“This is marvelous. I would spend every day in winter out here if I lived at Newhall Castle,” she said. She looked away, down toward the lake. The air was still chilly, but heat prickled on her cheeks.
Julian drew close. “I have ice skates which you could use. I would love to see you spinning on the pond. I watched you dance in the snow the other day, and I thought it was magical.”
He was so close now that she could feel the heat of his breath on the back of her neck. Caroline shivered. “That would be nice.”
Her heart raced. Never before had a man had this sort of effect on her. Her sense of control was slipping away. When he brushed his fingers softly on her cheek, she let the air slowly leave her lips before taking in a shuddering breath.
He drew back. She dared not look at him. What was she to say? That while men paid constant attention to her, she was afraid to open her heart to any of them?
From all the many men in her life, she knew Julian was different. His open honesty told her that he was not one for playing games when it came to love. He was the first man who’d made her feel as if she could lower her guard and he would keep her safe. The champion of her heart.
She walked toward the edge of the pond, only turning to face him when she had put some distance between them. He was still standing in the middle of the frozen pond, his eyes cast downward. There was a vulnerability about him she had never noticed before. When he finally looked up and began to walk toward her, his posture was stiff. “As I said, you could come and skate here if you like. I shall ask the castle housekeeper to find a pair of ice skates for you.”
She nodded, allowing him to change the mood between them back to one of host and guest. “Thank you. I would like that very much. I suppose we had better head back to the others.”
For the first time in her life, Caroline found herself afraid of what else she might say. Her mind usually dictated her words, but now it was her heart which cried out to be heard. She knew enough to know that once she had declared her love for him, there would be no going back.
Doubt filled her mind. What if she was not reading the signs from Julian right? Could she take the risk, knowing that if she had it all wrong, the bitter taste of rejection would soon follow?
