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Chapter Nineteen
Dinner was ready within a few hours and for the first time since coming to stay here, Belle felt slight disappointment. While they waited, no one had come back in to bother them, leaving her alone with Stephen. That in itself was enough to fill her mind with steamy thoughts, wondering what might have happened had they gotten the chance to continue their kiss.
But Stephen had been on his best behavior, something she was both happy and sad about. She wanted to feel his lips on hers once more, wanted to have his arms banded around her body as his hands crept up her side. Every time they kissed, and every time he pulled away, it left her starving for more, until she couldn’t bear to look at him without imagining all sorts of things.
Just being there in that room was enough for her to go crazy.
Yet, he did well distracting her—for the most part. Belle wondered if he was thinking about the same thing she was. If every time she caught him looking at her lips when she was reading a poem aloud, he was actually thinking about kissing her again. Or if when she laughed and casually touched his arm, he felt the same intense spark.Surely, I can’t be the only one?
Belle resisted the urge to look at him as he hovered next to her. He had one hand on her elbow, but for the most part, she was walking—or rather, limping—toward the table by herself. His close proximity made it difficult to think, however, and she hoped she wasn’t giving herself away now that everyone was present.
Anne and Julia were already seated at the table, watching Belle come toward them. Robert and Lily stood on either side, as if they were acting as additional help if Stephen were to fail to catch Belle if she fell. Robert, however, studied her every move and once she finally made it to her chair and sat down, he sank to her ankle.
His rough fingers touched her injury tenderly and when he rose, he had a pleased look on her face.
“Your recovery is going splendidly, Hannah,” he said, then proceeded to take his own seat. The food began to be shared, Stephen choosing to sit next to her.
“Is it?”
“I believe that within a couple weeks or so, you should be ready to get on your own two feet.”
“Does that mean she’ll be leaving soon?” Julia spoke up.
“Well, that is up to Hannah,” Anne came in. “It is her decision, after all.”
Belle felt Julia’s imploring eyes on her. She smiled warmly at the girl even though she herself felt a pang of sadness at the thought of leaving. “It was my plan from the start,” she said.
“Of course,” Lily said. “We haven't forgotten. I think Julia is only getting a little attached to you, that’s all.”
“I think we’re all getting a little attached,” Julia countered. “Mother worries and fusses over Hannah all day.”
“Can you blame me?” Anne said with a chuckle. Belle’s smile widened at the woman’s admission. Her own mother had loved her, yes, but she’d never been one to show as much affection as Anne. “It feels as if I have another daughter around the house.”
“Oh, no,” said Robert. He shook his head apologetically at Belle, who couldn’t help laughing. “Once you hear her say that, it means she’s going to ask you to change your name to Stanton soon enough.”
“Oh, hush, I wouldn't go that far.”
The warmth of the family surrounding her was enough to put a smile on her face for the rest of the night. But Belle didn’t miss the silence of the young man sitting by her side. She glanced at him to see that he wasn’t even eating his food.
And she wasn’t the only one who noticed. “How about you, Stephen? How do you feel about Hannah leaving soon?”
“I...” Stephen’s eyes went wide at the question and he looked around at the family to see that he wasn’t going to get any help to deflect the question. Belle didn’t feel like helping, either. She, more than anyone, wanted to know how he would feel. “I’m going to miss her, of course.”
“Scotland is far away from here,” Lily went on, her tone much too casual to be trusted. “There’s a chance you may never see her again.”
“Lily, you’re going to make him sad,” Julia jumped in.
“I...I don’t...”
Robert barked a loud laugh, and everyone else pitched in. Even Hannah. She couldn’t stop herself from giggling at how flustered Stephen was becoming now that Lily was putting him on the spot. “She’s only joking with you, Stephen,” Robert said to Stephen. “Don’t take her so seriously or else you’re going to give yourself a fever from all that blushing.”
“Do you really think that’s possible?” Julia asked, wide eyed.
“Give me some time with Stephen,” Lily told her sister, “and we’ll see.”
“If you need help learning how to handle her, Stephen,” Belle said. She plastered a wide smile on her face, hoping that would hide the way her heart pounded against her chest when he looked at her. She still couldn’t understand how one man could be so terribly handsome. “Just come to me. I’ll teach you how to tease her as badly as she teases you.”
“Oh?” Lily cocked her head at Belle. “You make it seem as if you’re immune to me as well.”
