For half of the walk around the pond, Elijah was happy simply to walk at her side and enjoy her company, to watch her out the corner of his eye and admire her beauty without making her feel awkward.
As they fell into the quiet ease of things, he became more and more surprised just how easy it was to walk beside her, even after their last encounter when she had made it plain she did not wish to be anywhere near him.
Remembering the incident all over again, Elijah couldn’t stop breaking the silence to say, “My Lady, I must apologise for my actions when last we met.”
At that, Lady Belmont looked at him, turning her face so that he could see the full view of her curious expression. When she said nothing, he added, “I was quite foolish to jump onto such a subject, and I can see now that we ought to have …”
He was just about to suggest that they ought to get to know each other a little better when Lady Belmont’s head suddenly whipped around. She screamed at the top of her lungs as Flit darted so suddenly the lead was ripped from her grip.
“No! Flit!”
In a second, Elijah caught sight of the squirrel a few metres down the path. It didn’t take much to know that was Flit’s target.
The sheer terror in Lady Belmont’s voice set Elijah into action immediately. His feet started to carry him after the beast without truly comprehending what he was doing.
The squirrel wasted no time in haring away up the nearest tree even as Flit landed hard on its heels. Ladies and gentlemen alike squealed as they desperately darted out of the way of the determined hound.
Elijah dodged around them, growing angrier and angrier at their always seeming to be in the way. Then he saw his chance. As he managed to gain some distance between himself and the dog, he didn’t think; he just acted.
Throwing himself hands and head first, he dived for the lead trailing out behind the animal. The instant he felt his fingers grip the lead, he latched on for dear life, cursing as he hit the ground hard. The only mercy was the fact that they had reached the grass at the edge of the path, and the ground was somewhat softer than the stone path might have been beneath him.
“Elijah!” Lady Belmont exclaimed loudly, and the sound of her calling his name with such concern made Elijah’s body tingle all over. The aches and pains of his fall were almost entirely forgotten the second she dropped onto her knees beside him.
The way her hand laid upon his shoulder made him quiver. Still gripping the lead, fighting against the pulling of the dog, who was now jumping at the oak tree trunk, Elijah rolled over onto his back with an exasperated sigh.
Finding himself gazing up into the blue-grey eyes of Lady Belmont, her freckled face scowling with concern, Elijah couldn’t help smirking. He laughed whole-heartedly at how silly he must have looked taking such a dive and watched the relief wash over Lady Belmont’s face.
When the amusement eased off, Elijah tugged the dog’s lead and snapped, “Down, boy!”
Surprisingly, the dog listened, suddenly dropping onto its haunches with its tail between its legs and its ears pressed back against its head. Lady Belmont looked equally stunned by her dog’s response to his order, but Elijah did not allow her to comment.
He slipped the lead into her petite hand and smiled up at her as he said, “I do believe this belongs to you.”
The amusement spread across her face again, and their eyes connected in a way that took Elijah’s breath away even more than his headlong dive for the lead had.
Instinctively, Elijah found himself leaning up from his elbows and extending his arms behind him to prop himself up, his face growing closer and closer to Lady Belmont’s. With every second, he felt her drawing nearer, leaning down to meet him with a hazy look in her eyes.
Heart hammering, Elijah prepared for the kiss, reaching up with one hand to cup her face with the palm of his hand.
Just seconds before he did so, Lady Belmont pulled away, and it was only when she glanced around them that Elijah realised everyone around seemed to have stopped and was staring directly at them.
Though Lady Belmont did not usually seem one to care what others thought of her, she sat back on her heels with a blush to her cheeks and averted her gaze from his.
“My Lord, I think we should get up before everyone believes we are part of some scandal or other,” she insisted under her breath, and for the first time, he was scared to have his name attached to such a thing, not for his own sake but for hers.
In an instant, he had jumped to his feet and offered Lady Belmont his hand to help her up. His heart skipped a beat with relief when she actually allowed him to help her to her feet.
He admired her warmly as she stood before him and dusted herself off. Flit sat beside her now, looking quite remorseful at what he had done, his tongue lolling out the side of his mouth as though he had overexerted himself.
And with a glance down at the dog, Lady Belmont turned her head up to look Elijah in the eye once more. Her blue-grey eyes were large and around as she suggested in a dazed voice, “I think it might be time for me to take my leave. I do believe we have had quite enough excitement for one day.”
Elijah’s stomach twisted painfully, and his heart stopped at the thought of her leaving. Yet, though they had started to resume their own business, Elijah could feel several pairs of eyes still upon them, and he knew well why she wished to leave. At least, he hoped it was down to the nosiness of others and not because she wished to be away from him once more.
He had felt the tension between them true enough and had seen the desire in her gaze that mirrored his own.
“Perhaps you might allow me to escort you?” Elijah suggested. He did not like the thought of her leaving alone any more than he liked the thought of her leaving at all.
“No,” Lady Belmont said, perhaps a little snappily, but just as quickly, she shook her head and added, “I think you have done enough for me for one day. Besides, I am sure that Lord and Lady Fenchurch are more than ready to leave.”
