Page 53 of Finding Love at Roseford Blooms
‘Then let it talk,’ Simon replied. He was simultaneously excited and reassured by her admission, and he knew that he was beginning to feel exactly the same way. The vision he’d had earlier about having children and sharing his life with someone had crystallised and he realised, with a jolt, that it was Lizzie he’d been hoping to share this with.
He took a deep breath. ‘While the booze is doing the talking,’ he began, ‘then I might as well go for it.’ He ran a gentle hand over Lizzie’s cheek. ‘I’m in love with you, Lizzie. And if I’m being honest, I’ve been in love with you for a little while. I don’t want you to go back to your old life, and your old job, because the thought of being without you is filling me with emotions that your average teenage boy would be ashamed to admit, let alone a grown man. If and when you decide what happens in the next phase of your life, I want to be there to share it, if you’ll have me.’
The relief that Simon felt as Lizzie wrapped her arms around him was so great that he only clocked how hard he was hugging her back when she yelped.
‘Sorry,’ he said, releasing her. ‘I completely forgot about your collarbone.’
Lizzie looked back up at him. ‘It’s all right,’ she said. ‘I’ll forgive you this once if you promise to kiss it better. Very, very slowly…’
‘With pleasure,’ Simon murmured. He dipped his head and began to kiss her neck, enjoying the scent of her skin and the remnants of the rose perfume she’d applied earlier. He gently made his way to her shoulder, and then kissed her across her collarbone, feeling a growing ache of desire as she sighed with pleasure.
‘We’d better get to bed,’ he murmured between kisses. ‘Even if it is only for a few hours.’
‘With pleasure,’ Lizzie breathed.
They closed the bedroom curtains and in a few minutes had shed their clothing and were under the duvet.
‘I meant to say,’ Lizzie whispered as their hands began to roam, ‘I love you too.’
Simon couldn’t help the smile that spread over his face as he heard that. ‘Is that just because I’m kissing you better?’ he teased.
Lizzie pulled back so that he could see into her eyes. ‘No,’ she replied. ‘I mean it, Simon. And believe me when I say I haven’t said that to many people in my life.’
As the darkness began to fade into a soon-approaching dawn, despite being miles away from Roseford Hall, Simon felt as if he was coming home.
44
The next morning, Lizzie and Simon awoke to a knock at their bedroom door. Groggily, Simon grabbed a fluffy white towel from the rail in the en suite and wrapped it around his waist before he opened the door.
On the other side were Andy and Marina, grinning from ear to ear.
‘Thought we’d give you a quick knock before we went down to breakfast,’ Andy said. ‘It finishes in twenty minutes, and we assumed you hadn’t been down yet.’
‘Thanks,’ Simon said, unable to suppress a yawn. He and Lizzie hadn’t slept for more than a couple of hours, in the end. ‘We’ll see you down there.’
Andy gave him a long look. ‘I’d keep hold of Lizzie, if you can,’ he said. ‘She obviously suits you.’
Simon smiled. ‘Yes. I think she does.’ He closed the door and walked back to the bed, where Lizzie was sitting up, the white sheet wrapped around her as she reached for the glass of water on the bedside table.
‘Andy’s just given us our breakfast call,’ Simon said, settling down beside her and giving her a kiss. ‘We’ve got about twenty minutes if you want to grab something.’
Lizzie nodded. Her brow was furrowed and Simon noticed that her phone was open to WhatsApp where it lay on the bedside table.
‘Everything all right?’ he asked.
Lizzie glanced briefly at the phone again before she responded. ‘Sure,’ she replied. ‘Just catching up on a couple of messages.’
‘Anything urgent?’
The way she shook her head so quickly in response to the question made the back of Simon’s neck prickle with unease. But he didn’t want to push her. Perhaps he’d try to broach it with her on the way home. For the moment, as his stomach gave an almighty rumble, he needed something to eat.
They showered quickly and dressed, and then headed downstairs to the dining room, where Marina and Andy were sitting at a table by the window. Simon raised a hand and they all greeted each other. Andy beckoned them over to join them and they were soon tucking into full English breakfasts, with cups of strong tea to wash it all down.
Simon noticed that Lizzie, while adding little bits to the easily flowing conversation, seemed quiet. He began to wonder if she was having second thoughts about telling him she loved him the night before. They had drunk a fair amount, and perhaps in the cold light of day she was regretting being so frank with him. He became even more determined to talk things through with her on the drive home, although it might be awkward if she had had a change of heart, on a three-hour journey.
‘So we’ll touch base in about three weeks’ time,’ Andy was saying as they finished up. ‘And hopefully, by then, you’ll have heard from the BHF and we can get this show on the road.’
‘I hope so,’ Simon replied. ‘I’ll chase them when I get back, so with a bit of luck we can start the ball rolling.’
