Read Online The Demure Debutante - a Regency Novella by Caylen McQueen - Free Book Online
Authors: Caylen McQueen
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of himself. I wouldn't be too alarmed... I'm sure he'll turn up eventually.”
Emilia nervously chewed her lip. “Shouldn't we go looking for him?!”
“Don't worry, Emilia. He'll find his way back. I promise.”
Emilia brought her horse to a halt. She didn't feel comfortable soldiering on when a member of their entourage had vanished. “Wait. Willow... can we wait here for a moment? What if he's looking for us?”
Willow turned her horse and headed back to Emilia, so Edward followed suit. “Very well,” Willow said. “We can wait for a moment, if it would make you feel better.”
“Arthur!” Emilia shrieked. “Mr. Rochefort, are you alright?!”
“ Quite alright !” Emilia's heart swelled when she heard his reply. “ Wait right there... I'll be returning shortly.”
A few seconds later, when Emilia saw Arthur weaving his way through the forest, she was simultaneously filled with relief and frustration. How dare he make her worry about him?! If she was a braver woman, she would have given him the tongue-lashing of his life!
“Where did you go, Arthur?!” Willow hollered at him.
“The field of wildflowers.” As he drew near, Emilia could see a fistful of flowers in his hand. When he held them out to her, Emilia's heart was momentarily frozen. “Here. These are for you, Emilia.”
“I--”
“The other day, you said you lost your flowers,” Arthur explained. “I remembered... so I wanted to get some for you.”
As she took the flowers from his hand, Emilia swore her heart was trying to beat its way out of her chest. “Thank you, Arthur. I will... treasure them.” Emilia studied the flowers with tears in her eyes. There were several sunflowers, as if he somehow knew those were her favorite. Her cheeks were flaming hot; she could only hope they hadn't changed color.
“Do you like them?” Arthur asked, his voice barely more than a whisper.
“I do. Very much.”
As soon as their journey resumed, Willow rode alongside her brother. When he saw her shaking her head at him, he asked, “Is something wrong?”
“ Flowers , Arthur?!” Willow hissed at him. She kept her voice low, so that only her brother could hear her. “What are you playing at? I thought you didn't care for the girl?”
“I do care for her,” Arthur whispered. “Of course I do.”
“I meant.. in a romantic sense,” Willow explained. “I thought she was like a sister to you?”
“She is, in a way.”
“Then you shouldn't be giving her flowers! Don't you understand?!” Willow shook her head at him. “Showing up with a handful of flowers is a romantic gesture... and the poor girl already cares for you a great deal. You need better judgment, or she's liable to get the wrong idea!”
Chapter Nine
They had already been to the modiste, and now they were on their way to the milliner. Arthur was suffering, though he tried not to show it. He had seen enough lace and flounce and fripperies to last a lifetime.
“So, Willow, remind me again...” Arthur began, “why wasn't Edward forced to come?”
“Because I want my wedding day appearance to be a surprise!” Willow seized her brother's arm and dragged him across the street. Her other arm was coiled around Emilia, her treasured companion of the day. Willow had been spoiling the girl with dresses and jewelry. Emilia was supposed to wear to them at the wedding—which was now only two days away. “When he sees me walking down the aisle, I want to take his breath away!”
“You mean, like you're taking my breath away?” Arthur teased her. “You sampled so many perfumes, you smell like a botanical garden.”
“That doesn't sound like a bad thing. I love floral scents!” As Willow tugged her brother into the hat shop, Emilia flashed him a sympathetic frown. She knew he was miserable. Being surrounded in ladies' fashions was surely a gentleman's nightmare! “Will you help me choose a hat, Emilia? I am sure I will not wear it during the ceremony, but I can never
Emilia nervously chewed her lip. “Shouldn't we go looking for him?!”
“Don't worry, Emilia. He'll find his way back. I promise.”
Emilia brought her horse to a halt. She didn't feel comfortable soldiering on when a member of their entourage had vanished. “Wait. Willow... can we wait here for a moment? What if he's looking for us?”
Willow turned her horse and headed back to Emilia, so Edward followed suit. “Very well,” Willow said. “We can wait for a moment, if it would make you feel better.”
“Arthur!” Emilia shrieked. “Mr. Rochefort, are you alright?!”
“ Quite alright !” Emilia's heart swelled when she heard his reply. “ Wait right there... I'll be returning shortly.”
A few seconds later, when Emilia saw Arthur weaving his way through the forest, she was simultaneously filled with relief and frustration. How dare he make her worry about him?! If she was a braver woman, she would have given him the tongue-lashing of his life!
“Where did you go, Arthur?!” Willow hollered at him.
“The field of wildflowers.” As he drew near, Emilia could see a fistful of flowers in his hand. When he held them out to her, Emilia's heart was momentarily frozen. “Here. These are for you, Emilia.”
“I--”
“The other day, you said you lost your flowers,” Arthur explained. “I remembered... so I wanted to get some for you.”
As she took the flowers from his hand, Emilia swore her heart was trying to beat its way out of her chest. “Thank you, Arthur. I will... treasure them.” Emilia studied the flowers with tears in her eyes. There were several sunflowers, as if he somehow knew those were her favorite. Her cheeks were flaming hot; she could only hope they hadn't changed color.
“Do you like them?” Arthur asked, his voice barely more than a whisper.
“I do. Very much.”
As soon as their journey resumed, Willow rode alongside her brother. When he saw her shaking her head at him, he asked, “Is something wrong?”
“ Flowers , Arthur?!” Willow hissed at him. She kept her voice low, so that only her brother could hear her. “What are you playing at? I thought you didn't care for the girl?”
“I do care for her,” Arthur whispered. “Of course I do.”
“I meant.. in a romantic sense,” Willow explained. “I thought she was like a sister to you?”
“She is, in a way.”
“Then you shouldn't be giving her flowers! Don't you understand?!” Willow shook her head at him. “Showing up with a handful of flowers is a romantic gesture... and the poor girl already cares for you a great deal. You need better judgment, or she's liable to get the wrong idea!”
Chapter Nine
They had already been to the modiste, and now they were on their way to the milliner. Arthur was suffering, though he tried not to show it. He had seen enough lace and flounce and fripperies to last a lifetime.
“So, Willow, remind me again...” Arthur began, “why wasn't Edward forced to come?”
“Because I want my wedding day appearance to be a surprise!” Willow seized her brother's arm and dragged him across the street. Her other arm was coiled around Emilia, her treasured companion of the day. Willow had been spoiling the girl with dresses and jewelry. Emilia was supposed to wear to them at the wedding—which was now only two days away. “When he sees me walking down the aisle, I want to take his breath away!”
“You mean, like you're taking my breath away?” Arthur teased her. “You sampled so many perfumes, you smell like a botanical garden.”
“That doesn't sound like a bad thing. I love floral scents!” As Willow tugged her brother into the hat shop, Emilia flashed him a sympathetic frown. She knew he was miserable. Being surrounded in ladies' fashions was surely a gentleman's nightmare! “Will you help me choose a hat, Emilia? I am sure I will not wear it during the ceremony, but I can never
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