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Chapter Eight
“There you are!” Joseph called out as they got closer. “We missed you at breakfast, but father said you two had come out here.”
“Yes, I was giving my lady a tour of the gardens,” Michael explained.
He took Lydia’s hand and wrapped it around his arm again. He had hoped to make it out of the house early in the morning to avoid having Joseph and Kitty join them, so he was annoyed when they had been found.
He remembered the days when he and Joseph would go off on adventures, exploring the countryside or finding entertainment in the nearby cities. However, after Joseph got engaged, Michael found himself alone on his escapades more often. Perhaps, it was Kitty that got more on his nerves than his cousin.
“We hear that you have a full day planned for your guest,” Kitty added, looking over Lydia coolly.
“Quite a few surprises,” Michael affirmed with a grin.
He could not miss the cool looks that Kitty showered on Lydia. He was not sure why Kitty had taken a disliking to Lydia so early, though he could guess that her prejudice stemmed from Michael’s initial reaction to the rumor of their engagement. Regretting his initial attitude to punish Lydia for her wickedness, he wished that he had not told her.
“We were hoping to tag along, perhaps,” Joseph said.
“Yes, I’ve been terribly bored,” Kitty said, offering a tiny pout to Michael.
“I hadn’t yet finished the tour,” Michael said. “But you are more than welcome to join us on the rest of our walk.”
“Oh, let’s do see the orangery,” Kitty begged.
“Shall we?” Michael asked Lydia.
“Lead the way, Your Grace.”
Walking down the paths towards the orangery, Michael considered how he might control some of the damage he had caused. While Michael may not have the highest opinion of Kitty, Joseph was his best friend and cousin. He wanted to keep the peace among them all.
The orangery was a large glass hothouse on the back side of the manor. Exotic trees from around the world grew in the warm, humid conditions. As they stepped into the warm building, Michael looked to Lydia for her reaction.
“This is exquisite!” she cried, looking up into the canopy of the trees.
Michael stepped to one of the orange trees and plucked a ripe fruit. “Have you ever had an orange plucked right from a tree, my lady?”
“No!” she said. He worked to peel the fruit then split it in half, offering her one of the halves. She popped a wedge into her mouth, watching his gaze as she did. The juice from the fruit burst across her tongue as she chewed, and she closed her eyes. “Amazing.”
“This is one of my favorite places on the grounds,” he said, motioning for her to follow him as they worked on each half of their orange. “We have lemons, pomegranates, figs, limes.”
He pointed to each one, enjoying the delight on Lydia’s face.
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” she said, marveling at the exotic plants.
“Isn’t the pomegranate a symbol of fertility?” Kitty asked from across the orangery.
“You’re thinking of the goddess, Persephone,” Joseph told her. “Who eats the pomegranate seeds each year to return to her husband Hades in hell.”
“You’re so versed in Greek mythology,” Lydia remarked.
“As it seems you are, as well,” Joseph replied, surprised.
“It’s a shame that they aren’t in season quite yet,” Kitty added, drawing attention back to herself.
Michael wanted to roll his eyes at her but refrained. Turning to Lydia, he asked, “Shall we make our way to the lake?”
As they walked, Michael grew increasingly frustrated with Kitty’s constant remarks. He could not remember being so annoyed with her before Lydia’s arrival. Wondering if it was Lydia’s presence that brought about the change, he kept watching Lydia, studying her.
She seemed comfortable with them - laughing and smiling. Admittedly, he found her exceedingly attractive, wondering what it would be like to see her undressed. He kept wanting to put his arm around her waist or shoulders, draw her closer to him.
