The morning of the festival arrived, the day overcast and cool even for England. At least it wasn’t raining, John told himself as he waited in the drawing room for Miss Weston. She had arranged for the staff to bring a light meal to their rooms that morning, so he hadn’t seen her yet. He hadn’t realized how much he would miss seeing her across the breakfast table from him.
John shifted his shoulders under the tailcoat his valet had chosen for him that morning. Normally he chafed under the formal attire he was expected to wear at all times, but he was glad of it that morning. The thick wool of the dark brown garment should be enough to keep him warm. He wondered if Amelia would have to wear a cloak. She would catch a chill if she wore one of her morning gowns.
He glanced toward the doorway, wondering how much longer he’d have to wait. As though he’d conjured her from his thoughts, he found her entering the room. He rose swiftly to his feet and couldn’t keep himself from staring at her for several seconds.
He’d always thought she was pretty even with her hair covered and when she wore her spectacles. But in that moment he became painfully aware of the truth. Amelia Weston had been hiding her beauty.
In the time since they’d met, he’d come to know her spirit and liked her as a person. He told himself that he considered her a friend. It was evident though that his feelings for her went far beyond mere friendship. Much as he had tried since coming to live at Brock Manor, he could no longer deny that he was attracted to her.
It had been several weeks since he’d last seen her wearing her glasses. He assumed she only needed them while writing or doing close work. This was the first time, however, that he’d seen her without a lace cap covering her hair.
He’d known that her hair was dark, but seeing it uncovered lent an air of intimacy to their interactions that was unexpected. She wore the dark mass pinned up, of course, but a few curls had been left loose to frame her face. Still, it was a formal style. Seeing her in the deep blue dress that matched her eye color and complemented her light skin tone—far different from the pale dresses she normally wore—he became aware of her in a way that made him more than a little uncomfortable.
That was especially true when he realized he hadn’t been wrong in thinking the woman standing before him now bore a striking resemblance to the one he’d met in the tavern in London, the barmaid who’d captured his attention when he’d first laid eyes on her.
He looked away for a moment to clear his head. Yes, Amelia was similar in appearance to the barmaid Molly, but that could only be a coincidence. He’d thought his memory of that night remained clear, but somewhere along the way he’d superimposed Amelia’s features onto that of the other woman. After all, Amelia had been here in Yorkshire that night, and she didn’t have any sisters.
“I apologize for keeping you waiting. It’s been so long since I’ve been to a fair, and I fear vanity had me taking longer than normal this morning.”
He dipped his head in a formal bow. “It was more than worth the wait.” A light color tinged her cheeks at his compliment, and John couldn’t hold back his smile. He did love teasing her, but his next words were entirely truthful. “You look beautiful, Miss Weston. I hope you won’t be too cold, however.”
She leaned toward him and he found himself watching her expression with great care, wondering at the way her eyes had lit with amusement.
“I’m wearing a few extra layers under my skirts. I should be warm enough once I don my spencer.”
And just like that, he found himself imagining what was under her skirts. For one insane moment, he wondered if that had been her intent. Fortunately, he was saved from embarrassing himself when she turned to leave the room. He fell into step beside her and watched as the butler helped her into the short navy blue coat that would cover her arms and breasts.
Good heavens, he was in a bad way. He had to stop thinking about the barmaid who’d awoken his desires that evening that seemed so long ago. If he could behave honorably around a woman who’d been in danger of falling out of her dress, he could do the same for this woman who was nothing but circumspect in her behavior and appearance.
He clutched his hands behind his back to keep from taking the garment from Hastings and helping her into it himself. He forced himself to look away while she did up the buttons. She took her gloves from Hastings with a soft thank-you and turned to face him with a wide smile.
“I am ready to brave what has to be the coolest summer in history.”
Her amusement was infectious. He held out his arm for her to take, and together they left the house. “With any luck, the sun will come out at some point.”
She gave her head a small shake, drawing his attention to the way the curls danced around her face. “Let’s not be greedy. I will be content if it doesn’t rain.”
He chuckled as he led her to the carriage that waited outside. It felt unnatural to wait for a footman to open the door for them, but he forced himself to do just that. He did, however, perform the task of helping Amelia into the carriage himself. He sprang in after her and closed the door behind them.
The carriage ride was short. When they arrived, the festivities were already underway. From the large groups of people milling around the various stalls, it was clear that many people from the nearby village were also in attendance.
John helped Amelia down from the carriage. He’d already given the staff permission to attend the festival, and now he did the same for the coachman and the young footman who’d accompanied them.
When he turned back to Amelia, his arm already raised for her to take, he found her examining him. The corners of her mouth had turned up in a small smile, her eyes warm with approval at what she no doubt perceived as his generosity. But it hadn’t been that long since John was a young man without money or a future. He wouldn’t deny others the small enjoyments they could gain when the opportunity presented itself.
She slipped her hand into the bend of his elbow, and he gazed down at her. He wanted to ask her why such a small gesture would gain her approval when, by all accounts, her uncle had also been a generous man.
Instead, he asked, “What shall we do first, my lady?”
When her gaze swung to take in the stalls and the merriment that surrounded them, he took a moment to examine her again. The corners of her eyes crinkled with her smile, joy radiating from her.
He tore his gaze away lest he be caught staring and took in the scene. Given just how little time they’d had to organize this event, he was impressed by the number of stalls and tables set up. He wouldn’t be surprised to learn that everyone in the entire county who had anything to sell was there. Crafts of all types were on display, the tables laden with sweets.
And right in the center of it all, a puppet theater had been set up. Given the small crowd that had gathered before the miniature stage, he expected the show to begin at any moment.
A pang of nostalgia swept through him when he witnessed a group of boys chasing each other and ducking through the stalls.
Amelia made a small noise, and he turned to face her, enjoying the hint of mischief in her expression.
“Do I want to know what you have in mind?”
She laughed, the sound full and rich. “I think we’ll start with the puppet show and see where the day takes us.”