But all performances came to an end.
Chapter 21
By Friday morning, Hudson was utterly, entirely, irrevocably, head over heels in love.
Or perhaps he’d been so since the first time he laid eyes on Tabitha, and only now was finally admitting the extent of his feelings for her.
He tossed his leather satchel aside as she twirled in an abandoned field of wildflowers. He wanted her more than he’d ever wanted anything in his life. She’d all but said she felt the exact same way about him, too. They hadn’t let their attraction lead to anything more than impassioned kisses, but the promise of all they could be together floated about them everywhere they went, flowering like spring and warming them like summer.
There was only one day left, and Hudson was not ready for their week to end.
Ever since Tabitha had said she’d prefer to have forever, Hudson had not been able to get the thought from his mind. The reasons why were obvious. The reasons why not… were obvious, too. Her status. His lack thereof. Her betrothal. His employer. Her father. The dying wish. Her deathbed promise.
Yet there was nothing Hudson wanted more but a life with Tabitha. The possibility, rather than the impossibility, haunted his every thought. There had to be a way. There had to.
“Pick flowers with me,” Tabitha called out, dropping to her knees amongst the wildflowers.
He joined her at once.
Hudson didn’t know the least thing about flowers, wild or otherwise, much less the fine art of braiding them into a crown. But he followed Tabitha’s lead, and soon they were both wearing extravagant tiaras of yellow poppies and purple violets and scarlet pimpernels.
“I crown you the Mayfair King,” she informed him with a kiss on his cheek.
“You’re my queen with or without a crown,” he replied gruffly.
She took his hand and they tumbled backward amidst the wildflowers, their floral diadems dislodging slightly as their heads fell back against the soft grass.
Tabitha sighed happily and her eyes fluttered closed. A gentle breeze rustled her skirts and her hair.
Hudson was certain he had never beheld a more beautiful sight. Or felt more right than he had all week long with Tabitha. He could imagine a lifetime of lazy summer days like this one. Flowers and kisses and the simple pleasure of enjoying each other’s company.
“I suppose we should head back to town and find a tavern for supper,” she murmured without opening her eyes.
He turned his own gaze toward the leather satchel he’d abandoned a few yards away. “I brought sustenance.”
Her eyes opened and crinkled fondly. “Of course you did. You always think of everything.”
She sat up as he crawled over to retrieve his satchel. It contained a thin red cloth, which he spread out between them in order to place the rest of the bag’s contents on top: fruit, cheese, fresh bread, a bottle of wine.
Tabitha inched her way around the picnic blanket until she was seated next to Hudson, rather than across from him. Between bites of food and sips of wine, she rested her head on his shoulder, her soft warmth snuggled against him.
Hudson could almost believe they were alone in the world, and it was glorious.
It also had to come to an end. Didn’t it?
Tabitha had said she wanted forever, with Hudson. Why not give it to her?
“What if we disappeared?” he asked urgently. “I could make it happen. We could vanish, never to be seen by Oldfield or anyone else in the beau monde ever again. Just you and me and endless days like this one—”
“I can’t.” Her voice was soft. Defeated. “I could never do that to my father.”
“Then we go back,” Hudson said, undaunted. “But we don’t have to go through with other people’s plans. Lord Oldfield—”
“—is not my primary concern. My father is. He’s been counting on me to heal an old wound my entire life. I cannot let him down.”
“He’s letting you down,” Hudson said with frustration. “It’s not fair of him to expect you to consign yourself to a life of misery in order to fulfill a second-hand promise he made without your knowledge or consent—”
“Since when is life fair?” she asked with a sigh, and pushed to her feet. Removing her warmth from his side. Distancing herself from his side.
