froze. That soft voice. He rarely had the good
fortune to hear it. She had spoken to him precisely six times since her arrival
in Hinderwell four months previously. He had memorized each utterance. “Good
morning” three times. “Good afternoon” twice. And on one memorable occasion
when she had bumped into him on the street outside his house, “Pardon me. I’m
so clumsy these days.”
“Excuse me, Mr. Milborough? I wonder if you would mind
giving me some advice?”
Thaddeus turned abruptly, setting his hat brim flopping
about alarmingly. He closed his eyes and cursed his choice of headgear. What
had seemed sensible and comfortable for five years suddenly became the type of
hat only a fool would wear. The woman whom he longed for and dreamed of and
thought constantly about currently stood at the tall iron gate that separated
his back garden from the public foot path leading down to Runswick Bay and to
the North Sea. She had a similar gate, which usually squeaked loudly when
opened. He must have been wool-gathering not to have heard it. Her straw sunhat
made her look more charming than ever. He had to say something!
“Miss Horton?” Brilliantly said, he thought in
disgust. He pulled off his hat and gave her a small bow. Damn, now she can
see that I’m losing my hair. Thaddeus rushed forward and opened the gate
for her. “Please, won’t you come in?”
“Regretfully, no,” she replied, smiling ruefully.
Too late he remembered to have some regard for her
reputation. “Of course.”
She gave him a real smile of gratitude for his understanding
and when he smiled back she wondered if he realized how his smile quite
transformed his face. The moment his lips rose into a grin two dimples
appeared, giving him a certain boyish charm that made him look younger. His
dimples had been one of the first things Amelia had noticed about him when
she’d moved here. For days after their first polite greeting outside their
homes she had considered herself fickle and capricious for being so attracted
to her neighbor so soon after her only disastrous foray into the arena of
romantic love. Could she be as wanton as her parents accused?
After their second encounter, she’d also noticed that his
blue eyes were a striking clear-turquoise. Again she’d berated herself for
finding pleasure in their charm. That charm was readily apparent today, too,
for his spectacles had slipped down his nose and he was looking over their tops
at her.
“How can I advise you, Miss Horton?”
She blushed and looked down, catching sight of his strong
tanned forearms. Goodness, I must be as dissolute as Mama and Papa believe, she thought wretchedly. My heart is fluttering like an excited bird merely
at the sight of the man’s bare arms!
“What is it?” her neighbor asked. He followed her gaze and
flushed. “Oh, I do apologize,” he said, turning his back to roll down his
sleeves.
“Not at all. I shouldn’t have disturbed you while you were
working,” she insisted, taking a step back. He turned and saw the action and
rushed through the gate.
“Please. Think nothing of it,” he urged. “I make no mind of
it, I assure you. How may I be of assistance?”
She held out one of her gloved hands and showed him the rose
leaves she had picked. Purplish-black dots marred their glossy green surfaces.
“Ah. That’s Diplocarpon rosae , I’m afraid,” he said,
taking care not to touch it. “Black spot. A fungus.”
“It sounds serious.” Amelia’s eyebrows rose and she bit her
bottom lip while she attempted to gravely consider the problem while at the
same time ignoring the unaccountable attraction she felt for this tall,
slender, scholarly man. He was nothing like the lover who had left her with
child and then laughed when she’d expected him to marry her. “Mr. Milborough?”
Thaddeus tore his gaze away from her lips and concentrated
once more on the rose leaves. “It is. Indeed, yes.”
“Is there anything I can do to stop
fortune to hear it. She had spoken to him precisely six times since her arrival
in Hinderwell four months previously. He had memorized each utterance. “Good
morning” three times. “Good afternoon” twice. And on one memorable occasion
when she had bumped into him on the street outside his house, “Pardon me. I’m
so clumsy these days.”
“Excuse me, Mr. Milborough? I wonder if you would mind
giving me some advice?”
Thaddeus turned abruptly, setting his hat brim flopping
about alarmingly. He closed his eyes and cursed his choice of headgear. What
had seemed sensible and comfortable for five years suddenly became the type of
hat only a fool would wear. The woman whom he longed for and dreamed of and
thought constantly about currently stood at the tall iron gate that separated
his back garden from the public foot path leading down to Runswick Bay and to
the North Sea. She had a similar gate, which usually squeaked loudly when
opened. He must have been wool-gathering not to have heard it. Her straw sunhat
made her look more charming than ever. He had to say something!
“Miss Horton?” Brilliantly said, he thought in
disgust. He pulled off his hat and gave her a small bow. Damn, now she can
see that I’m losing my hair. Thaddeus rushed forward and opened the gate
for her. “Please, won’t you come in?”
“Regretfully, no,” she replied, smiling ruefully.
Too late he remembered to have some regard for her
reputation. “Of course.”
She gave him a real smile of gratitude for his understanding
and when he smiled back she wondered if he realized how his smile quite
transformed his face. The moment his lips rose into a grin two dimples
appeared, giving him a certain boyish charm that made him look younger. His
dimples had been one of the first things Amelia had noticed about him when
she’d moved here. For days after their first polite greeting outside their
homes she had considered herself fickle and capricious for being so attracted
to her neighbor so soon after her only disastrous foray into the arena of
romantic love. Could she be as wanton as her parents accused?
After their second encounter, she’d also noticed that his
blue eyes were a striking clear-turquoise. Again she’d berated herself for
finding pleasure in their charm. That charm was readily apparent today, too,
for his spectacles had slipped down his nose and he was looking over their tops
at her.
“How can I advise you, Miss Horton?”
She blushed and looked down, catching sight of his strong
tanned forearms. Goodness, I must be as dissolute as Mama and Papa believe, she thought wretchedly. My heart is fluttering like an excited bird merely
at the sight of the man’s bare arms!
“What is it?” her neighbor asked. He followed her gaze and
flushed. “Oh, I do apologize,” he said, turning his back to roll down his
sleeves.
“Not at all. I shouldn’t have disturbed you while you were
working,” she insisted, taking a step back. He turned and saw the action and
rushed through the gate.
“Please. Think nothing of it,” he urged. “I make no mind of
it, I assure you. How may I be of assistance?”
She held out one of her gloved hands and showed him the rose
leaves she had picked. Purplish-black dots marred their glossy green surfaces.
“Ah. That’s Diplocarpon rosae , I’m afraid,” he said,
taking care not to touch it. “Black spot. A fungus.”
“It sounds serious.” Amelia’s eyebrows rose and she bit her
bottom lip while she attempted to gravely consider the problem while at the
same time ignoring the unaccountable attraction she felt for this tall,
slender, scholarly man. He was nothing like the lover who had left her with
child and then laughed when she’d expected him to marry her. “Mr. Milborough?”
Thaddeus tore his gaze away from her lips and concentrated
once more on the rose leaves. “It is. Indeed, yes.”
“Is there anything I can do to stop
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