Teach Me Under the Mistletoe by Kay Springsteen

Author:Kay Springsteen [Springsteen, Kay]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Literature & Fiction, Romance, Historical, Regency, Historical Romance
Amazon: B00H3YAXT4
Barnesnoble: B00H3YAXT4
Publisher: Astraea Press
Published: 2013-12-08T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

“It occurs to me that every time we’ve met up here, you inevitably turn the conversation round to me. I hope you’re ready to speak about yourself for once.” Lady Caroline offered a lilting laugh, but her words carried a bit of censure as well.

Hugh turned and slid his gaze over the woman standing at the edge of the stone terrace. Primly dressed as usual, with a dark green sarcenet walking gown, crimson cloak fastened tightly at the neck, the matching hat that hid the bulk of her glorious hair. She was dressed more for an afternoon tea in Town than prowling about a garden in wintertime.

He’d sensed her presence even before she’d spoken. They’d met every afternoon for more than a week. Each day as he’d tramped through the woods, taking the surreptitious route to their clandestine rendezvous, he’d called himself all sorts of fool. Their relationship could go nowhere — he’d known that all along. But he’d been helpless to stop his feet from carrying him to each assignation.

“Well?” She laughed again. “Have you nothing to say for yourself?”

“I… suppose I don’t.” What had he in his sorry life that a lady as fine as Caroline would find of interest?

She glided toward him, every inch the lady of breeding, her gown just touching the tops of her half boots, giving him a tantalizing glimpse of ankle with each step.

She stopped just in front of him, tilted her head back, and found his gaze. “Shall we stroll a bit while you talk?”

He gave in, of course; as he always would. Smiling, he offered his arm and when she laid her hand in the crook of his elbow, he covered it with his. They meandered about the terrace in silence, first to the stone pillars for a look out at the reflecting pool.

“Apparently, they’ve settled their differences.” He nodded at the geese paddling in a line across the pond.

“For the moment, at any rate.” Lady Caroline squeezed his arm. “What part of Scotland are you from?”

So she wasn’t to be put off. “The nearest town would have been Kilmarnock, a wee place south of Glasgow. Or it was small until a few years ago. It’s grown some since I was a lad.” And the growth had stolen much of the charm.

“Does it make you sad that you’re no longer there?”

He smiled. The question was so typical of Lady Caroline, whom, he had discovered, cared deeply about the feelings of others. “In some ways. I’ve been back since Dougal and I left, though, and it’s not the same.”

They began walking again.

“Is that why you left? Because of the change?”

“Not… precisely, no. Dougal has a bit of the wanderer in him, and…” He sighed. “I suppose I do as well. I’d like to go the Americas one day, though it will be hard to leave my sisters.”

Lady Caroline pounced. “You have sisters? Tell me about them.”

And so, though he hadn’t intended to, he found himself speaking of the sisters he often missed.

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