Page 139 of Rakes & Reticules
“None of them, with maybe the exception of Thornsbee, is ready to give up the life of a rake.”
Hazel’s gaze narrowed on Richard’s jawline. If it was clenched, he would be in no mood to debate the issue. Fortunately, her brother’s features remained fairly relaxed after mentioning Samuel.
Feeling courageous, Hazel tapped her chin with a forefinger and said, “Hmm. Would it be a fair presumption then that out of all the gentlemen, you would consider granting Lord Thornsbee your blessing to court me…even maybe marry me?”
Richard pinched the bridge of his nose and answered, “Maybe.”
CHAPTEREIGHT
Seated on the stone bench that Hazel had occupied earlier, Samuel cupped the forgotten reticule cradled in his palm. Something was amiss for Hazel to forget her favorite accessory. He stared at the white silk bag and traced the blue hydrangea embroidered on the material with his gloved finger. He should give chase and return the reticule to its owner post haste; however, he was reluctant to leave the park. Reluctant to let go of the item that he had secretly commissioned just for Hazel.
Ever since Samuel discovered Hazel’s fondness for the blasted things, he’d come to appreciate how the little pouches came in various shapes and designs that often mirrored its owner’s personality or mood. Now when he spied a unique swath of material at the haberdashery, he often wondered what reaction Hazel would have. Would she smile, or would her cute little button nose scrunch up? Picturing the lady and her adorable reactions had Samuel grinning. As soon as the image of Hazel faded, melancholy settled in his chest as he compared Hazel’s cool demeanor toward him earlier to her enthusiastic greetings of last Season. His fingers tightened about the reticule that couldn’t have weighed much more than a pound to prevent it from slipping away from him like its owner had.
A shadow fell across the ground.
“Ahh…I see you have found my reticule before I could.”
Hazel’s exasperated tone didn’t fall upon deaf ears. He didn’t have a clue as to how best to respond to the woman. He desperately wished for Hazel to transform back into the lady who dared to surprise him from behind the hedges in the garden or tap him on the shoulder from behind a potted plant, making his heart leap. The ache in his chest deepened and a defeated sigh escaped him.
He stood with the silky reticule balanced upon his hand and held it out for her. “I’m glad I was able to keep it safe.”
His palms began to sweat when she avoided meeting his gaze. Hazel stared at his outstretched hand for a moment. “Did you know that out of all the reticles I own, this one holds a very special place in my heart?”
“Why is that?” The question slipped out before he could stop himself.
“Because it was gifted to me from a man who knows me better than anyone else, even my own brother.” She picked up the silk bag by the blue ribbons and slipped into place upon her wrist.
Baffled, Samuel asked, “How did you…wait…who do you think gifted it to you?”
“You, of course.” Hazel admired the embroidered flower and then said, “You are the only person who knows of my fondness for blue hydrangeas. Like I mentioned, even Richard doesn’t know this about me.” With pinkened cheeks, Hazel finally glanced up at him and then back at the bench. “May I join you?”
The mention of the man Samuel considered responsible for his misery left him feeling a little less amicable. “Isn’t Bixley anxiously awaiting your return?” The bitterness he tasted upon his tongue at having to mention Hazel’s brother rang clear in his tone. Knowing how much Hazel cared for her brother, he cleared his throat and said, “What I meant to say was—”
Before he could finish his sentence, Hazel sat on the bench and tugged at his sleeve to join her.
Seated face-to-face, she said, “Let’s not mention Richard right now. He is not my favorite person at present.” Her gaze dropped to her hands that were clasped tightly in her lap. “Although to be frank, you are the reason why my brother has fallen out of my good graces.”
Flummoxed, he blurted, “Me?”
“Yes you.” Hazel straightened, rolled her shoulders back and demanded, “Why didn’t you tell me the truth?”
Speaking to a woman was sometimes like doing a puzzle, except he normally didn’t experience the sentiment when conversing with Hazel. He squinted at the woman seated next to him and willed his brain to function. When he remained confused, he asked, “What are you referring to?”
“Us.” She waved her hand in the space between them. Hazel continued to stare at him, and when he remained silent she frowned at him. “Why didn’t you inform me that you had asked Richard for permission to court me? Why did you insist we remain friends?”
“Because your brother made it abundantly clear that he didn’t believe I was worthy to even stand next to you, let alone marry you. Still, I wasn’t prepared to give up on gaining the man’s blessing. You can’t simply ask a man to trust you—you have to build it over time. So until Richard was prepared to wish us well, we couldn’t be anything but friends.” His response had tumbled out of him without considering the consequences. Gentlemen don’t act rashly nor irresponsibly, yet he’d reverted to his rakish ways in a blink of an eye. Mayhap Richard was right, he was still a rogue at heart. He inhaled a deep breath and held his breath as he waited for Hazel’s reaction to his long-winded answer.
“If we hadn’t spent an entire Season getting to know one another, I might have shared my brother’s opinion of you. However, the Samuel I know is not the rumored rake. The Lord Thornsbee I know is hard working, diligent, intelligent, extremely observant, and generous.” She gave him a wide smile that tilted slightly to the left and continued, “Granted you might have behaved differently in the past, but that is all in the past. You can’t change what occurred.” Hazel cupped his face and said, “If I’m not mistaken, you haven’t even glanced twice at another lady since the day we met.”
He merely nodded, for her touch had rendered him speechless.
“What would you say if I told you that we don’t need my brother’s blessing to wed?”
He grabbed her wrists and placed her hands back in her lap. “Richard is the only immediate family you have remaining. I’ll not forge a wedge in your relationship with him.” Unable to stay seated so close to her, he stood and began to pace in a circle. “Plus I respect Bixley far too much to ignore his opinion.”
Hazel rose and planted her hands on her hips. “Does that mean my brother’s opinion matters more than mine?”
“Of course not.” Why was he having such a difficult time finding the right words?
