Page 51 of Marrying a Reluctant Lady
Ophelia breathed in and stretched, stifling a yawn. She was in bed, the morning sunshine streaming through the lace curtains and warming her. She sat up, stretched again, and slipped out of bed, slipping her feet into silk slippers and reaching for her nightgown. She was smiling as she pulled the bell rope to summon Miss Cranford.
Owen’s kiss lingered in her thoughts from the previous day. She had thought about it all night and it made her smile as she got out of bed.
“Morning, milady,” Miss Cranford greeted her warmly. “What may I fetch for you to wear?”
“The red dress, please,” Ophelia said, heart skipping. It was one of her favorite dresses now, the memories of that picnic returning. She might wear the green tomorrow, or perhaps in the evening. She had a poetry-reading to prepare for and she wanted to present a new work.
She smiled at Miss Cranford, who returned from the wardrobe with her selection and passed it to Ophelia.
“Here you are, milady.”
“Thank you,” Ophelia murmured, and stepped behind the screen in the corner to dress.
As Miss Cranford fastened her buttons and began brushing her hair, Ophelia’s mind wandered back to the previous afternoon. Owen and she had gone through the ledgers, but they hadn’t been concentrating very much and hadn’t gone particularly far. Owen had wanted to begin on the accounts from three years back, saying that a wall had been repaired then and they needed to look for all information about it. They had managed to check the tallies for the first year or so, butthen they’d been distracted and decided to go for a walk. They’d talked and laughed and held hands and Ophelia felt her heart soar as she recalled it. She remembered the kiss again, heat creeping up her neck.
He was so handsome, and his kiss had been new and wonderful and exciting.
She swallowed hard.
“Are you done?” she asked Miss Cranford softly. She wanted to go downstairs to breakfast. Perhaps she’d catch Owen before he had to go off to London or on some other tasks.
“Yes, milady. I made it a less formal style today.”
“Very good. Thank you,” Ophelia replied, studying herself. She paused, tilting her head as she looked at her reflection. The face that looked back seemed more alive, the skin lucent, the eyes bright. She smiled at herself and blushed. She was in love. That was what made her gaze sparkle and her face glow.
She was in love, and it was wondrous.
She ran down to breakfast and felt her heart thud. Owen was in there! She slipped into the room, and he looked up, gaze brightening as he noted her presence.
“Good morning.” His voice sounded light. She grinned at him warmly, a shy blush flooding her cheek.
“Good morning,” she greeted him hesitantly. She pulled out a chair and settled at the table across from him. She lifted the teapot and poured herself a cup, blushing again as she sensed his eye on her.
“I trust you had a pleasant rest,” he murmured. She nodded.
“I slept well, thank you. You?” she asked. It felt intimate, somehow, to be asking and she swallowed hard.
“I did. Thank you.”
They sat and ate breakfast together. Owen folded the paper and they talked, discussing the ledgers, their findings and their plan for the day.
“I need to meet with Leonard in town,” Owen said, making a face. “I had thought to ride in after luncheon. Then I will catch him at home—or I should.” He shrugged. “I want to ask him if he knows a good fellow to check the books for us. Mayhap his own solicitor? Stannard’s a fine old fellow, but I think I’d like a new pair of eyes to look over them for us.”
“Of course, Owen,” Ophelia agreed at once. “So, you don’t want to continue...” she paused, and he shook his head.
“I want to,” he said at once. “I think only we can find the solutions I seek. I simply want someone to cast an eye over those debts again. When I met with the creditors, I felt...” he trailed off and she saw his mouth tighten, a hard look crossing his face. “I wondered about Barrow and the news he’s been bringing me from London.” He shook his head as if to clear it. “But we shan’t trouble ourselves about it now. I will ride to London and try to be back by four o’ clock. Then we will have enough time for a walk in the grounds before it gets dark.”
“Yes. For certes.” She beamed.
Owen smiled and she felt her heart thudding loudly. His gaze was so fond that it felt as warm as a physical touch on her skin. She smiled back and looked away, flustered by the feelings he caused in her.
They ate breakfast in silence and Owen pushed back his chair, excusing himself briefly to go and check on Shadow, his horse. Ophelia smiled. “I’ll wait for you in the drawing room,” she answered quickly.
He nodded. “Of course. I’ll not be a minute.”
He hurried out and Ophelia walked dreamily to the drawing room.
When Owen arrived back, they settled down to work at once. He opened the ledger, and they began to pore over it together. Ophelia reached for a piece of paper and a pencil, adding up columns to check them. Owen worked beside her.
