throat. Did the same French blade make both or was there another? Did it matter?
Basil stepped within inches of her and ran his fingers down her cheek near her ear, tickling the baby fine hairs. His hand continued slow and light as he moved his thumb over her lower lip. Elinor edged closer wanting more. His large hands cupped the air near her face as he bent and whispered, "Elinor."
She closed her eyes in anticipation.
"Nora!" Someone in the distance called. Elinor jerked, and opened her eyes, turning towards the house. Lucy stood at the end of the pasture fence waving.
"I forgot Lucy was stopping by on her way to Nottingham this afternoon," Elinor mumbled with a long sigh of disappointment. When she twisted around Basil had gone. "Basil?" No one answered. She plastered a smile on her face and headed for the house.
"Sorry, Luce, I didn't realize the time."
Lucy tilted her head and stared hard at the area Elinor came from, before she turned around. “Who were you talking to out there?”
"No one," she said, without missing a beat.
"I could have sworn I saw you talking to a man dressed like a highwayman."
"It must've been a shadow. Trust me, if I'd been talking to some gorgeous, tall, dark-haired fox, you'd know about it."
Lucy blocked Elinor's path. "Hold on just a second," she said and wagged a finger. "It's funny you should say he was tall with dark hair, because I don't recall saying that. You're supposed to tell me, your best friend, when someone tall, dark and looks great in boots crosses your path."
"You're right. You didn't say tall. Knowing you as I do, I simply filled in the blanks." Elinor stepped past Lucy and forced a laugh. "Don't worry. If someone fitting your description drops from the sky into my drawing room, you'll be the first to know. Now, let's go inside before you start seeing ghosts again."
Inside, Lucy went straight to the refrigerator. "How did the date with Jeremy go? More importantly, is he going to ask you out again?" She took a soda and sat across from Elinor at the table.
"The date went okay." The evening with Jeremy was the furthest thing from Elinor's mind. "He called me early this morning." One shoulder lifted in a lazy half shrug as she told Lucy about the short conversation. "He sounded strange. He talked really fast and was so muffled, I had a hard time understanding him. If I didn't know better, I'd say he had his hand around the receiver. The call couldn't have been more than a minute long."
"What did he say?"
It wasn’t one of those male-female conversations a woman commits to memory. "He asked me out to dinner Thursday."
"You don't seem very excited. Are you going?"
"I guess so, but I told him it would have to be an early night. I have school in the morning." Deep down, she was relieved the date would be short. "He has to get up early too, but Thursday was the only night he had available. On Saturday, he leaves with his mother for Yorkshire."
The corners of Lucy's mouth curved down, "He's not a momma's boy is he?"
"No, it's not what you think. She asked him to drive her around while she shops for retirement property."
"All right, that’s acceptable." Lucy put her bottle down. "You're oddly unenthusiastic about a handsome and charming man. Let's get to the interesting stuff. Is he a good kisser and did you sleep with him?"
"You know I don't sleep with men on the first date, and he's not a good kisser." Elinor got up and busied herself with kitchen chores. Even if he was a good kisser, Jeremy's couldn't compare to Basil's. No amount of busy work could put that thought from her mind.
Lucy walked over and took Elinor by the arm. "You know you're being silly. Nobody. I mean nobody waits anymore. It's stupid. Men don't put up with women who play hard to get. They don't have to. The sooner you realize it, the better off you'll be. No one will think you're a slut, believe me. You need to get with the times. Besides, it’s not like you’re a virgin.”
Elinor rolled her
Basil stepped within inches of her and ran his fingers down her cheek near her ear, tickling the baby fine hairs. His hand continued slow and light as he moved his thumb over her lower lip. Elinor edged closer wanting more. His large hands cupped the air near her face as he bent and whispered, "Elinor."
She closed her eyes in anticipation.
"Nora!" Someone in the distance called. Elinor jerked, and opened her eyes, turning towards the house. Lucy stood at the end of the pasture fence waving.
"I forgot Lucy was stopping by on her way to Nottingham this afternoon," Elinor mumbled with a long sigh of disappointment. When she twisted around Basil had gone. "Basil?" No one answered. She plastered a smile on her face and headed for the house.
"Sorry, Luce, I didn't realize the time."
Lucy tilted her head and stared hard at the area Elinor came from, before she turned around. “Who were you talking to out there?”
"No one," she said, without missing a beat.
"I could have sworn I saw you talking to a man dressed like a highwayman."
"It must've been a shadow. Trust me, if I'd been talking to some gorgeous, tall, dark-haired fox, you'd know about it."
Lucy blocked Elinor's path. "Hold on just a second," she said and wagged a finger. "It's funny you should say he was tall with dark hair, because I don't recall saying that. You're supposed to tell me, your best friend, when someone tall, dark and looks great in boots crosses your path."
"You're right. You didn't say tall. Knowing you as I do, I simply filled in the blanks." Elinor stepped past Lucy and forced a laugh. "Don't worry. If someone fitting your description drops from the sky into my drawing room, you'll be the first to know. Now, let's go inside before you start seeing ghosts again."
Inside, Lucy went straight to the refrigerator. "How did the date with Jeremy go? More importantly, is he going to ask you out again?" She took a soda and sat across from Elinor at the table.
"The date went okay." The evening with Jeremy was the furthest thing from Elinor's mind. "He called me early this morning." One shoulder lifted in a lazy half shrug as she told Lucy about the short conversation. "He sounded strange. He talked really fast and was so muffled, I had a hard time understanding him. If I didn't know better, I'd say he had his hand around the receiver. The call couldn't have been more than a minute long."
"What did he say?"
It wasn’t one of those male-female conversations a woman commits to memory. "He asked me out to dinner Thursday."
"You don't seem very excited. Are you going?"
"I guess so, but I told him it would have to be an early night. I have school in the morning." Deep down, she was relieved the date would be short. "He has to get up early too, but Thursday was the only night he had available. On Saturday, he leaves with his mother for Yorkshire."
The corners of Lucy's mouth curved down, "He's not a momma's boy is he?"
"No, it's not what you think. She asked him to drive her around while she shops for retirement property."
"All right, that’s acceptable." Lucy put her bottle down. "You're oddly unenthusiastic about a handsome and charming man. Let's get to the interesting stuff. Is he a good kisser and did you sleep with him?"
"You know I don't sleep with men on the first date, and he's not a good kisser." Elinor got up and busied herself with kitchen chores. Even if he was a good kisser, Jeremy's couldn't compare to Basil's. No amount of busy work could put that thought from her mind.
Lucy walked over and took Elinor by the arm. "You know you're being silly. Nobody. I mean nobody waits anymore. It's stupid. Men don't put up with women who play hard to get. They don't have to. The sooner you realize it, the better off you'll be. No one will think you're a slut, believe me. You need to get with the times. Besides, it’s not like you’re a virgin.”
Elinor rolled her
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