Page 44 of Marrying a Reluctant Lady
“Thank you,” he said softly. “I would appreciate any suggestions you might make.”
“I am very pleased to make them.”
They stared at each other, and Ophelia felt her heart race. He was so handsome, with his long, fine-chiseled face and those beautiful green eyes. She drew in a breath, almost forgetting to breathe as his hand slipped across the mat to rest beside hers.
She swallowed hard as Owen’s fingers curled around her own. She looked into his eyes, and he stared back. He took a deep breath as though he felt the same intensity that she did, and then he smiled at her warmly.
“You are getting cold,” he said gently, as if to lighten the moment. She swallowed again.
“Yes,” she whispered, finding it hard to speak. “I suppose I am.”
“We should go back to the house,” he answered. “If we want to walk the long way, we will need an hour, and it must already be three, to judge from the angle of the sunshine.”
“Yes,” Ophelia murmured. “You’re right.”
While they sat and talked, the shadows had crept closer, the blanket where she sat entirely in shade. She looked around.It was midafternoon already, and she grinned. Time had flown while they sat there, and she had barely noticed.
Maybe Julia was right,she thought warmly as she packed her plate and cutlery back into the basket. Maybe she could reach him if she trusted herself.
She brushed her skirt free of crumbs and Owen held his hand out to her, helping her to stand up. She took it, her hand tingling with the pressure of his fingers. The warmth of them seemed as though it burned her skin, so intensely did her nerves register the touch.
As they walked down the pathway to the house, Owen talked about his childhood, recalling moments when he had played in the woods they passed by, or hidden from his tutors by the shed. Ophelia laughed, imagining him as a cheeky youth, playing pranks on the staff. She felt her heart twist as he spoke of his brother. It was hard for him, she could hear—his throat was tight, the words grating as he slowly managed to express them.
“He was always there. Always ready to get me out of any trouble.”
Ophelia smiled. She could barely imagine what it was like to have a sibling, but she guessed it must have been a wonderful thing to have, and she could see the pain in his eyes at his brother’s loss. She squeezed his hand.
“Your love for each other still exists,” she murmured softly. “Love is eternal, and I believe that he is still there, in the realms beyond life, seeing us and smiling.”
She saw how Owen’s eyes clouded over with tears, and he nodded.
“Yes,” he managed softly. “Yes. I think so too.”
They looked at each other and wordlessly she reached up to touch his cheek. He took her hand in his, holding it to his chest. She felt her heart flood with warmth as he held it there.
“Thank you,” he said softly.
“It’s true,” she said gently. “I said nothing more than what is true.”
“I know.”
They stood silently, staring into one another’s eyes.
Ophelia gazed at him, lost in the green depths of his gaze, and he stared back, and then he looked down as they heard rustling in the bushes. It was some small animal, Ophelia guessed, perhaps a little mouse.
She was going to suggest to Owen that they got a cat for the kitchens—as much for company as for the ability to protect the stock—when they heard a voice calling them.
“My lord! My lady!”
“That’s Mr. Crane,” Owen said swiftly. He glanced at Ophelia. “We’d better hurry. It sounds like something urgent.”
She took his hand, and they ran back to the house.
Chapter 16
The sound of Mr. Crane’s shout from the back door was fairly urgent—he would never have dared disturb them unless it was a situation of dire need. All the same, Owen wished that he hadn’t interrupted and felt annoyed with him—walking with Ophelia had felt magical.
He hurried briskly down the path. Ophelia ran beside him, and he couldn’t help feeling a warm flush of admiration. She was graceful and light-footed, and she ran beautifully. He wished he could stop for a moment to watch, but they hurried onwards.
