“Thank you.” He hesitated before asking, “May I escort you home?”
“That won’t be necessary, but I do thank you kindly for the offer.”
Colin smiled. “Will I be seeing you later, when the children from the orphanage come to decorate the two trees?”
“I wouldn’t dream of missing the excitement.”
“Nor I.”
“Will your mother be joining us?”
“I believe so.”
“Wonderful,” Arabella said.
Colin looked unsure, which was in stark contrast to how he usually appeared. “Would you care to go ice skating with me tomorrow?”
Arabella pressed her lips together, delaying her response. As much as she wanted to say yes, she didn’t dare do that to herself.
“Before you refuse me,” Colin started, “just think of how much fun we used to have ice skating together.”
“Colin…”
“It will be like old times.”
Despite her reservations, she found herself saying, “It does sound like fun.”
“Is that a yes, then?”
Arabella wasn’t quite sure, but it appeared as if Colin was holding his breath in anticipation of her response. “It is.”
Colin smiled. “You have made me immensely happy, Bella.”
“Then my work here is done,” she teased. “I should be going. I intend to join my grandmother for breakfast.”
“I shall see you later, then.”
“Yes, you shall,” she said before kicking her horse into a run.
Arabella scolded herself for agreeing to go ice skating with Colin. But it was just one outing with him; surely, there could be no harm that would come from that.
Chapter Ten
Colin was elated as he raced back to his manor. He felt like he had secured his first real victory with Arabella, and he knew that was no small feat. She was as stubborn as she was beautiful.
He reined in his horse in front of the stable and dismounted. As he extended the reins towards a waiting groom, his brother stepped outside.
“Why are you smiling like a fool?” John asked.
“Am I?”
John eyed him curiously. “You just came from seeing Arabella, didn’t you?”
“I did.”
“Something must have happened between you two.”
Colin nodded. “She agreed to go ice skating with me tomorrow.”
