Page 84 of The Viscount in her Bedroom
But somewhere inside her grew a hope that she dared not contemplate nor give a name. A hope that she meant more to him than he realized.
Louisa was helping Lady Wade cut flowers for the manor early that afternoon when she saw Simon being escorted past her by Manvil. They were headed for the lake, and Simon’s daily rowing. He probably knew these paths as well as the layout of the house, but without walls to follow, he could not navigate.
So what could he use that would guide him down a path?
When an idea came to her, she gave a gasp of surprise. Lady Wade, who’d been behind a rhododendron, peered around the foliage and gave Louisa a puzzled look from beneath her bonnet.
“Oh, don’t mind me,” Louisa said, smiling. “I just had a wonderful idea to aid your grandson. Might I be excused?”
Lady Wade reached for the basket that Louisa was holding. “By all means. It doesn’t take two of us to cut flowers. I just didn’t want you to be alone today.”
Louisa smiled at her. “You are too good to me, Lady Wade.”
A stable groom offered Louisa as much rope as she wanted, and she took several stakes as well. Down by the pier, she waved absently in response to Manvil’s shouted greeting from the middle of the lake, then used a rock to pound her stake into the soft earth just off the pier. She tied the end of the rope to the stake, then walked back toward the terrace, leaving the rope to trail loosely behind her on the path. She explained her plan to every gardener she passed, so that no one would remove the rope. When she reached the terrace, she tied the end to the balustrade that lined the stairs.
Basking in satisfaction, she looked over her work. It felt good to have done something useful. Now if only Simon would think so, too.
She was waiting at the pier when Manvil and Simon left the boat. While Manvil bent to tie it up, Louisa called, “Lord Wade!”
He turned swiftly around. The sunlight shimmered through his blond hair, and she enjoyed the sight of his deepening dimples when he gave her a slow smile. She was suddenly very warm, and she knew she blushed when Manvil glanced at her.
“I have a surprise for you,” Louisa said as Manvil escorted him down the pier and onto level ground.
Manvil gave an innocent smile. “I should be going.”
Louisa and Simon spoke at the same time.
“Oh, no, I didn’t mean—”
“You can’t believe that—”
Manvil rolled his eyes. “I have real work to do, my lord.”
Simon shook his head, grinning. “Then go do it. Louisa will see me back to the house.”
“But I won’t need to,” Louisa said, feeling quite proud of herself.
Manvil hesitated.
“You want me to leave with Manvil?” Simon said doubtfully.
She blushed. “No, but I’ve done something that will help you walk about outside unassisted—well, actually, the end result will help. This is just preliminary.”
Though Manvil obviously saw the rope tied to the stake, he said, “I imagine we’re going to station all the servants at various points in the garden to call to you, my lord.”
Louisa stared in shock at the forward valet.
But Simon only laughed. “Don’t keep me in suspense, Louisa.”
She took his elbow and guided him to the stake. “Bend down and feel what’s at your feet, my lord.”
He leaned over, and she couldn’t help but watch the way his damp shirt hugged the muscles in his back, the way his trousers outlined—
She looked quickly at Manvil, but thank goodness he was watching what his master did instead of her.
“I feel a stake and a rope,” Simon said. “It is a rather loose rope. Do you mean me to follow it?”
“Yes, for now. The ropes will serve as a guide for the servants to build a railing.”
