“And what do I look for?” She tried to keep her voice innocent, but she saw the blaze in his eyes. Her only fear was that it was lust and nothing more.
“See me, Arianna—seeme.” He held her gaze, and she was soon lost in his eyes. How many times had she looked up at him as a child and held his gaze like this only fleetingly? This... this was everything she had dreamed of, her sweet, childish love having grown and blossomed over the years into a thousand budding petals that stretched toward him as though he were her own personal sun.
“I see you, Derrick,” she whispered, her heart quaking. It felt as though the earth was resettling deep within its core, and she felt that change stronger than anything else in her entire life. She really was a fool. Had she ever truly believed anyone but him would ever be enough for her? She was silly to think her heart could ever be given to anyone else. Derrick had stolen it long ago.
“You can feel the heat of my skin, feel the burning fire in my blood, and it’s all there in my eyes,” he whispered, leaning in toward her. And then, his voice barely a breath, he added, “Would you like to practice kissing? I could show you my favorite kind of kiss…”
She nodded frantically. Her hands gripped his shoulders as she held on to him. His lips curved in a slow smile that made her heart skip.
“Yes, I would—”
“Oi! Seabright! You’ve been summoned,” Freddie shouted from the other side of the hedgerow.
Derrick closed his eyes and rested his forehead against hers. “Bloody hell... of all the rotten timing.”
Arianna had to agree. Freddie bloody Poncenby.
“Oi!” Freddie started to shout again.
“I’m coming!” Derrick hollered back. He gave Arianna an apologetic look. “Care to come back to the house with me?”
“Do you wish me to?”
“I do. While I do not believe that Freddie is the man you long for, I do believe it’s best if you aren’t out here alone. I don’t want him to give you a kissing lesson while I’m gone, wouldn’t want him to try and do the thing better than me, eh? Not when I’ve promised to be your tutor..”
“Derrick, you’re terrible.” Arianna nudged him in the ribs.
They left their secluded spot to head back to the house. Freddie and Pepper waited for them a few feet away from the doors.
“Sorry, old boy, Mrs. Asgil needs us to hang the kissing boughs.” Freddie did actually look apologetic. “We are two of the tallest men here, and she thought that we should help.”
“I could come along and assist Derrick,” said Arianna. “Freddie, you could go do whatever you wish.” She gave him a hopeful gaze, and he seemed to pick up on the tension present.
“If you don’t mind? I need to have my valet fix my cravat.” Freddie plucked at the cloth around his neck with an almost comical frown. “It’s gone and wilted on me.” He gave them a nod and hastened inside the house. Pepper gave a blushing grin and chased after her brother, muttering something about seeing to her dresses.
“Well, that worked,” said Derrick. “Now, if we could—”
“Ah, Derrick, come here,” Arianna’s mother called out as she caught sight of Derrick and Arianna entering.
“Damn.”
“Mama—” Arianna began, but her mother ignored her.
“Youmusthelp hang the kissing boughs. Our tall ladder is broken, and the shorter ladder only goes so far. Here.” She pressed a basket of kissing boughs into Derrick’s arms and handed him the short ladder.
“Where would you like them?” he asked.
“All of the main doorways, if you can manage it. Start with the ones by the ballroom.”
“Yes, Mrs. Asgil.” He bowed his head, and her mother patted his shoulder with motherly affection before she rushed off after a scullery maid who had spilled a bucket of ash on a corridor carpet.
He handed Arianna the basket of greenery and hoisted the ladder up over his shoulder. “Let’s start with the ballroom.”
Arianna bit her lip to hide a smile. She wondered if her mother was helping her... because the tall ladder was most certainly not broken, unless she had taken an axe to it in the last hour.
Derrick couldn’t denyhis stroke of good luck. He had all but strangled Freddie in the gardens. To interrupt a man in the midst of seduction was damnably rude. Now he had a moment alone with Arianna, but how long would it last? If he didn’t get a taste of her, he would lose his mind. He shouldered the ladder and headed straight for the most distant doorway, one that would give them a fair amount of privacy. Footmen were always nearby, but any decent servant knew better than to look their way if they stumbled upon something they weren’t supposed to see.
Setting the small stepladder down beneath the overhanging doorjamb, he turned to Arianna and held out his hand. She picked up a kissing bough and placed it in his palm. Someone, likely a footman, had carefully attached a decorative crimson ribbon to each piece of greenery so that it could be hung. The wood frame just above his head had a tiny nail sticking out. He climbed the two steps on the ladder and, standing on his toes slightly, reached up to hang the kissing bough. When he came back down the steps, he put his hands on his hips to admire his handiwork.
