Page 51 of Love Abandoned

Chapter Twenty-Three

Some Cupid kills with arrows, some with traps.

—Shakespeare,Much Ado About Nothing

Elizabeth could feelRichard’s eyes on her as she took the stairs, deliberately leading the way so he might be tempted by what he saw. If the hum of her body was any indication, it was a good beginning to her plans. She resisted turning around until she was at the landing. When she did, she had to stop herself from smiling at the expression on his face. Oh yes, a very good start indeed.

The servants had followed her directions perfectly, and the far corner of the ballroom looked magical. The canopy was set, its perimeter lit by small lanterns creating a dreamlike glow. Beneath it a large cloth was spread with a dozen or more cushions artfully arranged around their final course of the evening. Also, as instructed, there was not a servant to be seen. They had been expressly told to disappear for the remainder of the evening. She wanted absolute freedom with Richard.

Richard cleared his throat as he stepped up beside her and took in the room. “It looks enchanting,” he said. “Elizabeth, I can’t—”

She quickly put a finger to his lips. She didn’t want to hear what he couldn’t do. She forbade herself to consider for a single second that she would fail this evening. “Can I not have one night of enchantment? Only the two of us? Sharing dessert and spirits?”

He contemplated her quietly. “My apologies,” he said. “Of course.”

Richard held out his hand, and she placed hers in it, the warmth of his as comforting as it was exciting. They walked quietly across the dark room, carefully navigating the various cages and children’s event setups. He assisted her to the floor before taking a seat himself on the other side of the basket of food. Elizabeth refused to be disappointed. She’d woo him to her side yet.

“I didn’t know what your preference would be,” she said, indicating the silver tray with various decanters and glasses. “Port? Sherry? Brandy?” She’d asked for those three, but there was a fourth, and in the dim light, she could not tell what it was. She extracted the glass stopper and smelled the last decanter. “Madeira…maybe?”

He smiled and held out his hand for the decanter. He swirled it and sniffed. “Claret,” he said. “You’ve never had a good nose.” He chuckled, reaching across and tapping her nose lightly with his finger. “But it is a cute one.”

She warmed at his compliment, disappointed when he quickly withdrew his finger and turned his focus to the decanters. “I believe I’d enjoy a brandy.”

“Shall I too?” she asked, overcome with a sense of daring. She’d never had it, although Sophia frequently drank it. But Sophia often did things Elizabeth would never consider.

Richard poured a second glass and handed it to her. She sniffed it, recoiling at its strong scent. Richard laughed and raised his glass. “To a successful picnic,” he said and took a sip. “I see Hastings has tapped into my finest cask.”

“I asked him for the best of everything. I trust that was acceptable?” Elizabeth asked, worried she’d overstepped her bounds.

He smiled encouragingly, and she took a large sip of the brandy and choked, coughing uncontrollably. Richard was by her side immediately, rubbing circles on her back until the spasms subsided. She looked at him through tears brought on by the eruption and smiled apologetically.

“Perhaps a sherry might be preferable,” he said, taking the glass from her and setting it down on the tray.

“Perhaps,” she echoed as he poured her a stout glass. He handed her the sherry and settled back beside her. She was thrilled he did not return to his place across from her. A small shudder of excitement rolled through her as his thigh pressed against hers.

“And what delights await?” Richard asked, and her head snapped in his direction. “In the basket, Elizabeth,” he said, his calm voice belying the ruddiness creeping into his cheeks.

“Exotic treats to tease your palate,” she said, pleased he was not unaffected by their proximity. She lifted the linen from the basket and withdrew the two plates. Cook had done well. She set the plate of sweets nearer Richard and the one with fruit in front of her.

“Pineapple? However did you manage that?” Richard asked as he snagged a plum cake.

“I have my sources,” she said. It was gratifying that he recognized the effort she’d gone through. “The grapes were far harder to procure. The oranges Catherine got from her aunt’s orangery.”

“Along with the birds, which”—he glanced around the large room—“are surprisingly quiet.” He sniffed the air. “Although, they are very much present.”

“Oh dear,” Elizabeth said, noticing the subtle smell for the first time. “I must have the cages cleaned in the morning. And air out the room.”

Richard laughed. “It makes the picnic authentic. Not everything out of doors is a rose.” He grabbed an orange and bit into the rind, looking at her as he did so. “Although, I see before me the most beautiful of flowers.”

Elizabeth was giddy with his playfulness, but giddiness quickly turned to need when he held her gaze as he dug his finger into his bite mark and slowly peeled the orange. She swallowed and waited, afraid to ruin the moment. He broke off a piece and held it out, but when she went to take it, he shook his head.

“Let me.” He pressed the soft flesh of the orange against her lips, and she opened for it, imagining she was opening for him, as she longed to do. She wasn’t sure if he groaned when she did, but the heat gathering between her legs was both tantalizing and a torment, and she knew she would have him this night. There was no other recourse.

The orange was sweet, and she relished its taste, touching her fingers to her lips, lingering where he’d touched.

“Bloody hell,” Richard said under his breath, but she heard it and resisted a triumphant smile. He threw back his brandy and grabbed the decanter, pouring himself another. He took her sherry and replaced it with her original glass of brandy. “Here,” he said, handing her another slice of orange. “Take a bite of the orange, then a sip of the brandy.”

She raised the glass to her lips.

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