glanced down to the lavender gown she’d changed into after her bath and smiled as she said with surprise, “They are the same color, aren’t they?”
“Yes, they are,” he said simply, and then asked, “Shall I pick some for you as a remembrance of our win?”
She grinned at the suggestion and nodded. “Yes, please. That would be lovely. I shall put them in a vase in my room and think of you every time I look at them.”
“Then you must have them,” Charles said firmly, and set aside the reins to disembark. When Lisa stood up to follow, he waved her back. “You wait there. It’s a bit muddy and you’ll ruin your shoes. I won’t be a minute.”
Lisa sank back in the phaeton with a little sigh of pleasure. Really, this was very nice. It was a rare sunny day and she had enjoyed the race. She’d also enjoyed having men vying for her attention all afternoon, and watching Robert’s irritation with it all until his appointment with the runner had intervened. At least she suspected that’s who the man had been. She’d caught a glimpse of Handers leading a tall man with salt-and-pepper hair to the office and then Robert had disappeared in there with him. It wasn’t long after that the men had begun to argue good-naturedly about who had the fastest phaeton and horse, and . . . well, some little devil in her had made her suggest a race to settle the matter. Everyone had been eager to agree and off they’d gone.
Of course, Lisa knew Robert would be furious, but then that was half the fun. She’d decided that his anger with her last night had been mostly jealousy. The man might claim that he had only big brotherly feelings for her, but he had never in his life said anything unkind to her before last night. Even as a child. So, she had some hope that his anger at the ball had been because of jealousy. If it was and there was a chance for them still, fine. If not . . . well . . . there were half a dozen handsome, seemingly nice men paying her a great deal of attention right now. She felt good. She felt like she had choices for a change. And it was nice.
“Here you are.”
Lisa turned to see Findlay approaching with a bouquet of the beautiful purple flowers in hand. Smiling, she leaned over the side to accept them and then paused to glance at him with surprise when he didn’t release them at once. His expression was solemn, his eyes on her mouth, and she wasn’t terribly surprised when he moved closer and raised his face toward hers. He was going to kiss her.
The thought went through her head, chased by the sound of a rhythmic pounding she recognized as hoofbeats. Charles’s lips had just brushed against hers when the sound exploded into the clearing. Both of them immediately drew apart and turned to see who had arrived.
It was a very harried and irate-looking Robert on horseback and Lisa didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She was really becoming quite curious to enjoy her first kiss, but Robert did seem to keep interrupting Charles’s attempts to give it to her. On the other hand, she might just want that first kiss to be with Robert anyway. She just wasn’t sure yet.
“Lisa, you—I cannot believe—this is—” Apparently at a loss for words, Robert drew himself up short, and just glared at her.
Lisa bit her lip to keep from laughing at his sour look. Glancing to Charles, she said apologetically, “Perhaps it’s time we returned to the others.”
“Home,” Robert growled. “The townhouse.”
“Oh, but—”
“It’s growing late and you’ll want to prepare for the Hammonds’ ball,” he said firmly.
“Ah, yes, the Hammonds’ ball,” Charles murmured, drawing her gaze to him again. “Don’t forget you promised to save me a waltz, and a quadrille.”
Lisa relaxed and smiled. “Yes, of course.”
He smiled in return, pressed the flowers into her hand and then moved silently around the carriage to get back in. Lisa glanced over her shoulder as the phaeton moved forward
“Yes, they are,” he said simply, and then asked, “Shall I pick some for you as a remembrance of our win?”
She grinned at the suggestion and nodded. “Yes, please. That would be lovely. I shall put them in a vase in my room and think of you every time I look at them.”
“Then you must have them,” Charles said firmly, and set aside the reins to disembark. When Lisa stood up to follow, he waved her back. “You wait there. It’s a bit muddy and you’ll ruin your shoes. I won’t be a minute.”
Lisa sank back in the phaeton with a little sigh of pleasure. Really, this was very nice. It was a rare sunny day and she had enjoyed the race. She’d also enjoyed having men vying for her attention all afternoon, and watching Robert’s irritation with it all until his appointment with the runner had intervened. At least she suspected that’s who the man had been. She’d caught a glimpse of Handers leading a tall man with salt-and-pepper hair to the office and then Robert had disappeared in there with him. It wasn’t long after that the men had begun to argue good-naturedly about who had the fastest phaeton and horse, and . . . well, some little devil in her had made her suggest a race to settle the matter. Everyone had been eager to agree and off they’d gone.
Of course, Lisa knew Robert would be furious, but then that was half the fun. She’d decided that his anger with her last night had been mostly jealousy. The man might claim that he had only big brotherly feelings for her, but he had never in his life said anything unkind to her before last night. Even as a child. So, she had some hope that his anger at the ball had been because of jealousy. If it was and there was a chance for them still, fine. If not . . . well . . . there were half a dozen handsome, seemingly nice men paying her a great deal of attention right now. She felt good. She felt like she had choices for a change. And it was nice.
“Here you are.”
Lisa turned to see Findlay approaching with a bouquet of the beautiful purple flowers in hand. Smiling, she leaned over the side to accept them and then paused to glance at him with surprise when he didn’t release them at once. His expression was solemn, his eyes on her mouth, and she wasn’t terribly surprised when he moved closer and raised his face toward hers. He was going to kiss her.
The thought went through her head, chased by the sound of a rhythmic pounding she recognized as hoofbeats. Charles’s lips had just brushed against hers when the sound exploded into the clearing. Both of them immediately drew apart and turned to see who had arrived.
It was a very harried and irate-looking Robert on horseback and Lisa didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She was really becoming quite curious to enjoy her first kiss, but Robert did seem to keep interrupting Charles’s attempts to give it to her. On the other hand, she might just want that first kiss to be with Robert anyway. She just wasn’t sure yet.
“Lisa, you—I cannot believe—this is—” Apparently at a loss for words, Robert drew himself up short, and just glared at her.
Lisa bit her lip to keep from laughing at his sour look. Glancing to Charles, she said apologetically, “Perhaps it’s time we returned to the others.”
“Home,” Robert growled. “The townhouse.”
“Oh, but—”
“It’s growing late and you’ll want to prepare for the Hammonds’ ball,” he said firmly.
“Ah, yes, the Hammonds’ ball,” Charles murmured, drawing her gaze to him again. “Don’t forget you promised to save me a waltz, and a quadrille.”
Lisa relaxed and smiled. “Yes, of course.”
He smiled in return, pressed the flowers into her hand and then moved silently around the carriage to get back in. Lisa glanced over her shoulder as the phaeton moved forward
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