A searing flash of awareness burned through her as she stared at Thomas, and regret unexpectedly twisted inside her. Too many emotions quaked through her heart, and she did not want this man to know how much she had wept and feared, how much pride she had relinquished to decide to auction her virginity so her family might live in contentment. She turned away, hiding her face from his steady gaze, but he didn’t push her for more.
A long silence stretched between them, nearly unbearable. Then, in a low murmur, Thomas said, “I’ll send my carriage for you at seven.”
Surprised, Agatha looked up and found him watching her as if she were an enigma he couldn’t quite solve. She nodded, thenquickly turned and hurried back to her bedchamber, wondering at the imperceptible shift between them just now.
CHAPTER 15
Agatha’s soft, womanly scent teased his senses in the cool night air. Thomas inhaled deeply, trapping that delicate fragrance inside his body. He felt a strange and unwelcome lurch in his chest—something he had not expected and certainly did not want. Across from him, Ronald gripped the edge of the air balloon’s basket, vibrating with excitement, and Agatha mirrored him, a radiant flush of wonder lighting up her features.
She looked utterly enchanting tonight, her figure draped in a deep rose-colored gown that contrasted beautifully against the twilight sky. The gown, though simple in cut, shimmered faintly in the lantern light, highlighting her every movement with grace. Her hair was pinned loosely, with soft curls framing her face. She looked lovely and carefree, her emerald eyes sparkling as she took in the scene around her.
Several men, bundled in thick coats and mufflers, worked diligently to loosen the tethered ropes that kept the balloon anchored to the ground. The balloon was a magnificent sight—vast and gleaming in shades of blue, from pale sky to deep midnight, carefully chosen hues that Thomas knew woulddelight his brother. The massive canopy billowed above them like a slumbering giant waiting to rise. The hired balloonist, a gruff man with a weathered face, barked commands to his crew as they primed the valves and adjusted the flames, readying the burners for the ascent.
“We are going up!” Ronald shouted, his cherubic cheeks glowing a bright red as he bounced on his toes, barely able to contain his joy. “Aga, are you prepared?”
“I am!” Agatha let out a delighted laugh, her voice light and musical. “We are truly about to go into the sky. My mother once told me she watched an air balloon ascend here in London, and she drew so many images for me to picture the spectacle. I cannot believe that I’minsideone now. My sisters will be green with envy!”
She turned her gaze to Thomas as if inviting him to share in the moment. He stood at the opposite side of the basket, watching her and Ronald.
“I never imagined inside was so large,” she said. “Surely, at least twenty people can fit.”
“This one is a bit larger than others,” Thomas murmured.
The balloon could easily hold at least thirty people, and Thomasensured it was designed with the utmost care. The vivid blue hues of the balloon had been precisely chosen as they were his brother’s favorite color.
“When are we going to start going up?” Ronald shouted, hopping from one foot to the other in his eagerness.
Thomas smiled. “Mr. Powell will soon fire the burners. We’ll start floating higher when the air inside heats up enough.”
“How high will we go?” Agatha asked, her voice filled with wonder.
“At least five hundred feet, milady,” Mr. Powell replied with a nod. “We’re about to lift off.”
The ropes were untethered, and the balloon began its graceful ascent. The moment the ground fell away beneath them, Ronald let out a triumphant bellow, the sheer exuberance of his shout echoing through the open sky. Agatha startled, glancing at him in surprise, but soon laughed.
“What was that?” she asked, her eyes gleaming.
“Sailors shout ‘ahoy’ when they set sail,” Ronald explained, his face aglow with excitement. “We’re sky sailors now, so we shout, too!”
Agatha grinned, clearly amused. “That sounds perfectly logical.”
Thomas watched her, bemused, the warmth in her expression softening something inside him. There was nothing pragmatic about her laughter or Ronald’s exuberant logic, but Thomas kept his counsel. To his surprise, Agatha tipped her head back and let out a loud, joyful holler into the night sky—a sound so raucous and unladylikeyet so free and alive that it struck him as impossibly lovely. This encouraged Ronald to shout more, and even Mr. Powell did not seem to knowwhat to make of the scene.
The balloon soared higher, the world below shrinking away as the cool wind kissed their faces. The vast expanse of the London skyline stretched beneath them, the gasp lamps twinkling like scattered stars, while above, the real stars shimmered in the deepening dusk. The sensation of floating weightlessly in the sky, with nothing but the basket beneath their feet and the vast canopy of the balloon above, filled the air with quiet magic.
Thomas, despite himself, felt the thrill of the moment settle in his chest. Agatha stood at the edge of the basket, tendrils of her hair catching the wind, her face tilted to the stars, and he found it impossible to tear his gaze from her. She was radiant, her joy infectious, and for a fleeting moment, Thomas allowedhimself to be swept up in the same sense of wonder that had overtaken her and Ronald.
Despite all the times he had soared in a hot air balloon, it had never felt quite like this. Perhaps it was the company he shared in this moment that filled him with a bewildering sense of contentment.
“We’re flying,” Agatha said, her voice filled with awe.
His brother slowly nodded as if he could hardly process the experience.
“I cannot believe we’re flying,” Ronald murmured. He glanced over his shoulder at Thomas. “Brother, we areflying.”
The balloon ridewas nothing short of magical. Standing near the edge of the basket, Agatha marveled at how the London landscape slowly shrank beneath them, the varied lights of the city twinkling like scattered jewels. Above, the sky stretched endlessly, the stars breathtakingly beautiful in the velvety expanse. The gentle sway of the balloon and the cool wind against her skin made her feel weightless and free in a way she had never imagined.
One day, she would take Gloria, Maggie, Sarah, Carson and Henry to experience this and other sights in London. Agatha would save diligently for it. Awareness rippled under her skin as Thomas moved closer to his brother. Ronald had brought a small brass telescope, which he held tightly to his eye as he scanned the horizon with childlike wonder.
