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Richard nodded. “Does that surprise you?”
“A little,” she confessed, “but I find that lately, you are full of surprises.”
“As are you.” They shared a long look then, and Richard only broke the gaze to begin folding the paper neatly once more and placing it back in his pocket where it belonged.
“You know…” Leticia began, “you don’t always have to follow the rules. You could just toss that list in the river and watch it drift away.”
“Why would I do that?”
She flung the piece of grass carelessly in the direction of the water, but it fell short, landing just a few paces ahead of them. “I don’t know.” She furrowed her eyebrows. “Don’t you ever just want to do something—not because it’s the right thing to do, or you wrote it on the list, or it was ordained as acceptable, but because it feels…amazing?”
She turned to look at him then, and he saw the curiosity there in her hazel eyes.
“Sometimes,” he admitted. “More often than I care to say, but it is the rules that guide me.”
Leticia shook her head. Then, she gave herself a push so that she moved fluidly into an upright standing position. He followed her lead. “And these rules…” she teased as her eyes widened with amusement, “might you ever be tempted to discard them?”
“Are you suggesting what I think you are?”
Her face split into a wicked grin, and she said, “I grant you permission to break the rules, just this once, but to do so…you have to catch me first.” She took off then, running up the embankment. He was shocked by her quick movements. As he had removed his boots, it was his feet that clung to the mud, searching for purchase, and as they found it, he saw her dash away.
“I’ve always been so much faster than you,” she taunted as she twirled around to look back at him.
Once he had his footing about him, he chased after her, and in a matter of seconds, he caught her in his arms, spinning her around so that they could both slow themselves naturally. “On horseback…” he panted, “you’ve always bested me. But on foot…I cannot be beaten.”
She leaned into him then and whispered. “Do not mistake the matter. I let you win just now because I wanted you to catch me.” She gripped tightly to his biceps and pulled him toward her, and when their lips connected, the sensation was exquisite. Gone were the nerves and the distracted conversations.
As they came together, Richard felt his spirit soar. He held Leticia close to him, and when she did not pull away but instead leaned in further, he reveled in just how good it felt to cast aside the rules of polite society.
CHAPTERTWENTY-SIX
“Oh, it is such a luxury to be in the country,” Margaret said as she leaned back in her chair.
Amelia nodded. “Too true. I know we were only in London for a handful of weeks, but already my mind and body were in need of refreshing.” The ladies had chosen to spend the afternoon sitting outside. They had just finished sipping their tea and nibbling on their biscuits, and the whole of the afternoon lay before them.
“Think nothing of it,” Margaret replied with a regal wave of her hand. “I would do anything…give up anything…if I thought I could ensure the future happiness of our children. And I know how the gossip columns were grating on poor Leticia’s nerves.”
Amelia sighed deeply. She rolled her shoulders, feeling the stiffness bunch in her mid-back then relax slowly. “I am just glad to see that our plans are coming to fruition. I would say Richard and Leticia only need a week or two more…then, they shall announce their official engagement, and blessedly, the whispers will cease.”
“And to think…” Margaret snorted, “they both told themselves this courtship was all a ruse.” She chuckled delicately. “Oh, but they’ve been in love with each other for ages.”
“I first remember my sister mentioning it when Leticia turned twelve. That was the summer Richard and Harry hardly made any time for her as they were grown men, and they had much better things to do than to play with a young girl. Oh, but it broke her heart, and she spent days scribbling in her journal, telling her mother that Richard and Harry were simply the worst gentlemen she’d ever encountered.”
“Mary Anne,” Margaret said with a wistful shake of her head. “I miss her horribly. It was also she who pointed out that my Richard had grown feelings for Leticia.”
“Really?”
“Yes, of course,” the Dowager replied smartly. “She always had an eye for those things…as we both know perfectly well. She knew when a match was made. It was as if she could see the love that bound people to one another.” She patted a handkerchief to her eyes, wiping away the tears that came. “It was just after Leticia’s debut when she pulled me aside and told me to take care of Richard. ‘He’s in love with my girl,’ she’d whispered and how her eyes had gleamed. ‘But he mustn’t propose yet because her father and I want her to enjoy some of the balls and parties before she weds.’” She chuckled and sniffed as she patted her nose with the handkerchief. “I agreed with her as soon as I saw the way Richard looked at Leticia. He loved her then, irrevocably, and I know he loves her still.”
“Yes,” Amelia said as she dried her own tears. “While we both know they are mad for each other, I fear that they are determined to fight against it.”
“I wouldn’t be so certain,” Margaret chided. “Do not forget that just a few days ago, the pair of them skipped out on dinner altogether.”
“Oh,” she added, “I know. I thought then they had finally come to their senses, but have you noticed—since that evening neither of them has sat for more than a moment in the same room together?”
“Indeed,” the Dowager confirmed. “This morning, Richard didn’t come to breakfast, and last night, Leticia rang to have supper delivered to her chamber.”
“What are we going to do with these children?” Amelia questioned as she once more stared at the clear blue sky overhead. She dropped her gaze then and looked at her friend. “What do you think Mary Anne would advise us to do if she were here?”
