Page 56 of Love Unraveled
They were at Westminster Bridge. She peeked over the edge. Boats flowed beneath the many arches, reminding her of her days inVenezia. Gaston offered his arm and guided her slowly down an adjacent set of stairs where a long boat bounced lightly, its captain bowing when he spotted them.
“Is there a water party today?” Sophia asked, looking across the water where two other boats were moored on the Lambeth side.
“Oui,” Gaston said. “A party for two.”
Sophia loved when his grin was large enough for her to see his chipped tooth. She could see the boy in him, although it was the man in him now that she wanted. She leaned in and kissed his cheek. “It is a delightful surprise. An adventure, no?”
The captain stepped onto the boat and held out his hand, assisting Gaston first. She took both their hands and stepped lightly into the boat. It rocked slightly, and she stumbled, bracing her hands against Gaston’s chest. “Oh,” she said, looking up at him.
“Oh, indeed,” he said and kissed her nose.
She turned in his arms, and he held her securely against his chest. Raimondo handed the captain her cape and parasol.
“Non!” Gaston’s bark was sharp as Raimondo stepped into the boat. “Not today. She has no need of you today.”
An ugly storm washed across Raimondo’s face, but Sophia had to credit him with solid self-control, for he did not tear her from Gaston and proceed to pummel him.
“I am fine,” Sophia said soothingly.
“Countess,” Raimondo growled. “I do not—”
“Enjoy a day off.” She waved a hand at him, softening her dismissal with a smile.
Raimondo held her gaze for a moment before grunting unhappily and disembarking, further rocking the boat. He was well and truly angry, for he stomped up the steps without a glance at her. She would have laughed out loud were it not for Gaston nuzzling her hair. She turned in his arms, and he smiled before giving her a breath-stealing kiss, broken only because the captain cleared his throat.
Gaston kept his arm around her waist, and they ducked under the wood-framed awning. Lush blankets and feather pillows covered the seats, and a large picnic basket sat in the middle.
“I will not need my parasol. This ship is perfect.”
Gaston chuckled. “Not a ship,ma chérie. A shallop.”
“A ship. A boat. A shallop. They are all the same to me. They float on the water, no?” She sat down, pleased by the comfort of the cushioned seats. “Those men. They will not work too hard?”
Four solemn men sat facing them, dressed rather raggedly, oars in hand. She had seen drawings of the slave ships to America and had found them disturbing. While she knew these were no slaves, the parallel image bothered her. She said so to Gaston. “I fight an emperor who has stolen a throne, not the people who honestly wanted to better themselves. I do not like to keep people down, to…” She searched for the word, but Gaston sat beside her, wrapped his arm around her shoulder, and pulled her snug to his side, and the word became irretrievable.
“You are truly Sophie returned to me,” he said, pressing a kiss to her temple. “They are no different from the gondoliers who ferried you about inVenise. And, I assure you, I have paid them a small fortune to accommodate us this day. Each of them personally. And the coxswain.” He looked at the captain, then back at her, and rolled his eyes.
She laughed and clapped her hands. Not simply because this day was going to be enjoyable but because Gaston still understood when one was blessed in life, one must share their bounty. It had been a tacit agreement between them since the day she’d pulled him away from the rabid crowd.
The boat rocked lightly, and Sophia looked back. The captain had stepped onto the landing. He tugged at the loop, threw the rope onto the decking, and stepped in after it. He sat on the wooden bench in the rear and shouted. Water splashed as the oars dipped, and she turned to face forward, watching the men as they rowed from the edge, further out onto the Thames. They cast their eyes down, not looking at her, but they looked hale and healthy and at ease in their work. Sophia relaxed.
Gaston watched her, and she grew uncomfortable under his gaze.
“Why is it you stare?” she asked.
Gaston hesitated before speaking, and Sophia shifted, trying not to squirm. She could predict most people but not Gaston.
“I think you have grown more beautiful,” he said and tapped his chest. “Ici.Inside.”
She should have been offended by his apparent amazement. But Gaston did not know the years in between. He didn’t know that she supported Elizabeth’s orphanage project as well as many other worthy endeavors. That Jocelyne was not the only person she’d helped find a new life. That she did not have to bring Raimondo, Stefano, or Cara with her but could not leave them to find their way on their own in a land full of turmoil. Her mother had married a scholar because she’d considered him her equal. She’d loved him, had faith in all he’d done, including his humble role in society. She had been, at all times, a generous and giving woman. Now Sophia used her position to honor her memory. These were things Gaston could not know, so she would forgive him his assumptions.
“There is much about me you do not know.” She would tell him one day. But not today.
“That is becoming clear with every moment I am with you. I would happily spend the rest of my life discovering all there is to know.”
Gaston raised her hand to his lips and brushed a kiss across her gloved hand. Her body trilled in response. He eyed her from under his lashes and opened his mouth to speak, but the captain shouted directions. The moment broken, she smiled ruefully at him. They both relaxed back on the bench and looked out at the water.
A boat sailing briskly in the wind whisked by on the left side, startling her as spray splattered her face. The captain was on his feet, fist raised, shouting at the passerby. Gaston took out his handkerchief and wiped at her cheek, cursing in French.
