She held her breath as Hudson considered the proposition. Truly, the way his face tightened as he ran over the idea might suggest the offer was life or death. He looked at his desk and the papers before him. He looked to the window, noting the sun in the sky. Then, finally, he looked to Florentia, and she made sure to smile warmly and flutter her eyelashes to lure him.
“Yes...” He said the word slowly, as if saying it with too much excitement might just kill him. “That will be acceptable, I think.”
“Wonderful!” she beamed.
“Do not get ahead of yourself,” he corrected as he rose. “I do not think I have ever described a walk as wonderful.”
She stepped into the room, reaching out an arm to link through his. “That is just because you have never been on one with me.”
And so it was, that Florentia and Hudson went on their very first walk together through the garden. They walked side-by-side at first, the distance between them noticeable, as if they were strangers and not husband and wife. Florentia took note and thought back to earlier, when she had caught him looking at her lips.Dare I? Oh why not.
Feeling bold, she stepped in closer, her waist brushing Hudson’s hand as he walked. “I am sorry,” she apologized immediately.
“For?”
“For getting so close…” She eyed him curiously, but she did not step away. Again, she sensed something in him that she had not seen before, beyond the cold and dispassionate man whom she had thought that she’d married.
“It is no bother.” His brow furrowed and he glanced down at her. “We are man and wife and it would be odd if we were seen in public and behaved as if we were strangers.”
“How logical,” she giggled.
Most shockingly, he smiled at that, and she could have sworn she saw some color come to his cheeks. “Humor might be your forte, Florentia, but logic is mine.”
“Well, if that is the case…” Florentia could feel their closeness growing, a connection developing that she had not thought was possible. It excited her, although she wasn’t quite ready to admit that just yet. Nonetheless, sensing the moment, she stepped into her husband again and linked her arm through his. “If it pleases you,” she said.
He turned stiff for a moment, but then relaxed, even resting a hand on hers as they walked. “It is agreeable.”
“Ha!” she laughed. “You certainly know how to make a lady blush.”
He frowned. “It was not my intent.”
“A natural, then,” she winked, keeping her arm linked. “Who would have guessed such a thing.” It felt better than she would have guessed. And she could tell from the way Hudson relaxed that he thought so too.
Today’s walk was a short thing, only thirty minutes as they took in the sun and stretched their legs and continued with their conversation from earlier. But when it was done with, Hudson admitted it had made him feel better and he was the one to suggest they do the same the next day.
“A joke?” Florentia frowned and leaned back.
“What? No,” Hudson said quickly. “I was not joking, I was being serious, for this walk has been a revelation and...” His face dropped. “Ah, now I see. You are the one who is joking.”
“And you are getting far better at picking up when I am.”
They ate supper together that evening, this time with no angry outbursts toward the end. The broke their fast together the following morning, another pleasant experience for both parties. As for their walks? Those became an afternoon ritual, used by Hudson to break up the monotony of his workday, and used byFlorentia to break up the monotony of her own day of doing little.
Each day, Florentia could feel them growing closer.
Each day, Florentia could feel their connection strengthening.
Each day, Florentia began to understand her husband that little bit better, finally beginning to accept that maybe he wasn’t doing all of this because he felt that he must or was obligated to. In fact, by the end of the fourth day, she might have gone so far as to say that he was doing this because he enjoyed her company.
Not that he would ever admit such a thing.
So at ease were Florentia and Hudson growing that when Florentia remembered the Turncott ball, how Hudson had promised to think about whether he would want to attend, she did not hesitate to ask him, figuring that she knew what answer he would give.
“When is it again?” he asked her as they walked the back garden, the sun just beginning to set across the fields. Their arms were linked, as they always were now. So close were they that to pull away would have felt odd.
“Three nights’ time,” she said. “But do not pretend that you did not know that.”
“It had slipped my mind, actually.”
