“But it is nice, isn’t it?” he remarked, leaning back on his elbows as he stretched out beside her while she sat on the warm sand. “Nice having young ones to look after. There is a refreshing innocence even to their mischief. This is what I enjoy most about being in the countryside, this ability to relax and just be yourself. There are so many rules one is required to follow when in London, not to mention the falsity of it all. Everyone approaches you with an ulterior motive.”
“Well, a house party may be more casual, but the young ladies and most of the younger gentlemen attend in the hope of finding a match,” Eden remarked. “Scheming goes on here as well.”
He nodded, his gaze turning troubled as he regarded her. “Yes, that is true. This is certainly my sister’s goal, to snare herself a duke for the mere reason he is a duke and she wishes to be a duchess.”
Eden tried to suppress the pang of jealousy, because she knew Lord Aubrey’s sister had set her cap for Connor for this very reason. Of course, Connor was proud to be a Silver Duke and had no wish to marry anyone. But wasn’t it possible for men to be seduced just as easily as women? Persephone, for all her faults, was quite beautiful, and men fell over themselves to court her. “Lord Aubrey, what—”
“Please call me Trajan. Is it too forward of me to request this? And may I call you Eden? The children all do, and I’ve noticed so does their father.”
She shrugged. “I’ve had a longstanding friendship with the duke and his family. His mother was more of a parent to me than my own.”
“And now? Is it merely friendship you feel for Lynton? Or has it grown into something more?”
Her heart twisted. “Oh, it shall never be anything more than friendship between us. But I will not deny wishing for all of this.” She motioned to the children, who had now finished devouring their apples and scones and gone off hunting for seashells on the beach. Incredibly, they were on their best behavior. Each boy took a turn holding their little sister’s hand, and cheered and complimented her as she found her seashells. “I have plenty of friends and lots of ladies’ societies to keep me busy, but it is not the same. How can one’s heart not swell with joy upon watching these sweet children? Of course, I will be leaping to my feet in a moment as Connor tries to drown Alex.”
Lord Aubrey laughed, but soon sobered and regarded her thoughtfully. “The hour must be approaching noon. How about we head into town and grab a decent meal at the fair? I hear it is to be quite a lively event, one of the largest fairs in this region. Rather surprising for a church fair.”
She nodded. “It has been an annual event for as long as I can remember. The vicar takes great pride in it.”
“Let me guess, you are on its planning committee.”
She laughed. “Of course. The vicar is most persistent about gathering his volunteers, but I don’t mind. It is very popular. Everyone has fun, the merchants sell briskly because of the large crowds passing by their stalls, and the church gets a percentage of the gate.”
“And I suppose there is plenty of food to be had?”
“Oh, yes. There should be just enough to feed Connor’s hungry wolves,” she said with a laugh as she watched the boys.
“The others might be there already and waiting for us.”
“Yes, I’m surprised the boys have not complained yet that they are starving.” When Lord Aubrey held out his hand to assist her up, she took it without hesitation. However, he did not immediately release her.
“Eden,” he said gently, “I think you know that I like you. But I haven’t dared say anything to you because I was not sure how things were between you and Lynton. But if you are just friends and nothing more, would you permit me to get to know you better? I would like our friendship to turn into something more, something perhaps permanent.”
She was taken aback. “Are you asking for permission to court me?”
He nodded. “Why are you so surprised?”
She shook her head and laughed. “You have met my parents, haven’t you? Well, you’ve met my mother and witnessed her theatrical performances. And after this morning’s false alarm, you know how childishly my father behaves.”
“Oh, they are quite the characters. But they are not you, Eden.” He gave her hand a light squeeze. “You somehow managed to survive their pettiness and turn into this beautiful young woman everyone adores.”
She blushed. “Young? Now you are shamelessly flattering me. You know my age, my lord.”
“Trajan’s the name. I do not wish us to be formal with each other. Oh, I know it is a ridiculous name for an Englishman. But your parents are not the only parents in the world who ever embarrassed their children. As for that nonsense about your age, I think beauty such as yours is timeless. You hardly look above twenty, truth be told.”
She rolled her eyes.
“But it isn’t merely your physical appearance that makes you beautiful. It is the loveliness of your soul that shines in your eyes and spreads light wherever you step.” He laughed and released her hand. “That was a bit gushing, wasn’t it? I am not in the habit of spouting pretty words like a romantic poet. Forgive me, but this is how I feel about you, and there is too little time to waste being polite or cautious.”
The children chose this moment to scamper back to her side and declare they were starving. “Oh, my. We had better hurry into town before you waste away to skin and bones,” she teased.
Grabbing their belongings, they all walked on to the town of Lynton.
The church spire was visible in the distance, gleaming in the sunlight. The afternoon had turned cooler than usual, and there was a strengthening breeze blowing off the water that made it perfect weather for hiking. Eden could see Priscilla was tiring, so she suggested they head straight to the food tent and grab a table before doing anything else.
“Good idea,” Lord Aubrey said.
The fairgrounds, spread out across the church’s expansive property, were crowded by the time they arrived. Everyone in Lynton and all the surrounding towns had come out for this event. There were plenty of vendors set up in stalls, and some had set up in brightly colored tents. Musicians wandered the grounds playing their lively tunes, and there was dancing for those who wished to dance, and also games of every variety.
