Love Abandoned by Phillips Rose

Author:Phillips, Rose
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Romance, Historical
Publisher: Dragonblade Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2022-05-31T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Three

Some Cupid kills with arrows, some with traps.

—Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing

Elizabeth could feel Richard’s eyes on her as she took the stairs, deliberately leading the way so he might be tempted by what he saw. If the hum of her body was any indication, it was a good beginning to her plans. She resisted turning around until she was at the landing. When she did, she had to stop herself from smiling at the expression on his face. Oh yes, a very good start indeed.

The servants had followed her directions perfectly, and the far corner of the ballroom looked magical. The canopy was set, its perimeter lit by small lanterns creating a dreamlike glow. Beneath it a large cloth was spread with a dozen or more cushions artfully arranged around their final course of the evening. Also, as instructed, there was not a servant to be seen. They had been expressly told to disappear for the remainder of the evening. She wanted absolute freedom with Richard.

Richard cleared his throat as he stepped up beside her and took in the room. “It looks enchanting,” he said. “Elizabeth, I can’t—”

She quickly put a finger to his lips. She didn’t want to hear what he couldn’t do. She forbade herself to consider for a single second that she would fail this evening. “Can I not have one night of enchantment? Only the two of us? Sharing dessert and spirits?”

He contemplated her quietly. “My apologies,” he said. “Of course.”

Richard held out his hand, and she placed hers in it, the warmth of his as comforting as it was exciting. They walked quietly across the dark room, carefully navigating the various cages and children’s event setups. He assisted her to the floor before taking a seat himself on the other side of the basket of food. Elizabeth refused to be disappointed. She’d woo him to her side yet.

“I didn’t know what your preference would be,” she said, indicating the silver tray with various decanters and glasses. “Port? Sherry? Brandy?” She’d asked for those three, but there was a fourth, and in the dim light, she could not tell what it was. She extracted the glass stopper and smelled the last decanter. “Madeira…maybe?”

He smiled and held out his hand for the decanter. He swirled it and sniffed. “Claret,” he said. “You’ve never had a good nose.” He chuckled, reaching across and tapping her nose lightly with his finger. “But it is a cute one.”

She warmed at his compliment, disappointed when he quickly withdrew his finger and turned his focus to the decanters. “I believe I’d enjoy a brandy.”

“Shall I too?” she asked, overcome with a sense of daring. She’d never had it, although Sophia frequently drank it. But Sophia often did things Elizabeth would never consider.

Richard poured a second glass and handed it to her. She sniffed it, recoiling at its strong scent. Richard laughed and raised his glass. “To a successful picnic,” he said and took a sip. “I see Hastings has tapped into my finest cask.

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