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His heart was racing when he broke the kiss, Ellie still looking rather dazed. He gave her a small smile, his thumb running across her lower lip.
“Does that give you an indication as to how beautiful I think you are?” he whispered.
Ellie looked like she had lost the ability to speak. She was leaning into him, her injured hand still in his, and it took everything in Derrick not to pull her close to see how well she fitted against him. She licked her lips, and Derrick felt his arousal flaring up even brighter.
“Ellie! Where are you?”
She jumped away from Derrick immediately, her cheeks turning bright red as she adjusted her dress and checked her hair. Derrick was left staring at her while she put distance between them, moving closer to the rose bush. A moment later, Regina came into view. She stopped when she saw them.
“What are you doing, Ellie?”
“I was just showing Lord Northampton the roses cousin Emma has been cultivating.” Ellie turned and gave Regina a bright smile. “Do you need me for something?”
“Emma knows that the earl is visiting, and she asked if everyone wanted to have tea on the terrace.” Regina gave her a knowing look. “Something about how we should have a gathering as a family. Lord Northampton is welcome to join us.”
Derrick could see what was happening here. The aunt was making sure they didn’t have time alone. Given what they had been doing a moment ago, and how much Derrick wanted to do it again, Lady Burton was justified in wanting to keep an eye on her cousin. But it didn’t mean he was content with it, and he wanted to kiss Ellie again. Preferably when they wouldn’t be interrupted.
He liked the feel of Ellie in his arms.
“That… that sounds like a good idea.” Ellie sounded a little too bright. She pulled back the handkerchief and checked her wound. “Although I’m going to need a warm bowl of water. I’ve cut my finger.”
“Again? You really shouldn’t touch anything when you’re in the garden. Remember when we went climbing that tree on our estate and you broke your arm?”
“You mean when I was seven years old and showing you how to climb because you wanted to learn?”
Regina shrugged. “You still broke your arm.”
Ellie rolled her eyes. Then she looked at Derrick’s handkerchief, which was now stained with blood. She looked a little embarrassed.
“Forgive me, I didn’t—”
“Don’t worry about it. At least you didn’t get any blood on your dress.” Derrick managed a smile. “It’s nothing compared to what it could have been.”
“I suppose so.” Ellie put the cloth back on her hand with a wince. “I’ll make sure it’s laundered properly for you.”
“Like I said, don’t fret about it.” He offered her his arm. “Shall we join your family, then? I think we should sit down and then you won’t get into further trouble.”
“Further trouble?” Ellie’s eyes flashed, her cheeks going even pinker. “I wouldn’t call it trouble.”
It would have been if your sister had come upon us a few seconds earlier without warning.
It took a moment, but then Ellie took his arm, Derrick feeling the heat from her fingers through the sleeve of his jacket. Regina was still looking from him to her sister with a slight smirk. Did she suspect something? Derrick hoped not; he didn’t want Ellie to have any troubles because he couldn’t control himself.
Then again, given what he wanted to do as soon as he kissed her, what they had done was nothing.
#
Ellie’s mood was very low as she left the dressmaker’s shop. She had promised her sisters new dresses, and she had done her best, but nothing could be done without payment. And Ellie had little in terms of money. What she had would be going towards their living expenses; they didn’t have a budget for more dresses. This had been pointed out to Regina and Dorothea, but they were adamant about getting new dresses each.
How did they forget, at their age, that things cost money? Ellie was in charge of the allowances for the three of them, and she knew it would be all of their allowances for the next year until they paid the dresses off, and even dressmakers wouldn’t wait around like that. There was no harm in going to have a look, but paying for everything up front…
That wasn’t going to happen.
Ellie didn’t want to disappoint her sisters, but there wasn’t a lot she could do. Of course, she could ask Emma for help, but asking her cousin for help to pay for dresses they didn’t necessarily need made her feel like she was going to get a dressing down from Lady Mansford. They needed to save their money for other things, not dresses. They could still wear the ones they had—they were still in fashion, after all—and they could change them enough so nobody would think they were consistently wearing the same ones. She had suggested that, and Regina had said that was not acceptable.
It felt like her sisters were becoming entitled and arrogant with their time in London, and Ellie didn’t like it.
God, this day had been horrible. It had only been a couple of weeks since they came to London, and Ellie wanted to go home. She wanted to be back with her father to make sure he was alright. His letters said that he was doing fine, and they didn’t need to worry, but Ellie didn’t believe that. She wanted to be at his side, where it was safe and nobody treated her like she was an inconvenience.
