Page 45 of To Heal a Broken Earl
Emma jumped. “Where didyoucome from, Michael? You scared me.”Drat!Wasn’t Wright supposed to be keeping Michael occupied?
“You shouldn’t be out here on your own, Emma,” he chided softly.
“But you told me the estate was secure,” she said, blushing as her eyes met Michael’s.There I go, thinking of that kiss again.
“Yes, the estate is secure. If anything happens, Armstrong, Wright, and I have established a way of signaling the guards to alert them. They will immediately lock down the grounds.”
“Thank you for making us safe,” she said softly.
“You’re welcome,” he said. “In any event, it would be better if you would allow me to escort you, purely for precaution.”
Emma drew a deep breath and nodded. She had no choice. She’d have to think of something when they got there. He had already ruined the element of surprise, where the salve was concerned, since he’d discovered her in the back room in the stables a few days ago, blending the scented oils into the salve. Even so, making a salve that he could use was important to her. It was something she wanted to do.
“I’d be happy for you to escort me,” she said.
Minutes later, they arrived at the stable, and Michael looked around. “Should I wait here?”
She was relieved she didn’t have to ask, and nodded. “I have a few things I wanted to check on and won’t be long.”No doubt he’s guessed what I’m up to, in any case.
“I wanted to show you something,” he said, turning to point toward something.
Emma followed his gaze and saw a small pond tucked behind the stables, beyond the tall grasses. “Is that a pond?”
Michael smiled. “It is.” He took her hand and gently rubbed his thumb in her palm as, together, they walked to the pond.
Having her hand tucked inside of his big, warm one and rubbing her palm made her feel all tingly inside, and she realized she wanted more—she wanted him to kiss her again.
“It’s not far, now,” he said, still holding her hand as they tromped through ragged, tall grass. Hidden behind the clump of grass was a small pier with a brown, flat-bottom boat tied to a wooden post in the water at the end of the dock. “I think my relative not only liked billiards, but he also enjoyed fishing. I saw this pond from my study when I first arrived, but only this week decided to explore it. And when I did, I discovered this small boat.”
“What makes you sure he liked to fish?” she asked.
“I can only assume so. The pond is stocked with fish,” he said, grinning. “From your blank expression, I’m going to guess you’ve never fished.”
She shook her head. “I’ve never been fishing.”
“Would you care for a small trip across the pond? And if you decide you’d like to learn to fish, I’d be glad to teach you. I checked the boat, and it’s sound. No leaks,” Michael said with a crooked smile.
Good Lord!That smile nearly made her swoon. Gazing into his eyes, Emma knew it was exactly what she’d like to do…with him. Good thing she’d gotten the bulk of her duties done yesterday. “Yes. I would enjoy that.”
“Good. Shall we?”
“Oh! Yes, but I still have something to attend to in the stables. I won’t be long. Can you wait outside?”
“You make it sound mysterious,” he said, laughing, as they walked back to the stables. “Very well, I’ll wait right here.”
“Thank you.”
Before releasing her hand, Michael leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss into the center of her palm. “Maybe next time, I can teach you to fish, Emma,” he suggested, a playful glint in his eyes.
“I would like that,” she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.
With her heart thumping with anticipation, Emma raced back to the stables. She quickly withdrew two jars of salve and two vials of essential oils from her pockets, confident she had calculated the perfect blend of scents, tailored to the size of the jars. As she mixed the recipe, the aromas swirled together in a delightful bouquet that filled the air with warmth and promise.
Once she completed the mixture, a thought struck her. She couldn’t very well go fishing with Michael with salve in her pocket. She decided to leave the jars behind, allowing the oils to better settle into the salve before the party. After all, she didn’t want Michael glimpsing her gift. Besides the salve, she had polished up the small brass-and-wood penknife. Impulsively, she reached into her pocket and found the small packet containing the knife. It was wrapped in several small handkerchiefs she had made from fabric scraps and embroidered his initials on. At leastthatwould be a surprise, she thought.
Before stepping out, she made sure to crack the windows, letting a gentle breeze waft through the stable to prevent the fresh sandalwood and orange aroma from overwhelming the air in the small room. Seeing a small drawer, she tucked the essential oils inside, deciding they would be there when she next needed them.
~*~
