Page 7 of A Maid's Fateful Courtship
“Oh! Please my lord, f-forgive me, m’lord,” she stuttered. “Of course, it would please us to be accompanied back to the manor house.” Josephine lowered her gaze and bowed her head in compliance.
“Come now, Josephine,” Ethan said, a wry smile on his lips. “Have you forgotten our friendship?”
“We must return to the house at once,” she announced. At the same time, she turned to walk on in the hope that her lapse in etiquette might be forgotten.
Lettie ran after her and Josephine assumed that she did not want to be left by herself with a lord. Ethan took a few long strides and soon caught them up. He stepped into the pace that Josephine set as she rushed along.
“Are you not pleased to see me?” he asked.
If only he knew how my heart beats at the mere sight of him...
“Of course, my lord. Your homecoming celebration has left us with much work to do, which is why we must hurry.”
“How goes your practicing on the pianoforte? I remember it as quite a clatter,” Ethan asked cheekily.
“I do not think I was ever to be a musician," she replied, wishing she could turn back the clock. "But I did master it in the end.” Josephine longed to enjoy the times when she felt equal to the handsome man by her side.
“I had hoped that you would write to me more often,” he pushed. “But not that I am home, we can reignite our friendship one again.”
“My tasks keep me busy,” she replied, panting now at the sustained speed she had forced upon herself. “It is a wonderful occasion that you and your brothers have returned.”
Ethan did not have the opportunity to reply, as Lettie went crashing to the ground behind them. Swiftly, Ethan ran to her aid.
“It might be wise to slow down a little, do you not think, Josephine?” he pointed out, as both he and Josephine helped an embarrassed Lettie up from the floor.
“I apologise, Lettie,” Josephine said, humbled. “Are you able to walk?”
“Yes, yes, I am still in one piece, but your speed is like that of a galloping horse,” Lettie hinted.
“Very well, but you know we cannot dawdle for there is much work to be done,” Josephine reminded her.
Neither Lettie nor Ethan was aware that tears were close to escaping from the corners of Josephine's eyes. She felt as close to Ethan as she ever had, and it was agony not to be able to hold his hand or touch him. She could imagine how shocked everyone would be if she returned to her childhood role. Why could he not understand that?
The small group strolled at a more leisurely pace, but Josephine made sure Lettie was between herself and Ethan. She could not risk him realising the feelings he had stirred in her, upon seeing him once again.
Josephine was determined to avoid any close contact with her childhood friend. Ethan seemed to be encouraging her to return to things as though everything was the same as three years ago, yet to her she knew that her feelings were much deeper.
Chapter 6
Josephine was starting to relax as she slowed her pace a little. It had dawned on her that she should be enjoying the closeness of Ethan’s company whilst she could. Very soon, especially as they neared Sarandale Manor, they would be worlds apart.
She could see the manor house in the distance as they left the meadow fields behind them. They now trundled along on a hard-dirt path, one used by the farmhands to herd the sheep.
Lettie had also started to relax and was coming out of her awestruck shell. She had become chatty and started to join in the conversation with the young lord. She looked at him dreamily as she could hardly believe he had chosen to walk along with them.
“I thought of you a lot,” Ethan said with a cheery laugh in his voice as he pointed towards Josephine. "Well, you were my best friend, I suppose. We did pretty much everything together.”
“Yes, that was true." Josephine stopped in her tracks, nodding her head in agreement. "We were like peas in a pod back then, and pretty competitive, too, if you remember. Mind you, I always beat you and your brothers when it came to a race.”
Josephine was enjoying reliving times gone by as they became reunited. Although she knew that she should not encourage the lord, a part of her did not care, it felt so good to have him back home once again.
“Hah! That was only because I let you,” Ethan said, looking at Josephine, and she felt a warm glow inside at being back with this childhood friend. “Granted, you climbed the highest in the trees, but that was only because you did not want to be bested by boys.”
“You mean it was because you were all too soft to reach to the sky in the tree canopy, as I—"
Josephine stopped mid-sentence as Ethan moved to be closer by her side. They continued to walk at a slower pace and his arm dangled down as he swung it over to rub the back of her hand with his.
The backs of their fingers touched, sending a sensation of delight and terror through Josephine’s body. She was so taken by surprise by his touch that it caused her to jump. Thankfully, Lettie had not spotted the daring touch. But Josephine almost dropped her entire basket of wildflowers.
