummoxed by their mee t ing.
“I noticed that you don’t have a si ngle rose in your garden?” His narrowed gaze su r veyed the colorful array that surrounded him. “Do you not like them?”
“I like them well enough.” She glanced around with pride. “ But roses are not allowed in these walls. T his is my wildflower gar den. We have a formal garden that includes roses b e hind the conservatory. A Parterre, but I prefer the wildness inside here .” H er eyes glowed with pride .
“It is an attractive garden . ” He repeated the sentiment, taking one last glance around. “ We have a large rose gar den at Allingham Park with over seventy-five varieties of roses.” He walked t o war ds the ivy-covered wall. “E nchanting .”
She watched as he slowly circled the garden smelling a few of the flowers along the wall. He turned, smiling softly then continued his quiet survey of hi s surroundings. “In fact, when I first stepped through the arch I believed you to be a fairy.”
Poppy opened her mouth to respond when another voice called, “Pop py, I know you’re out here.” Her eyes widened and her face turned a bright shade of red when she r ea l ized she was staring . She whirled away calling, “ Come Georgie. ” Leaning down she scoop ed him up . “ Coming, Piper.” Without waiting, she strode towards the voice moving around him to cross u nder the arch way , then she turned to face him. “You migh t as well meet my sister .”
“Delightful,” he sounded distantly amused, chuckling when the d isembodied voice called again , “Do you know who has arrived?” The voice contin ued, “A brute of a horse was just st a bled .. . ”
Declan watched as the girls eyes wide ned and she whispered t hrough her teeth, “Who is that?” Color r ose in her cheeks, and she appeared flustered to be caught gawking him.
Speaking loud enough for him to hear, “The Duke of Hawksley has arrived.” Poppy glanced over her shoulder, gestur ing his way, as he stood framed by the low arch .
Piper’s mouth formed a perfect ‘O’ .
Declan ducked under the archway and straitened to his impressive height before bowing elegantly .
“Your Grace , this is my twin sister , Piper.”
Piper curtsied with a knowing smile , “ Your G race .”
“Twins?” His brow furrowed his eyes moving back and forth between the two. There were strong fa mily similarities, of course, but they looked nothing like one would expect of twin s .
“Don’t worry. ” Piper chuckled at the perplexed look in his eyes. She linked her arm through his . “ W e get that reaction all the time. I look like the Peregrine side of the family and Poppy looks like the Wakefield side. ”
“Indeed.” Although they were not identical twins , they both had the same piercing blue eyes as Ashford .
“You must be famished , Your G race . L et us show you to the b reakfast room ,” Piper i n vited . “I ’ m sure Parker is already breaking his fast.”
Poppy’s brows furrowed as she searched desperately for something clever t o talk about.
“I don’t r ecall if Parker mentioned where your home is located.” Poppy glanced down and took a hold of his other arm. Her touch light, yet he felt it to his bones.
“My family’s ancestral pile is in the wilds of Berkshire , ” h e advised. “ In fact it is quite close, onl y a few hours ride from he re. N ot far at all. Have you every traveled to Ber k shire?” He asked slant ing a look out of the corner of his eye.
“No, I have n’t traveled through
Similar Books
