Page 15 of A Lady Never Tells
Max rolled his eyes. “Soooo fortunate.” Why were they not at Wyndam Castle yet? This trip was going to be his undoing. He prayed it would be worth all the trouble in the end. If it concluded with a certain widow in his arms, and his life, it might just live up to his expectations. He blew out a breath. “I appreciate what you’re willing to do for me.” Max grinned. “Even potentially, as you stated, finding a bride of your own.”
“Blasphemy,” Lyonsdale said.
“Are you trying to curse us?” Crawford added. “That’s rude.”
Max laughed for the first time since they had started their journey to Wyndam Castle. Perhaps this would not be so terrible after all. He grinned, then said. “I don’t know. Why wouldn’t I wish happiness for my two closest friends?”
They glared at him in response. Max ignored them and whistled happily as he stared out the window once again.
Seven
Eden hadn’t slept well the evening before. She had tossed and turned the entire night, plagued by wanton dreams of a certain duke. She’d woken with sweat slicked skin and an aching throughout her entire body. The need that had coursed through her had been unshakeable. After her failure to fall back asleep, she’d given up and risen for the day. The sun hadn’t even risen yet and darkness had enveloped her assigned bedchamber. She wished she could erase the visions that filled her mind. If only she hadn’t had that one night with him. Maybe then she could forget about him. Wishing for something didn’t make it so, though. Somehow, she would have to find a way to move past her fascination with the man.
Maybe she should find something to read. The servants were just going about their day and breakfast wouldn’t be ready for at least another hour. Claudine had explained that it would be served buffet style so everyone could eat as they awakened. They didn’t want a rigid morning schedule. That was understandable, with so many guests expected for the house party. They were going all out to celebrate the upcoming wedding.
She sighed and decided to leave her bedchamber. Even if she didn’t find a book to read, she could always take a walk in the gardens. It might be a little brisk so early in the morning, but it might help clear her mind. With her decision made, she headed down the stairs and then toward the library. She could even take a book into the garden. It sounded like a pleasant way to pass the time. At least until she was no longer the only one awake and prepared to start the day…
She slid into the library and frowned. The sun had started to rise, but it was still too dark in the library to browse the shelves. She found a nearby candelabrum and lit the candles within it, then carried it with her to the shelves. She slid her fingers over the spines until a dark red one caught her attention. Eden slid it out and flipped it open. She smiled when she read the title: A lady’s guide to finding a lover. Should she read it? What did she have to lose? If anything, it might prove entertaining. There was no author listed. Perhaps a real lady had penned the guidebook.
She blew out the candles and set the candelabrum down, then went to the doors on the other side of the library. They led out into the garden and she could go out there. After she walked a little, the sun should be bright enough for her to read. It would give her time to find the perfect spot to read. Eden was tired, but she also felt invigorated.
She reached a spot in the gardens that she found to be gorgeous. On one side, roses of red, pink, and white bloomed. On the other side, various shades of purple and yellow roses had been planted. It was almost like a rainbow of colors that filled her senses. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Yes, this was the perfect location for her to relax and read. Eden sat on a nearby stone bench and settled in to read the book. She flipped it open and read the title of the first section of the book: How to Select the Perfect Lover.
Her lips twitched. How did one know a man could be the perfect lover? That seemed an impossibility... Just looking at a man wouldn’t give a woman all the information she needed to make such a decision. Not to mention that the term perfect was a lofty goal to undertake.
She started reading the passage and realized that she’d been right. Perfect was in the eye of the beholder, so to speak. What worked for one person might not for another. It wasn’t so much as finding a perfect lover, but one that was perfect for her. It was up to the individual to decide what they wanted most. An intriguing concept and perhaps one she could have used all those weeks ago when she had chosen the Duke of Carrington. Not that she thought she’d made a terrible decision. On the contrary, she had been fortunate in having chosen him.
Eden wouldn’t change that night for anything. In fact, if she had one complaint, it would be that one night hadn’t been nearly long enough. She wanted to have several nights. Perhaps weeks or even months… That was the true impossibility. To have that length of time might lead to consequences she couldn’t live with. Consequences that should only exist within the benefits of marriage… She couldn’t afford to take those kinds of risks. She had to think of her son and what society might do if she found herself in a predicament that wouldn’t go unnoticed.
The book gave her much to consider. She wanted to read it all, but perhaps not now. Soon others would be around and she didn’t want to read it when someone might notice and ask her questions.
“That must be an interesting book,” a gentleman said.
Eden closed her eyes and barely suppressed a groan. Of course it would be him. The one person she had hoped to avoid and he’d caught her reading a book that only made her think of him more. “I suppose it is that.” She kept her tone as neutral as she could manage. Eden glanced up and met his gaze. What else could she say to him? She’d never felt so utterly incompetent before. The mere act of conversing with him seemed too difficult. She smiled at him, but didn’t feel it. “I was about to go see about breakfast. If you’ll pardon me.” She stood.
He reached out and placed his hand on hers. “Wait.”
She took a slow breath and met his gaze once again. It seared her to her bones. “Yes?”
“I’ll escort you.” He smiled at her. “You can tell me about your book.” He gestured toward the little red tome.
Drat. How was she going to avoid that conversation? “It’s not that interesting,” she said. “But you may escort me to breakfast. You can tell me which of the activities the Dowager Countess has planned for us that you’re anticipating the most.” Eden prayed it was enough of a diversion for him to forget about her book.
“As long as I’m in your company,” he said in a droll tone. “All of them sound appealing.”
So far, everything was going the way she wanted. Eden prayed it continued.
Maxwell couldn’t believe his luck. He’d been unable to sleep and left his room in search of something, anything, to occupy his mind with. When he’d wandered into the garden, he hadn’t thought he’d find the very reason he’d been tossing and turning awaiting him there. Perhaps he should quit questioning fate and accept what it had in store for him. That sentiment seemed a bit trite, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was exactly where he should be, and this woman was his future.
“Do you wish to walk a little before we go inside?” He wasn’t ready to share her with anyone else yet. If he could keep her in the garden a little while longer, he would, but he’d never force her to remain where she did not wish to. He could only pray she wanted to be with him as much as he wished it.
She jolted her gaze toward his and nibbled on her bottom lip in contemplation. After a few agonizing moments, she nodded. “It’s a lovely morning. I wouldn’t mind remaining out here a little while longer.”
Maxwell barely held back a grin. “You enjoy being in the garden?”
“I don’t have a garden nearly this lovely in London,” she admitted. “But I love flowers and all the scents that surround me. If I return to the country, I’ll have to do more about the gardens there. They never held my interest before…” Her voice trailed off and she stared at the roses nearby.
“Before?” he prompted. He had an idea of what she had been about to say, but he didn’t want to be presumptive.
