Page 57 of An Accidental Elopement

“This is for you.” He struggled to be amiable and charming even though it had been his default before. But his voice pitched with the hope that this was enough. That she did not need fancy chocolate and expensive jewelry as an apology, and Rosie was right in that she only needed his sincerity.

“For me?” Cecilia repeated disbelievingly; her gray eyes were large in her face.

Archie cursed himself. He had thought he had been attentive towards her but clearly, he had not been able to show her that she could trust him not to sleep with other women while they were married.

“Come inside and sit down.” He ushered her to the settee and closed the door behind her. He debated internally whether to lock it but was uncertain how she would perceive it. “Tea?” he asked as he sat down in the chair opposite the settee.

Cecilia nodded as she untied her bonnet and placed it on the settee beside her, then took off her shawl and coat as well.

“This is all...” she started tentatively and looked around the room. “Lovely,” she gulped.

“Thank you,” Archie said and handed her a cup of tea. He had spilled on the saucer and the splash of milk she had preferred had become more like a slosh, but she took it from him with something close to awe in her gaze.

His legs bounced at what he wanted to say to her, and he tried to contain himself while she took a small sip of it. Archie threw his own tea down, scolding the back of his throat. Then decided that he could not wait any longer.

“Cecilia,” he breathed and realized that he was sitting too far away from her. He moved to kneel in front of her on the floor. Which was probably fitting, he told himself. Cecilia’s eyes went round at his gesture. Archie reached into his pocket for the box there, then remembered the biscuits.

“There are biscuits too. With vanilla and cinnamon. Because that’s how you smell. I wanted Cook to add honey and raspberries as well, but she believed honey might be strange and she did not have any raspberries.” He handed her the tray of biscuits.

The frown was back on Cecilia’s face as she took a biscuit.

“I know my perfume smells of vanilla and cinnamon, but do I smell of honey and raspberries as well?” she asked as she examined the biscuit before taking a small bite.

“No, but your hair is like honey and your lips are like raspberries,” Archie plunged in. He was clearly making a fool of himself, and he might as well go on. But if it made Cecilia trust him again, forgive him, maybe, hopefully, possibly one day just feel half for him as he did for her, then it would have been worth it.

Cecilia closed her eyes and breathed his name in a resigned manner. Her hand with the half-eaten biscuit lay in her lap.

Archie said her name with all the hope and conviction he felt, which at least made her open her eyes again.

“I have thought so since we met the first time. Your hair is just like golden honey.” He gently stroked her hair, “And your lips are as sweet and pink as raspberries.”

He traced her lips with his index finger and heard her breath catch. The small sound was enough to make his loins tighten. It would be so easy to lean forward and kiss her. She might even let him. She might even let him do more than simply kiss her, but a simple seduction did not change anything between them. She would still not trust him afterward. He removed his finger from her lips and reached into his jacket pocket to find the small wooden box that his mother had given him.

“I have this for you as well,” he told her and held it out to her.

Cecilia gave him the half-eaten biscuit and Archie unceremoniously put it in his mouth. She stared at the box for a moment before opening it. Inside where a set with emerald earrings and a necklace.

“It was my grandmother’s,” Archie told her. “I will buy something for you when we return to London, but I wish to give you a gift as well. Not to buy your affection,” he added hastily, “But as a way to show you how much I appreciate you.”

Cecilia was still staring at the earrings and necklace.

“Allegedly my grandmother received the set from a Russian czar who was in love with her. It does not have the opulence that one associates with Russian jewelry though, does it? I find it quite elegant, and I thought it would suit you.” Blast it, he was babbling. But she was not saying anything, not even looking at him. He became more and more concerned as all he heard were the crackle of the fire and the wind outside.

“Thank you, it is beautiful,” Cecilia finally told him and looked up. Her eyes were unreadable and her voice a bit distant.

“Cecilia,” he said and could not help but grip her free hand with both of his. “You do realize that I appreciate you, don’t you?”

Unexpectedly a tear rolled down Cecilia’s cheek and she quickly dried it away.

“I’m sorry,” she muttered in a hoarse voice.

“What is happening?” Archie asked gently.

Cecilia gulped and looked away and for a moment he thought that she was not going to answer. Then her spine straightened, and she met his gaze head-on. A determination there that he had rarely seen.

“I just... This is truly nice, and I appreciate the gesture. But when you do something like this, all I can think is: How many times has he done this for other women? And is this the only time he will do it for me? If not, then when will the last time be?”

Archie wanted to haul her into his arms, hoping that it might persuade her to believe what he was about to say. He clenched his hands into to fists by his side however since he sensed that Cecilia needed words and not physical touches at the moment.