Gently, her fingers brushed her cheek where Percival had touched her. She smiled, wild and helpless.
Her eyes flickered to the mirror in the distance, staring back at her reflection. She could see her flushed cheeks and the hot gleam in her eyes.
Her smile widened, before she dropped her forehead into her palm. “What is happening to me?” she whispered aloud.
Her reflection seemed to mock her, looking like a woman undone by her husband.
“Why does my body tremble at his voice?” she murmured. “Why do my lips ache for his kiss? Why does my heart… swell so?”
Her fingers brushed her lips again, recalling the way he had almost bent to her and kissed her.
And the worst part?
She closed her eyes, her breath growing unsteady.
I don’t even want to fight it anymore. I don’t want to hide it. I don’t want to resist.
Heart hammering, she released a shaky laugh that was half-mad with need. Then, looking at herself, her voice broke with the truth. “I am in love with him.”
CHAPTER 28
The morning dawned with the calmest breeze and the prettiest sunshine. Aurelia found it so perfect.
She stood at the edge of the gardens, her gloved hands folded loosely before her. Her brown eyes were fixed on the expansive lawns, a pleased look on her face.
Beside her, Linda adjusted the wicker basket on her arm. “You have thought of everything, Your Grace,” she praised, her voice filled with admiration.
Aurelia smiled with a soft exhale. “I hope so. I want today to feel… special,” she said, almost to herself. “For all of us.”
They began to walk along the gravel path, surveying the shaded spot Aurelia had chosen for their picnic.
She stopped beneath an oak tree, her eyes narrowing slightly as if testing how the sun shone on it.
“Here,” she murmured. “I think this will do perfectly. The ground is soft, and Lottie will have space to run without tripping on stones.”
Linda nodded. “It is wonderful how you pay attention to everything, Your Grace.” She smiled. “Especially His Grace.”
Aurelia’s heart fluttered at those words. She bent down to spread out the blanket, hiding her bush as she adjusted the corners of the picnic blanket. She smoothed her hand across the fabric as though pouring her care into it.
Yes, I notice everything about him.
The way his coats hugged his shoulders, the way his eyes crinkled at the corners when he allowed the smallest smile.
She noticed too much for her own peace of mind.
“Tell me honestly, Linda,” Aurelia said as she straightened, smoothing her skirts. “Does it feel… right? This little arrangement?”
Linda hesitated, then smiled softly. “It feels warm, Your Grace. Inviting. It feels like a place made for family, not duty.”
That word,‘family,’felt like sunlight through glass. That the Whitmores could be a lovely family was all Aurelia desired.
“That is exactly what I wish for—that Lottie never feels… alone. That she knows her father and I—” She stopped, biting her lower lip.
Linda tilted her head, waiting patiently.
“That she knows her father and I care for her,” Aurelia finished, her voice quieter now. “That she is loved. Always.”
They moved further, inspecting the arrangement of the trays and cushions. It looked just like how she wanted it to be. Percival had agreed to the picnic, and she wanted to seize the opportunity before he changed his mind.
