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So, that was it. The real reason behind her sudden appearance in his study this morning, and this unexpected invitation to tea while she usually went out to tea houses with one of her friends, yet another privilege that she was not allowed while the old Duke was still alive.
“I’m afraid that I am busy tomorrow afternoon,” he lied, hoping that she would not see through him. She was, after all, his mother, and the last person he was supposed to lie to, but he promised Oliver he would not be spending any more time with his sisters. To be quite frank, it was not Sarah that was the issue. It was her sister, that goddess he could not get out of his mind. He was being forced away from her, and all he could do was comply. The fates, however, seemed to be plotting differently.
“Oh, nonsense,” his mother snorted in a rather unlady-like manner, which made him chuckle loudly. She added a casual wave of her hand to that sound. “You work far too much, darling.”
“I am a man of business, dear Mother,” he reminded her. “I am also a man of many interests which I fear leaves very little time for… strolls.” He initially intended to say courting, but finally opted for something less constrictive.
Work was always the best excuse for a gentleman, for every proper gentleman was a busy man. Now, what he was busy with… that was another matter.
“Seeing you locked up in your study for such long hours breaks my heart,” she said melancholically. “Could you perhaps go tomorrow as a favor to me?”
He frowned. While it was true that he did not have any particularly urgent meetings tomorrow afternoon, he still had countless other tasks which demanded his attention, all of which had been focused lately on Bridget. She was the reason he was so behind on everything that he had been planning.
Putting him in a situation to be next to her once again would not be very beneficial to his cause. Not one bit. But once again, he could not refuse his mother anything. If Oliver asked for an explanation, he would merely say that he could find his way out of this. Their mothers had arranged it, not him.
Perhaps he could make this their last tryst. One final stroll that would end their friendship and leave them solely as acquaintances who would only nod politely in passing.
If such a thing were possible after the kiss that they shared.
“All right, Mother,” he said with a heavy sigh, reaching for his own teacup. Her face lit up at his decision, and despite all his efforts, his heart lit up, too.
Chapter 16
“Oh, I always wanted to visit the maze in Hampton Court.” Bridget clapped her hands joyfully as the two sisters expected to arrive at their destination soon. The carriage rocked pleasantly, and, as always, Bridget eagerly awaited to be in Joseph’s company once more. She wondered what this new day would bring. A deep, secretive part of herself wondered if they would be able to steal yet another kiss. It was forbidden, so outrageous and utterly inappropriate, yet she wanted it more fervently than anything else before.
“It is supposed to be a combination of flowers and shrubbery with high, trimmed edges you cannot even peer over!” Sarah exclaimed as excited as her sister. “Why, we could get utterly lost in one of those mazes!”
“Oh, that would be such a wonderful thing to happen,” Bridget returned. “To get lost in lush greenery, away from everyone else, away from prying eyes and tongues that always seem to wag… That would be bliss.”
“I hope you do not wish to get away from me.” Sarah pretended to be saddened and a little offended, but Bridget could easily recognize the playful tone in her voice.
“Of course not,” Bridget chuckled. “You mean the world to me, dear Sarah. I honestly do not know how I would have handled being blind without you. The accident left me… wondering about everything, even the purpose of my own existence. You know how hard it was for me at first, I’m just thankful that you were there to guide me every step of the way; you all were…”
Sarah took her sister’s hand, bringing it to her cheek. “I will never forget the depth of depression you were in. Watching you as you were was heartbreaking, but we all knew that while we could be the guiding light to you, we could not walk the path in your place. You needed to do it on your own, and you managed to surface, blossoming like the most exotic flower, against all odds. It is all you, Bridget. The rest of us, we only helped a little, but you did most of the work which was the hardest part of overcoming all that. You are the bravest woman I know, and it is an honor to be your sister…”
Those words almost made Bridget cry. The sisters had spoken many times about the accident that took Bridget’s eyesight in an effort to understand why it happened and to come to terms with it. It was just an accident, and she had no one to blame but herself. She was careless poking the fire in the fireplace, and a piece of ember jumped on her gown. She screamed in distress, all alone in the room with all other members of her family scattered about the house. She swirled towards the window, and the curtains also caught fire. She quickly dropped to the floor, managing to extinguish the fire that had caught her gown, but in her distress, she failed to see that the support of the curtain was about to fall right on top of her. Within seconds, everything turned black, and when she woke up again, she was lying in her bed, unable to see the light of day ever again.
She still remembered that horrible, frighteningly cold sensation of knowing that her eyes were open, yet not seeing anything. For days, she refused to speak to anyone, turning away from even Sarah and her own mother when they came in the room to feed her. Life seemed meaningless. How could she ever live a good life if she could not see? Little by little, hope found her, and all because her family stood by her side.
The carriage suddenly came to a halt, and Bridget knew they had arrived. The thought of meeting up with Joseph again filled her with excitement. Her lips still remembered their kiss. She doubted she would ever be able to forget it. The moment she stepped out of the carriage, she heard his voice. She blinked hard, although it did little to aid her. Instead, she immediately felt that heat pool between her thighs, the same sensation that washed over her as she melted in his arms. A swift rush of excitement, joy, and all the other forbidden emotions became entangled inside her stomach.
“Ladies,” she heard him say. As if on command, she offered her hand, and immediately, she felt the warm touch of his skin against her then his lips. Those lips she could not see, yet which she could still remember and still feel as they endeavored to lure her nearer and nearer to danger. Strangest of all, she loved it.
“It was so nice of you to join us,” Bridget took over the conversation, feeling emboldened, much more so than usual. She did not wish to show him in any way that she regretted what happened between them. On the contrary, she wanted to reveal to him that he had awakened a part of herself she never even knew existed inside of her. A new Bridget, a passionate, loving, yearning, desirable Bridget who wanted to act on her passions instead of refrain from them as society dictated. It was a dangerous path indeed, but that seemed to make it all the more exciting and irresistible.
“How could anyone refuse the company of such two lovely young ladies?” Joseph replied as charming as ever. “Allow me to guide you both to the entrance. Have you ever visited Hampton Court?”
“No,” Bridget replied.
“This is our first time here,” Sarah added.
“In that case, it shall be my pleasure to show you the most breath-taking part of this entire place which is the maze itself.”
“May we go there immediately?” Bridget asked, relishing the soft breeze and the caress of the afternoon sun.
“Perhaps it is a good idea to go immediately,” he agreed. “Right now, there aren’t many people around, but they do arrive a bit later. It would be wise to enjoy the maze uninterrupted while we still might have the chance to do so.”
He continued to charm them both with amusing stories of his escapades abroad, such as falling overboard from a gondola in Venice or getting lost in Pere Lachaise cemetery when he went visiting Paris two years prior.
