Bees were amazing and used all their resources—and then reused them all for the betterment of their collective.
She picked up a spoon and dipped it into the honey, lifting it to her lips. It was delightful, sweet and warm. All she needed was a biscuit.
Elizabeth quit the kitchens, leaving the scullery maid and cook in charge of keeping an eye on the honey. They were accustomed to the process andwaved her off as soon as was acceptable. She took the stairs to the second floor and was about to head to her room to change when she heard a familiar voice from the direction of the front door. Usually, her father would answer the door if he was home, as they didn’t employ a butler, just a few maids and a cook, but when her father wasn’t home, one of the servants often answered.
Elizabeth made her way to the front door, her eyes taking in what her ears had suspected. Lord Penderdale—Collin—was standing on the threshold, her satchel in hand.
Warmth coursed through her, and she felt her cheeks heat when he noticed her approach. “Miss Essex.” He bowed.
“Lord Penderdale,” she answered. “Won’t you please come in?” She turned to Molly, who had answered the door, and smiled.
“Thank you.” He crossed the threshold and removed his hat, following her into a small parlor to the left. Molly took a seat as well, a mindful chaperone.
He glanced to the servant and set the satchel down on a chair.
“Molly, would you please ask the cook for tea to be brought up?” Elizabeth said, watching as the servant reluctantly left the room. The room had no door to close and was open to the rest of the house, but Molly was quite observant of propriety.
As soon as Molly was out of earshot, Elizabeth turned to Collin. “How did you find it?” she asked and went over to the chair to retrieve her satchel. She had doubted she’d ever see it again and opened the flap to find her book and now-rumpled parchment notes. “Apparently he didn’t appreciate my take on Descartes’s methods,” she added with a smile aimed at Collin.
He returned the smile and shook his head. “Not everyone can be taught to appreciate higher education. Our rogue discarded it in an alley where I found it. Very uneventful, I assure you.”
“I think I’ve had enough excitement for a while, thank you.” The memory of her tender bump added emphasis to her words.
“I wanted to make sure I returned it as soon as possible. That way, you could use it if needed,” Collin stated, his voice softer than she’d expected.
Looking up, she met his warm regard. “Thank you. Sincerely.”
He took a step closer, lowering his voice. “And you’ll be pleased to know that I was able to communicate the needed information to Mr. Finch without including you in the details,” he added but watched her reaction closely.
Elizabeth’s belly fluttered like it was being tickled from the inside out. “I appreciate that. I’m sure you had much to explain due to how late you were for your meeting.”
“It was nothing. It worked out just fine.” He stepped back.
Elizabeth frowned. Something was off, different. And she couldn’t place her finger on it. She glanced down and then groaned. “Good mercy.”
“What?” Collin asked, stepping close to her and lifting the satchel, clearly assuming her exclamation was regarding it.
“Oh no, the satchel is fine. I’m…merely being vain.” She twisted her lips.
“Vain?” he asked, his gaze flickering across her features before darting down to her dress. “Ah, let me guess.” He tapped his lips with a finger.
Elizabeth’s face was still flushed with warmth from the expression he’d given her as he studied her. She needed to stop reacting so! It was…confusing.
“You were visiting your bees,” he announced.
“Yes, and I was extracting honey, which explains the several smudges. I’d suggest not getting too close to me, else your fine coat will be far less fine.”
His eyes crinkled in a smile. “Were you expecting me to get that close to you, Elizabeth?” he asked teasingly.
Elizabeth saw the bait and tried to resist it. “No, but in case you brushed against me—”
“Ah, you want me to make it appear like an accident.” His smile widened into a challenging grin. “I can work with that.”
“No, I said nothing of the sort—”
“Actually, you most certainly did,” he corrected, “ten seconds ago.” He proceeded to quote her.
“I take it back,” she replied tightly, trying to keep herself from smiling.
