My dear Lady Emily,
Our most recent conversation has made me reflect on a great many things, most notably your refusal to seek the justice you deserve. A lesser person would have leapt at the chance to push me into a pond. By denying yourself, you not only saved me from the humiliation you yourself were subjected to at my hands, but you also showed great consideration toward my clothing, which would without doubt have been ruined.
I hope therefore to extend my thanks. Preferably in person. In my experience, flowers are best delivered that way.
Will you let me stop by?
Callum Davis, Duke of Stratton.
Emily took a sharp breath. She’d grinned in response to his comment regarding his clothing, but then he’d mentioned flowers and to be honest, it felt like she might be blushing. Was that even possible, and if so, how? Stratton had never been charming while in her presence. He’d never attempted to be, as far as she knew. Yet here he was now, offering explanations and apologies, then asking if he might call upon her with flowers.
Her heart fluttered while instinct warned her not to get carried away. This was Stratton. The bane of her existence for six long years.
And yet, she was starting to think she’d misjudged him right from the start. For although she’d always found him too curt, aloof, or seemingly uncaring whenever she’d spoken to him, he showed a great deal of fondness and concern for Peter. She’d seen him console the boy, doing what few fathers would do in public. He’d pulled the boy close and hugged him, which appeared to mean that the man was much more than what he pretended to be.
Either that, or she’d never been given the chance to properly get to know him. Truth was, she’d not really wanted to after the first time they’d danced.
But now?
She sat back. Even if his apology and the flowers he wished to bring were offered solely because of Peter, it occurred to Emily that the sort of man who would go to such lengths on account of a child was rare. He was worth knowing and deserved her full attention.
With this in mind, she retrieved a fresh piece of foolscap and wrote her response.
Dear Duke of Stratton,
You are welcome to stop by whenever you wish. Flowers are always welcome, though I recommend something other than roses since they carry thorns.
Looking forward to seeing you soon.
Lady Emily Brooke.
4
Callum grinned in response to the latest letter he’d just received from Lady Emily. He hadn’t realized she possessed such sharp wit. How would he when they’d never spoken at great length? She’d responded to him in kind though, matching him every step of the way. It occurred to him he’d looked forward to her response. More than he cared to admit.
Ah, who was he trying to fool?
She’d always affected him. From the very first moment he saw her, dressed in white beaded lace and with her hair styled in a way that softened her features. No other lady had equaled her beauty that evening. As a result, he’d made an absolute arse of himself ever since.
It was time to change that. Time for him to pull himself together and stop getting flustered around her. He had to do it for Peter, and in his estimation, his efforts so far were proving effective. Their conversation in the park the previous day had gone better than he’d expected. She’d not only listened, she’d also made an apology of her own.
It was a start, though it would have been better if he’d thought to make future plans for them to meet. Somehow, doing so had escaped him completely until he’d returned home and Peter had asked about seeing Heidi again. Honestly, he could have smacked himself, for the truth was he’d been so relieved over saying what needed saying without doing something stupid to boot, everything else had slipped his mind.
Naturally, he’d promised Peter he’d ask about an additional outing. But when he’d sat down to write the request, he’d worried it might sound as though he’d apologized to Lady Emily solely for the sake of gaining access to her dog. Which wouldn’t do at all since it risked undoing the effort he’d made thus far.
He, therefore, decided to tread with more care. Which led to the idea of bringing her flowers.
What he hadn’t expected was the pure delight this exchange with her had led to. He’d been amused. Which was wholly unexpected because of how rude he’d believed her to be.
But was she really? The truth was he’d never gotten to know her. The chance to do so had never been there. However, based upon her correspondence, he was starting to think he might have been missing out.
With this in mind, he set off for her house that same afternoon. She had said he’d be welcome whenever he wished, and frankly, he’d rather not wait.
Anticipation raced through his veins. When he stopped by the hothouse on the way and the woman behind the counter suggested roses, he dismissed the idea. Instead, he selected flowers he didn’t know the names of, but they were pretty and brightly colored with accents of green. A lovely and rather unique bouquet, he decided.
Perfectly suited for Lady Emily.
He arrived at her home a good ten minutes later. The butler took his hat and gloves, then led him directly to the parlor where Callum’s presence was promptly announced.
