Aubrey nodded. She felt the same.
“Now,” he sat up suddenly. “If we’re going to continue this adventure it’s high time we climb out of bed and get that fire started again.” Aubrey barely heard what he said, her gaze caught up watching his bare chest and arms and abdomen, as he climbed out from beneath the quilts. She’d touched that skin last night. She’d run her hands along those sinewy lines.
She’d rested her body on top of him.
“Princesse?”
She shook her head. “You said something about a fire?” It was difficult to focus on anything other than how his muscles moved beneath his smooth golden skin and that reddish-brown hairs formed a perfect trail down to his—
“For tea, of course.” He flashed that grin at her again.
Oh, dear. Perhaps if she tried very hard, she could pretend their kiss had never happened. But she knew one thing for certain. There was no chance that she’d ever forget it. It had imprinted itself upon her soul.
And unfortunately, left her wanting another.
Chapter 8
Aubrey
“Why does food taste so much better when eaten outdoors?” Without having proper linen, Aubrey licked jam off her fingers. “Making a fire in the morning, brilliant notion, really,” Aubrey complimented Mr. Bateman before taking another sip of the hot tea they’d made. She didn’t normally eat much for breakfast but on this morning anyhow, she found herself consuming everything he put in front of her.
He’d already cleaned his plate but remained sitting beside her, stirring the embers occasionally. “I’m always hungrier when I travel,” he agreed and then nudged her with his elbow. “Apparently so are you.”
Aubrey didn’t contradict him on this, choosing instead to take another bite of cheese. It was as though she’d awoken from a long sleep and suddenly required additional fuel to survive.
And adventure, and sunshine, and laughter.
“I never would have guessed. This is the first time I’ve ever traveled anywhere.” And then picking up on what he’d said. “Do you travel often? What exactly is it that you do, to make your living? If I didn’t know better, I’d guess you were an earl—no, a duke—that you lived off the revenue from your lands, but as you’re a lowly mister…” She elbowed him back this time.
“I do a little of this and a little of that.” He slid her a sideways glance. “You mean for me to believe that you spent all of your life in the small village of Rockford Beach?”
Rather than allow disappointment at his evasiveness to ruin the morning, Aubrey considered his question. “My father occasionally took us for drives into the countryside, and of course we were not far from the beach, itself.” The memory jolted her. “I think those were some of the last times Mother and I were truly happy. He became ill right around the time I turned twelve, a long lingering illness that managed to dim the light in our lives. It’s tragic, isn’t it, that as children we fail to appreciate the wonder of life when it is there for the taking? That we only realize the value of what we have after it is gone?” She hadn’t thought about those lighthearted drives for a very long time. It was bittersweet to do so now.
“It’s not only children who make this mistake.”
She nodded. “Tell me something you wish you’d appreciated more.”
“My father.” He surprised her with his quick candor. “I’ll have lived a life to be proud of as long as I am half the man he was.”
“I cannot imagine that you are not.” She marveled.
“He lingered for six months after I returned to England.” She remembered he’d said he’d been called back home from the war due to his father’s failing health.
“It’s good that you returned then. You were able to be with him.”
Mr. Bateman nodded. “I was at his bedside in the end, along with my mother and sister. Up until then, he spent a good deal of time talking about his family, my ancestors, our legacy.”
Aubrey stared into the fire, allowing him to remember out loud.
Allowing him just to… be.
“Of all the duties he would pass on to me, he charged me to hold one above everything else. He wanted my promise that I’d take care of my mother and Adelaide, my sister, in his place.” He shook his head and exhaled loudly. “I had no idea how difficult a task that would be.”
“Your mother is well?”
“She is. In fact, I left her safe and sound atSecoursbefore running into you.”
“Secours?”
