Page 35 of A Lady's Beloved Novelist
Cecil continued talking about his time in the jungles of Asia and how it was difficult to survive at points. Andrea was amazed at the stories, and she kept finding herself drawing parallels between the things that he was saying and the stories she had read from Dean Morris. She could not believe that after years of wanting this very thing, there were currently two men staying on her father’s land who had the kind of stories that could satisfy her appetite.
“And what kind of animals were there?” Andrea asked, uncaring for how wide her eyes must have been at that moment.
“The funny thing about the animals was that it was very rare to see them in the beginning. They were just as fearful of us, if not more, as we were of them. Two species who do not interact much were suddenly in the same habitat, so you can imagine that the smaller animals stayed out of the way and made sure to not be seen. But there were large cats, and you could just tell that they were not exactly afraid of us.”
“Cats?” Andrea frowned.“My mother used to have one who was in love with sleeping in her lap.”
“Ah, but these cats were much larger,” Cecil explained.“They were as big as some of the smaller men in our group with the claws and teeth to match. The black ones stalked the jungle and even lurked in the branches above, they are known as jaguars.”
Andrea had heard of tigers, but these jaguars sounded more menacing than anything she knew of.
“And did they harm anyone?”
“Oh yes.”Cecil’s face dropped a little.“The jungle was as dangerous as the battlefield, and we lost many men in there to just the environment alone. Guns were not even needed at that point to pick us off.”
This was the hard stuff that James had been talking about, the conversations of loss and death that he had wanted to avoid. Andrea could see why, but she had never before been exposed to such things and she still wanted to learn, even if it was not comfortable.
“I am sorry to hear that,” she mumbled.
“It is fine, it is what is to be expected when you go off to fight. Many men know that they will not be seasick on the boat back because they will not even make it back.”
The conversation turned back into much more pleasant topics, and Andrea was slightly glad about that. She did not feel good for bringing down his mood and making him reflect on fallen men who must have been his friends.
“I was a little curious as to why you called today,” Andrea remarked, knowing that if she wanted answers, she was going to have to simply ask the question.“I thought it was a mistake and you were calling with J—Lord Churchill.”
“No, I thought that I would call myself this morning because I wanted to speak with you without James here. You see, I find that I have an affliction of my own, one where I cannot seem to stay away from a beautiful woman like yourself.”
Andrea found herself flushing as she stared into his dark eyes.
“You are too kind, Sir Cecil.” She smiled.
“I would like it if you just called me Cecil, like all of my close friends,”he invited.“But I understand, a young woman like yourself has been brought up in a castle like this. Good manners and proper forms of address are like a persistent habit in your mind, one that is hard to break.”
“Yes, it very much feels like that sometimes.” Andrea nodded in agreement.“I never asked, where are you from, Cecil?”
“Me? I amfrom all over, I have never been one to stay at home. But I was born only a few miles from here, closer to Oxford town.” Andrea had not realised that he lived so local to her, it was a surprise that he caught.“Yes, my family’s estate is not a far ride away.”
“How lovely, I do enjoy visiting Oxford. The buildings are so intriguing and the river running through the town is a feature that I very much like to see.” Andrea smiled. It had been a whilst since she had last visited, and she made a note in her mind that she would soon return now that the weather was warming.
“It is a lovely spot to visit,” Cecil agreed.“But I have since looked a little further afield for my trips.”
“I would say a lot further afield.” Andrea laughed.
“Home has never really been a place for me,” Cecil admitted.“I have always been my own home. People can often disappoint, just in the same way that buildings can. My parents’ home has never really felt like a home to me, and so I made my way across the world.”
“And do you think you are any closer to finding your proper home?” Andrea asked.
Cecil held her gaze for a moment, but she could have sworn that his eyes darted down to her lips for even the slightest of a second.“A little closer.”
A heavy silence settled around them like a thick fog rolling on the riverbanks in the morning. Andrea could hear her heart beating as she stared into his eyes. There was something so exciting about talking to him, something she had not felt for a time now.
The sound of the grandfather clock caused them both to startle as it chimed from above the fireplace. Andrea held a hand to her chest in an attempt to stop her thumping heart from beating so quickly.
“Well, I feel I could spend all day sitting and talking with you, but I am afraid I have other engagements today that I must attend.”
“Of course, Lady Andrea.” Cecil bowed his head as they both rose from the table.“It was lovely getting to spend some time with you, and I really hope this is not the last time.”
“I will see you soon I am sure, especially with you staying on the grounds.”
