Rose in Bloom (Sex and the Season #2)(14)
Rose kept Begonia to a trot for a bit to warm her up, moved her into a canter, and then a full-blown gallop. She diverged a little from the trail to check out the duke’s jumping course. Rose adored jumping, but she hadn’t tried this particular course before. She looked over it carefully, decided she could handle it, and proceeded. The jumps got progressively harder, but Rose managed them expertly, the pins falling from her hair as she and Begonia leaped into the air again and again. By the time she had completed the course, her hair was falling over her shoulders and neck. She laughed aloud and patted Begonia’s black mane.
Finding the trail once again, Rose and Begonia trotted past the fairy garden, where she and Evan had shared their first kiss—Rose’s first kiss ever. Dear Evan. He had kissed her and asked if he could court her. Giddiness had consumed her that day. Evan was a good man, a man who would take care of her always. She considered herself lucky. Perhaps they would never have the passion or the ease with each other that Lily and Daniel shared, but that type of relationship was rare.
Rose continued riding, enjoying the lush green of the countryside in spring. She breathed in the fresh air. When she came to a small stream, she stopped so Begonia could drink. Rose pinned up her riding habit and looked around while Begonia quenched her thirst. She didn’t recognize the scenery and hoped she could find her way back to the main house. Deciding to let Begonia rest for a while, Rose sat under a tree and closed her eyes. Her thoughts hammered in her head, as she recalled her first kiss with Evan in the fairy garden.
Evan led Rose through a small winding path, picking blooms and handing them to her until she had a small bouquet, and then placed one behind her ear. “There,” he said. “You look just like a fairy princess.”
Rose laughed. “A fairy princess in a brown riding habit.”
“My lady, you would be devastating in anything.”
“Thank you, my lord.”
“Won’t you use my Christian name?” Evan asked. “It would mean a great deal to me.”
“I’m afraid it’s not proper, my lord.”
“Lybrook and your sister use each other’s names. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Lybrook quite so animated as he has been today with her.”
“My lord, they’re just…good friends. Neither His Grace nor my sister are interested in courtship.”
“Are you, my lady?”
“I don’t know…”
“Let me see if I can convince you.”
He leaned toward her, touching her face with both hands. His lips brushed hers lightly, sending a delicious tingle through her whole body.
“Would it be acceptable to you if I asked your father for permission to court you…Rose?” He stroked her cheeks gently with his thumbs.
Rose closed her eyes, his smooth fingers tantalizing her skin. “I would be…honored…Evan.”
He brushed his lips against hers again, coaxing them open. His tongue entered her mouth slowly, softly, taking only the smallest taste. Oh yes, Lily was right. Kissing was heavenly. Then she couldn’t think at all, as Evan found her tongue and swirled his own around it. She sighed into him, dropping her small bouquet of flowers as he led her arms around his neck.
Rose had nearly swooned at Evan’s first kiss. It had been unlike anything she had imagined. But though cared for him deeply, she didn’t love him. When she slept at night, Evan didn’t hold her in her dreams. When she woke in the morning, Evan’s face wasn’t stamped in her mind. It was Cameron who haunted her thoughts. Cameron, with his thick black hair, his calloused hands, his soft full lips. He had consumed Rose’s thoughts since she first saw him. Her skin tingled, her heart thumped, her belly fluttered every time his image appeared in her mind. Working with him on the waltz had nearly unnerved her. He had treated her with disdain for the most part, seeming to resent her and who she was. But one time, his guard had come down and they had connected.
Rose and Cameron sat together at the grand piano in the Lybrook conservatory. The waltz for Lily was about half complete, and Cameron had brought the sheet music to Rose so she could begin preparing it for the wedding. As her fingers lightly touched the ivory keys, the hair on the back of her neck rose slightly. Cameron was watching her. She couldn’t see him, but his steely grey gaze burned into her. She was used to stammering and making mistakes in his presence because he unnerved her so, but this time, she swallowed and summoned all the power within her. She turned and looked at him, staring into his silver eyes as she continued to play.
“You play beautifully, my lady,” he said.
“Thank you, Mr. Price. I do appreciate the compliment.” She finished the piece.
“Don’t stop,” Cameron said. “I could listen to you play all day.”
“I’ve played through all that you have completed,” Rose said. “It’s brilliant. I wouldn’t change a thing.”
“Actually, I’m thinking of making a few minor changes. A key change here, perhaps.” He reached over her arm and pointed to the music. “Perhaps to D minor? What do you think?”
Rose began playing again and transposed to D minor where Cameron had indicated. “Yes, I like that. It gives the waltz a more melancholy feel there.”
“The duke wants a joyful tune,” Cameron said, “but I think it will still be gleeful even with the change. You see, love isn’t always wine and roses. The key change represents the anguish of love.”