at the happy trio of man, woman, and child, Carolly forced herself to be grateful she had this special gift. How many people got to affect others in such a profound way? She was going to make a great angel.
So why didn't the thought make her happy?
***
James saw Carolly wander aimlessly away. He glanced over at Margaret, who was happily chasing another grasshopper while Miss Hornswallow observed. A tolerant smile was on the governess's austere face. Odd how he had never noticed how beautiful, how very regal the governess was. She had natural dignity and the cool demeanor necessary for an aristocratic life. With the right clothes and lineage, she would make a perfect countess. And he had never even noticed before.
A whole world suddenly opened up to him, a whole life he had never bothered to see because it did not fit into his orderly—rigid, Carolly would call it—schedule. He could not even remember the last time he'd gone for a walk in the afternoon, much less had a picnic luncheon and enjoyed the sweet tempo of a spring day like he was doing now.
And it was all because of Carolly.
In just three days, she already had him cavorting around after grasshoppers and noticing the beautiful women who were his servants. What would he be like after a week in her disruptive, delightful, and totally confounding presence?
He watched her wander toward a copse of trees, idly kicking at the grass. Without thinking why, James stood up and strolled after her. He found her a few minutes later. She sat cross-legged on the grass, absently stripping wildflowers of their petals.
"Never let my gardener catch you doing that. He thinks every plant is his sacred charge."
"What?" Carolly looked down and flushed at the ripped petals in her lap. "Oh. How does he ever pull weeds?"
James leaned down and picked up one of her discarded stems. "Well, there are plants, Carolly, and then there are upstarts."
She looked into his eyes, her face soft and glowing in the sunlight. "My goodness, James. Was that a joke?”
He twirled the denuded stem, hating himself for how unsure he felt. "I cannot tell. Was it funny?"
She started to chuckle, and he felt his face flush with embarrassment. "Yes, James, it was funny."
They remained silent a long time, the awkwardness growing between them like a dark, twisted vine. He tried to break through it, searched for something to say, only to have his true thoughts escape his lips.
"I saw you walking away."
She looked down as her fingers shredded more flower petals, tearing them into minuscule bits.
"Why did you leave?" he pressed.
"I thought you three could use some privacy."
He frowned, both confused by her words and confounded by the sight of her long legs outlined by her skirt. "The three of us?" he pressed.
Carolly nodded, looking anywhere but at him. "Have you noticed how beautiful Miss Hornswallow is? With the right clothes and hairstyle, she would make a fine earless. Uh, wife of an earl—"
"Countess."
"Right. Well, she could be a fine one."
James studied Carolly's bent head. The sun seemed to sparkle in her hair, making it a shimmering crown. But, beautiful as the sight was, he did not like it. He wanted to see her face, needed to watch her eyes and study every twist of her lips. But she didn't look up.
"James? Did you notice her?" she asked again.
"Yes, I noticed." He also noticed the long curve of Carolly's neck. He had never thought a woman's neck particularly sensual, but Carolly's looked soft and creamy white. Would her skin be warm or cool to the touch, he wondered.
"The two of you have so much in common," Carolly went on. "She's very learned, or so I gather from Mags. How's her lineage?"
James blinked, startled. "Lineage?”
At last she looked up, and he could see the soft pink bow of her mouth. "Her parents and forefathers and that sort of stuff," she said.
He settled down on the grass beside Carolly, feeling a physical pull, drawing him inexorably to her side. "Mrs. Hornswallow
So why didn't the thought make her happy?
***
James saw Carolly wander aimlessly away. He glanced over at Margaret, who was happily chasing another grasshopper while Miss Hornswallow observed. A tolerant smile was on the governess's austere face. Odd how he had never noticed how beautiful, how very regal the governess was. She had natural dignity and the cool demeanor necessary for an aristocratic life. With the right clothes and lineage, she would make a perfect countess. And he had never even noticed before.
A whole world suddenly opened up to him, a whole life he had never bothered to see because it did not fit into his orderly—rigid, Carolly would call it—schedule. He could not even remember the last time he'd gone for a walk in the afternoon, much less had a picnic luncheon and enjoyed the sweet tempo of a spring day like he was doing now.
And it was all because of Carolly.
In just three days, she already had him cavorting around after grasshoppers and noticing the beautiful women who were his servants. What would he be like after a week in her disruptive, delightful, and totally confounding presence?
He watched her wander toward a copse of trees, idly kicking at the grass. Without thinking why, James stood up and strolled after her. He found her a few minutes later. She sat cross-legged on the grass, absently stripping wildflowers of their petals.
"Never let my gardener catch you doing that. He thinks every plant is his sacred charge."
"What?" Carolly looked down and flushed at the ripped petals in her lap. "Oh. How does he ever pull weeds?"
James leaned down and picked up one of her discarded stems. "Well, there are plants, Carolly, and then there are upstarts."
She looked into his eyes, her face soft and glowing in the sunlight. "My goodness, James. Was that a joke?”
He twirled the denuded stem, hating himself for how unsure he felt. "I cannot tell. Was it funny?"
She started to chuckle, and he felt his face flush with embarrassment. "Yes, James, it was funny."
They remained silent a long time, the awkwardness growing between them like a dark, twisted vine. He tried to break through it, searched for something to say, only to have his true thoughts escape his lips.
"I saw you walking away."
She looked down as her fingers shredded more flower petals, tearing them into minuscule bits.
"Why did you leave?" he pressed.
"I thought you three could use some privacy."
He frowned, both confused by her words and confounded by the sight of her long legs outlined by her skirt. "The three of us?" he pressed.
Carolly nodded, looking anywhere but at him. "Have you noticed how beautiful Miss Hornswallow is? With the right clothes and hairstyle, she would make a fine earless. Uh, wife of an earl—"
"Countess."
"Right. Well, she could be a fine one."
James studied Carolly's bent head. The sun seemed to sparkle in her hair, making it a shimmering crown. But, beautiful as the sight was, he did not like it. He wanted to see her face, needed to watch her eyes and study every twist of her lips. But she didn't look up.
"James? Did you notice her?" she asked again.
"Yes, I noticed." He also noticed the long curve of Carolly's neck. He had never thought a woman's neck particularly sensual, but Carolly's looked soft and creamy white. Would her skin be warm or cool to the touch, he wondered.
"The two of you have so much in common," Carolly went on. "She's very learned, or so I gather from Mags. How's her lineage?"
James blinked, startled. "Lineage?”
At last she looked up, and he could see the soft pink bow of her mouth. "Her parents and forefathers and that sort of stuff," she said.
He settled down on the grass beside Carolly, feeling a physical pull, drawing him inexorably to her side. "Mrs. Hornswallow
Similar Books
