Page 24 of Irish Betrayal

There was no furniture to speak of, since the owner died directly after the contractors were finished and the family canceled the interior designers. Even with the bare walls and empty rooms, the place was spectacular.

He couldn’t wait to see what room his mom decided to stage. If his aunt River had any say, it would be the primary suite in the manor’s east wing. The nursery was west.

He took them to the second story first, which had originally housed the home’s servants but was now remodeled into six lovely bedrooms, each with its own en-suite bathroom.

His mother was right. The views were spectacular at night, but he couldn’t wait to explore the acreage by day. There were three fishing ponds, stables, a hunting lodge, and of course, the greenhouse. He knew one would never be enough for Blair, but it was a start.

As they returned to the first floor, they took their time exploring the “nursery,” which consisted of three bedrooms. One was presumably for a nanny, a second bedroom, and an open room that had once been the original owner’s children's playroom.

Blair took everything in, marveling at the home’s restored details, many of which were original to the late eighteenth-early nineteenth century.

She clutched his arm, occasionally letting go to sign her opinion but also speaking aloud, thrilling Daniel every time. He had never, in all the years they’d known one another, heard her speak aloud so often and with such enthusiasm.

Perhaps she did with Mags, Bébhinn, and Gray, but never in front of her guy friends…in front of him.

He saved the primary wing for last, assuming that it would be the space his mom and aunts had staged. His body tensed, waiting to see what Blair thought about the romantic setting. He didn’t want her to think he had ideas about going further in their relationship than she was ready. However, he’d be lying if he hadn’t, in great detail, thought about what he hoped would happen between them that evening.

So, when he opened the double doors of the suite, he barely contained his shock when he found it as bare as the rest of the manor.

They still looked over the apartment, and he was pleased to see that Blair loved that the large glass doors in the bedroom fully opened to a private patio.

While Blair shoved half her body into one of the flowering bushes lining the outdoor space, he texted his mother.

Daniel: Nothing is staged. Did you change your mind?!

Dots immediately began to wave.

Mom: Patience, son.

Then it dawned on him. His mother had known Blair as long as he had. Where better to stage something romantic than in the greenhouse?

He practically dragged her through the rest of the tour until they were outside and on the path leading towards the greenhouse.

Daniel felt his stomach tighten with anticipation. Blair kept peeking up at him, clearly feeling the change in the evening.

Just before the bend that would bring the greenhouse into sight, Daniel covered Blair’s eyes from behind as he guided her down the stone path, cringing because his palms felt hot against her face.

She laughed silently, the movement of her shoulders giving her away, and reached up to tug at his wrists.

“You are impossible,” she signed blindly, fingers brushing his forearm.

He spun her around and moved his hands so she could read his lips. “I’ve heard that before. Has no one ever given you a surprise for crying out loud? I’m going to turn you back around, cover your eyes, and you’re going to enjoy it. Be good, and I might let you get me off again as payment for all the work I’ve put into this date,” he growled, loving when her smile turned wickedly contemplative.

The evening air was cool, but the structure ahead glowed with warmth. Light spilled through panes of glass framed in wrought iron, turning the greenhouse into something out of a dream. Well, one of Blair’s dreams, anyway.

Daniel hadn’t believed his luck when he found out the previous owner was an avid gardener. The greenhouse they were about to see wasn’t run-of-the-mill. It was a masterpiece, aesthetically and architecturally, with all the bells and whistles Blair could dream of. He stopped them just outside the door.

He turned her around to face him, lowering his hands a few feet from the main door, and asked, “Ready?”

She nodded once, so Daniel turned her back around. Blair stood still, only staring.

Inside, the greenhouse shimmered beneath strands of soft golden lights woven through hanging vines. Ferns and flowering plants crowded every corner, lush and fragrant, their leaves glossy with mist. At the center sat a low cream couch layered with cushions and fluffy pine-green throws, with thick rugs spread beneath it. A silver bucket held a bottle of champagne on ice beside a tray of strawberries dipped in chocolate.

Her hands flew to her mouth.

Then she turned to him so quickly her curls whipped around her shoulders. “You did this?”

Daniel felt absurdly nervous under the force of her expression. He shrugged one shoulder, suddenly feeling less like a polished O’Faolain heir and more like a teenager.