up and delicately touched his cheek
with the fingers of the hand he still held loosely. He released her hand but
kept his hovering over the back of hers. No sound intruded on them except that
of their breathing. He turned his head beneath her caressing fingers so that
she could feel the shape of his cheek, then the outline of his lips, then his
stuttering warm breath, then his other cheek. When he turned his head back
again she held her breath while she felt his lips again. His ragged warm breath
again. His cheek. Again.
Boldly, Amelia reversed their hand positions so that hers
gently held the back of his while she guided his hand to her cheek. His fingers
trembled as they caressed her skin.
“So soft,” he whispered, not daring to get any closer to
her. She moved her head beneath his hand so that he could trace the outline of
her parted lips, then the velvety softness of her other cheek.
When she turned her head back again and his fingers reached
her lips he felt her warm breath as she whispered, “Your hands are beautiful.”
Shuddering with ill-timed desire, Thaddeus forced himself to
pull away and step back. His breath came in a rush and he realized he’d been
holding his it. He watched her sway on her feet and the knowledge that she
wanted him thrilled him to the core of his being.
“I need to go now,” he said huskily. “Please take care of
yourself.” She nodded while touching her fingers to her lips as if she could
still feel his touch. Damn, but he did not want to leave her. “I am going to
pray for a sunny day tomorrow.”
And then he was running down the walk. He glanced back and
saw her standing among the puddles, her palms pressed to her blushing cheeks.
Mrs. Edley found her in the workroom not long afterward.
Amelia sat at the table beneath the large window with her patterns laid out
before her. A neat stack of finely sewn baby clothes sat on another table.
There were white nightgowns, bonnets and booties, all exquisitely embroidered
with tiny flowers and green vines. Miniature jackets, their seams picked out
with piping and lace, lay next to gowns adorned with intricately smocked
bodices.
Hearing her come in, Amelia said, not looking up, “I think I
will start on a wool cape next. What do you think, Mrs. Edley?”
“With the babe coming in October, ‘tis a good idea.” Mrs.
Edley held up the wet towels she’d found lying over the back of one of the
kitchen chairs. “Now look thee here, mum. What’s happened while I was out?”
Amelia skewed around in her seat. Catching sight of the
towels dangling from her servant’s hands, she smiled and blushed. “Oh. Those.
Mr. Milborough called. He brought me some books to read. He’s very thoughtful,
is he not?”
Mrs. Edley, secretly pleased with the couple’s progress,
harrumphed and said, “He’d be a might more thoughtful if he didn’t drip water
all over my clean tiles!”
“Mr. Milborough was fully conscious of his transgression, I
assure you,” Amelia said, twinkling at her. “He says you scare him to death.”
“Humph,” was all she said before she turned and bustled back
to the kitchen secretly thrilled to be considered frightening.
Chapter Eleven
Later that same afternoon, another unexpected guest arrived.
Amelia had taken herself severely to task for that morning’s near disaster.
Heaven help her if she should lose herself to another man like the wanton her
parents seemed to think her. If the caller was Thaddeus he would find her
correct and politely distant. She was determined not to let her emotions
control her actions again.
It was not her neighbor, so all her efforts to resist him
remained untested. Mrs. Edley slipped into the front parlor, closing the door
firmly behind her, shutting out anyone who might be waiting in the hallway.
“It’s Mrs. Knox, mum,” she said, her lips folding in
disapproval. “She’s sister to Mrs. Teasel, the butcher’s wife.”
“What is her business with me?”
with the fingers of the hand he still held loosely. He released her hand but
kept his hovering over the back of hers. No sound intruded on them except that
of their breathing. He turned his head beneath her caressing fingers so that
she could feel the shape of his cheek, then the outline of his lips, then his
stuttering warm breath, then his other cheek. When he turned his head back
again she held her breath while she felt his lips again. His ragged warm breath
again. His cheek. Again.
Boldly, Amelia reversed their hand positions so that hers
gently held the back of his while she guided his hand to her cheek. His fingers
trembled as they caressed her skin.
“So soft,” he whispered, not daring to get any closer to
her. She moved her head beneath his hand so that he could trace the outline of
her parted lips, then the velvety softness of her other cheek.
When she turned her head back again and his fingers reached
her lips he felt her warm breath as she whispered, “Your hands are beautiful.”
Shuddering with ill-timed desire, Thaddeus forced himself to
pull away and step back. His breath came in a rush and he realized he’d been
holding his it. He watched her sway on her feet and the knowledge that she
wanted him thrilled him to the core of his being.
“I need to go now,” he said huskily. “Please take care of
yourself.” She nodded while touching her fingers to her lips as if she could
still feel his touch. Damn, but he did not want to leave her. “I am going to
pray for a sunny day tomorrow.”
And then he was running down the walk. He glanced back and
saw her standing among the puddles, her palms pressed to her blushing cheeks.
Mrs. Edley found her in the workroom not long afterward.
Amelia sat at the table beneath the large window with her patterns laid out
before her. A neat stack of finely sewn baby clothes sat on another table.
There were white nightgowns, bonnets and booties, all exquisitely embroidered
with tiny flowers and green vines. Miniature jackets, their seams picked out
with piping and lace, lay next to gowns adorned with intricately smocked
bodices.
Hearing her come in, Amelia said, not looking up, “I think I
will start on a wool cape next. What do you think, Mrs. Edley?”
“With the babe coming in October, ‘tis a good idea.” Mrs.
Edley held up the wet towels she’d found lying over the back of one of the
kitchen chairs. “Now look thee here, mum. What’s happened while I was out?”
Amelia skewed around in her seat. Catching sight of the
towels dangling from her servant’s hands, she smiled and blushed. “Oh. Those.
Mr. Milborough called. He brought me some books to read. He’s very thoughtful,
is he not?”
Mrs. Edley, secretly pleased with the couple’s progress,
harrumphed and said, “He’d be a might more thoughtful if he didn’t drip water
all over my clean tiles!”
“Mr. Milborough was fully conscious of his transgression, I
assure you,” Amelia said, twinkling at her. “He says you scare him to death.”
“Humph,” was all she said before she turned and bustled back
to the kitchen secretly thrilled to be considered frightening.
Chapter Eleven
Later that same afternoon, another unexpected guest arrived.
Amelia had taken herself severely to task for that morning’s near disaster.
Heaven help her if she should lose herself to another man like the wanton her
parents seemed to think her. If the caller was Thaddeus he would find her
correct and politely distant. She was determined not to let her emotions
control her actions again.
It was not her neighbor, so all her efforts to resist him
remained untested. Mrs. Edley slipped into the front parlor, closing the door
firmly behind her, shutting out anyone who might be waiting in the hallway.
“It’s Mrs. Knox, mum,” she said, her lips folding in
disapproval. “She’s sister to Mrs. Teasel, the butcher’s wife.”
“What is her business with me?”
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