“Yes, thank you,” Miles said and sat down.
Fleming went to the sideboard and poured two drinks, handing one to Miles.
“Is there a new investment opportunity you’d like to discuss?” Fleming asked, sitting across from him.
Miles shook his head. “No, this is a matter of a personal nature.”
“Oh? Is something amiss?”
“Not at all. As a matter of fact, I hope everything will soon be perfect.”
Fleming sat forward. “Now I’m intrigued. Please do tell.”
“Before I left for Oxfordshire, your daughter and I spent many pleasant hours together. She’s an amazing young woman.”
“Indeed she is.”
“While I was gone, I realized that I wanted that amazing young woman in my life. The ache I felt being away from her became unbearable as the days and weeks flew by.”
“I see. Do you love my daughter?”
“With all my heart and soul. She completes me, and I never want to be parted from her again. Will you grant me permission to ask her to marry me?”
Fleming showed no emotion, and Miles was afraid he would deny him his request. He didn’t have a title, but he was a wealthy country gentleman who would have no trouble supporting awife. “Of course,” he rushed to add, “she will be well taken care of. My estate is quite profitable, and she will not want for anything.”
“I see.”
“Is there anything I can add to make you understand the depth of my feelings for her?”
Fleming stood, chuckling, and held out his hand once again. “Miles, my dear boy, I had a feeling you and my Emma were developing a tendre for each other. I may be old, but I’m not blind. You have my blessing, of course, but the final decision must be Emma’s. ”
Miles shook his hand vigorously. “Thank you, Fleming. I agree that whatever Emma decides, I will abide by her decision.”
“Excellent. You might want to take a stroll in the garden. I believe you’ll find a certain someone by the rose bushes.”
“Thank you, Fleming,” Miles said before he headed out to the garden. Now that he had her father’s blessing, would Emma be receptive to his proposal, especially since he’d been gone for so many weeks? Had her heart changed toward him? All these thoughts rolled around his mind as he spotted a lone figure in the garden. He hurried his steps.
Emma stood in thegarden, tracing a finger along one of the last velvety rose petals still clinging to a stalk. Soon, everything would be bare and stark as the autumn days rolled into winter. She’d always loved the changing of the seasons, but this year, it merely reminded her that time was marching on without Miles by her side.
She wondered how much longer he’d be gone. She knew he went to help his friend deal with his grief, and she applauded hissense of commitment and loyalty, but she’d realized once he had gone how much she missed him.
He was the first man who’d ever piqued her interest. Someone who listened to her, who talked with her about any number of things without a trace of condescension; someone who made her body burn hot whenever he was around. He had such expressive brown eyes, and she would never tire of looking at them. Of course, it didn’t hurt that he was tall, with broad shoulders and a strong jawline. In her eyes, he was perfect.
When he’d lifted her on and off her mare during their last morning ride, she could feel the heat through her clothes, and she wanted nothing more than to be closer to him. What would it be like to lie with a man? She knew a little of what happened between a man and a woman. There was livestock on the estate, of course, so she wasn’t completely in the dark about such things, and her mother had told her to trust her future husband to show her the joys of the marriage bed. Her parents were still deeply in love after all these years, and she yearned for a happy marriage that mirrored theirs.
When she first met Miles, she had no idea if he was one of those bachelors who wasted their lives with too much drink, too many women, and too much gambling. She’d known men like that, and she never wanted to become involved with someone whose only purpose in life was pursuing his own pleasure.
Much to her surprise and delight, Miles wasn’t at all like that. He was a country gentleman who owned and managed a profitable estate. He was likely kind to his staff if the way he talked with the servants at Fleming Manor was any indication; he took care of his tenants and was evidently excellent at sniffing out good investments. The fact that her father had invited Miles back to Fleming Manor to talk about those investments told Emma quite a bit about the quality of the man.
She’d never been the type of young woman who trifled with gentlemen. She was honest in her opinions, maybe a bit outspoken for some, but she felt it was better to either encourage or discourage a gentleman early in their acquaintance. As she’d spent more time with Miles, she’d hoped that she was encouraging him enough because she was falling hard for him.
“Oh, Miles, I miss you, my darling. When are you coming back to me?” she said with a sigh.
“How about now?” came a voice from behind her.
Emma whipped around so quickly that she nearly lost her balance and tumbled into the rose bush. “Miles, you’re back.”
“I am indeed, and my dear, I must say you are a sight for sore eyes.”
