CHAPTER ONE
Under normal circumstances, there was little that could pull Eleanor Bradshaw away from a book, especially a romance novel with high drama, whether it be the swoon-worthy scenes or characters you simply could not help but fall in love with. Reading had been Eleanor’s primary way to relax over her long, yet rewarding, years as a stay-at-home mother to her son, Jeremy. The appeal of reading hadn’t diminished now that Jeremy was off to college and Eleanor’s days were a great deal less hectic than they had been when her son was young.
Tonight, however, Eleanor found that she was rereading the same page over and over, even though the handsome duke was about to admit he was wrong when he’d said he would never fall in love with his blushing bride, as he had fallen for her most passionately and could only beg her forgiveness before it was too late!
This was typically Eleanor’s favorite part. She liked knowing that no matter what obstacles sprang up between a couple, everything would turn out well in the end.
Dwelling on fictional romances was hard when she had her own real-world romance to attend to, however. Tonight was her twentieth wedding anniversary to her husband, Brian, and shewas giddy with excitement over the celebration. She and Brian had been highly romantic once. They’d married young, after all, on a rush of love and excitement for the future.
It had been mere weeks after their first anniversary, however, that Jeremy had arrived, squalling and perfect, of course, but a distraction from the reckless adventures his parents had once enjoyed. As Jeremy got older and grew more independent, Brian’s career had taken center stage. Eleanor knew this was important. Every time Brian had been kept late at the office, she reminded herself that Brian’s career as a tax attorney ensured that Jeremy, now at college in Pittsburgh, wouldn’t face hefty student loans when he graduated.
Still, though. She missed romance with her husband.
Her eyes wandered to the clock again. It wasn’t quite five in the evening, and their dinner, which Brian had scheduled for one of the nicest restaurants in Indianapolis, wasn’t until six thirty. Was it too early to start getting ready?
“No shame in putting in some extra effort for such a momentous occasion,” she muttered to herself, tossing her book aside. After all, Brian had gone to the trouble of making them a reservation, and since they’d never been to this restaurant before, she imagined that he’d done some research to find them a romantic place to dine.
Besides, it was fun to do the whole dress-up routine, which she hadn’t truly indulged in over the past several years. She carefully washed and dried her auburn hair, taming her typical waves into a sleek blowout, which she then pinned carefully into an updo. She turned from side to side as she faced the mirror, inspecting her handiwork and deciding she was pleased with the results. It was an elegant look, and timeless.
“Which is good for you, missy, now that you’re in your forties,” she teased her reflection.
Despite her joking, Eleanor didn’t feelold, not unless she really thought about how she had a college-aged son! She’d always had soft features, and she’d found that theyfiton her face better somehow as she’d gotten older. She carefully applied makeup, sticking to a muted shade for her lipstick. She had a slightly wide mouth, one that looked friendly and bright when she smiled, but that made vibrant lipsticks make her feel a bit too garish.
When her hair and makeup were done to her satisfaction, she looked in her closet. It was a shame, she thought with a happy laugh, that none of her fancier outfits were as comfortable as the cozy robe she currently wore.
When she spotted a green silk dress that she hadn’t worn in ages hanging at the back of the closet, however, she knew she would sacrifice a bit of comfort for how good that dress made her look. She hadn’t worn that dress in… well, she couldn’t even remember how long. She was pleased to discover that it fit her just as well as she remembered.
She puttered over her jewelry box, eventually selecting some bright, beaded earrings and a simple gold necklace. Brian had never been a fan of her more eclectic jewelry choices, often grumbling that she ought to wear her more expensive, classic pieces instead, but her outfit was so polished that she wanted to mix it up a little with a tiny, offbeat detail.
She was just admiring the overall effect when she heard Brian come in through the front door. She quickly slipped into a pair of low heels and headed down to greet him, tossing a light wrap around her shoulders. It was April, so the weather was heading comfortably into spring, but evenings could still get a touch chilly, and Eleanor didn’t want anything to negatively affect what she hoped would be a sweet, memorable night.
When Brian spotted her, he blinked at her in surprise. “Oh, wow, Ellie. You look nice.”
He sounded so confused that Eleanor worried that she’d gotten her days mixed up. But, no. She’d glanced at the calendar no fewer than three dozen times today, given her excitement.
“Aren’t we… going to dinner?” she asked.
“Yeah, of course,” Brian said absently. “Just, uh… okay, let me go get freshened up really quick, and then we’ll leave.”
He pressed an absent kiss to her cheek before hurrying upstairs. When he came down a few minutes later, Eleanor was faintly disappointed to see that he was still wearing his crumpled work suit. She pushed aside the concern. Maybe he was just too eager to get their evening started to waste time changing outfits.
When they got into the car, Eleanor was still feeling the excitement, even though Brian seemed preoccupied. She pushed this aside, as well. Brian often took a little while to get his head out of his workday.
“I’m so excited for dinner,” she said, determined to bring joy to their evening, even if she had to do it by dint of force. “I heard that they do this very fancy tenderloin, served with broccoli gratin and?—”
“You looked this place up?” Brian interrupted, again sounding startled.
“Yes, of course,” she said, equally surprised. “It’s supposed to be very romantic.”
“It is?”
“Of course,” she repeated. “Isn’t that why you picked it?”
He made a noncommittal sound. Eleanor decided to just give him some space to get into a romantic headspace. Probably just a bad day at work.
Yet Brian’s distant mood didn’t abate as they were escorted to a cozy table with two small candles flickering in glass dishes. And he didn’t seem any happier as they ordered. He asked for the tenderloin, as Eleanor had predicted. That was why she’d mentioned it. For her own part, she got a seared ahi tuna steak,which came with a seaweed salad and brown rice topped with furikake. The food arrived quickly and was cooked to perfection, but Eleanor found herself struggling to enjoy it, given the absent look on her husband’s face. He seemed determined to look anywhere but at her face.
“Do you remember,” she said, trying to lighten the mood, “that time when we were engaged, and we almost got arrested for swimming in that fountain?”
