CHAPTER 7
Avoiding her fiancé during the house party proved to be no problem at all, for he only paid her any attention at public functions.
And then only to ask for the requisite dance, or speak very briefly of inconsequential matters.
After another such night, Josephine retired to her room, looking forward to removing her evening gown and spending an hour or two working on her favorite project.
Her maid was already waiting for her, and as she went through the process of removing her gown and plaiting her hair, Josephine forced herself to examine her feelings for the two brothers.
Henry was polite and charming enough, but it seemed as if he had no more interest in her than she had in him.
Michael, on the other hand, sought every moment to be alone with her.
He had maids deliver notes discreetly, asking her to meet him here or there.
He had a bouquet delivered to her room every morning.
Always different flowers. Always the most fragrant of blossoms. She was surrounded by a symphony of scent, her mind swirling in floral and herbal notes that had her dreaming of heady perfumes.
The fact that he knew of her hobby and did everything he could to support and encourage it was the biggest point in his favor. That and the fact that they could talk about anything. From the most mundane matters to their deepest, most closely guarded desires.
He had a profound interest in everything about her and had quickly overcome her natural reticence by asking probing questions and encouraging her to do the same.
He always listened with rapt attention and never judged or criticized.
With him, she felt free and cherished as she never had felt before in her life.
Not even with her family, for they had rules and expectations placed on her.
But Michael accepted and liked her just as she was.
And she felt the same way about him. She loved his free spirit, his sense of humor, and the passion he imbued into every aspect of life.
She never imagined such a close bond could be formed with someone in such a short time.
He had become her best friend, her accomplice, and the only man who ignited her passion.
Their kisses became more heated every time their mouths joined.
Hands touching, exploring, grabbing. Becoming familiar with each other, hinting at pleasure beyond her comprehension.
Teasing her with the promise of more but always leaving her wanting.
As much as they desired each other, they were not completely lost to propriety though, and she knew he was waiting for her to make her decision.
But was there any decision to be made? There was no comparison in her heart between Michael and his brother.
Henry was no more than a distant acquaintance at this point, while Michael had become her everything.
She could not even contemplate the idea of marrying his brother.
Her night preparations finished, she dismissed her maid and sat at the worktable she had set up in a corner of her room.
Working on her perfumes always calmed her.
And the special project she had undertaken would keep her mind focused as she pondered what she knew she had to do.
The house party would end tomorrow with a grand ball to announce her engagement to Henry.
The time to talk to her parents had come.
And yet the idea made her freeze in panic.
She picked up one of the vials, unstoppered and smelled it.
The fragrance made her heart swell and her mood lift.
Anxiety about the impending hard conversation with her parents receded.
She had found it. The scent that Michael had inspired.
After several batches, she had captured the soul of it.
She would give it to him tomorrow, along with the formula, so he could have it replicated if he so wished.
She consulted her notebook and found the formula for that batch.
Turning to a fresh page, she carefully copied it in ink.
After she finished listing the ingredients and measurements, it only needed a name.
What to call it? She could simply call it ‘Michael’, but that was too obvious.
What about Winding Paths? Yes! Like the maze where they had met.
It had a special symbolism, as their relationship was winding and complicated.
The same as the fragrance. It was deceptively fresh, with a surprising depth and a few unexpected notes here and there. Would he like it? She hoped so.
She was about to go to bed, when…
Toc-toc.
The soft tap had her snapping to attention. Was that from her window? Heart in her throat, she ran across the room and pulled the heavy velvet drape aside. There, standing on the narrow ledge outside her window, was Michael, wearing a smug smile.
She gasped and barely contained her squeal of delight as she unlocked the sash.
But she caught herself in time. She must not alert anyone to his presence in her room.
Michael took her in his arms as soon as he jumped inside.
Their mouths collided, their lips melding in an almost desperate embrace, as if it had not been a mere few hours ago that they had seen each other.
“Michael, this is reckless. If we are caught…” she said some time later when they came up for air.
His response was another kiss until he had effectively silenced her protests.
“Time is up, Josie. You need to make a decision.”
“I know. I’ll talk to my parents tomorrow. But I’m afraid, Michael. They will pressure me. They might even forbid our marriage.”
“I will be by your side when you tell them. We’ll face them together.”
As tempting as that sounded, she shook her head. “That will only make it worse.”
“Let’s elope, then.”
“But I am not of age yet. Not for another five months.”
“We could go to Scotland.”
She looked up at his face. “We will be ostracized by your family and mine. My parents may challenge the validity of such a marriage, and they will never agree to pay my dow—”
He silenced her with a kiss. “I don’t care about your dowry. I can support us even without it. As for our families, they may come around in time… or they may not. It’s a risk. Are you willing to take that chance for our love?”
Was she willing to risk her family’s disapproval? She had no illusions about what she meant to her parents and brother. They had no love for her. As long as she was biddable and compliant, they tolerated her, but at the first sign of rebellion, they would disavow her.
But that was her family. She could not bear to be the cause of a rift between Michael and his family.
What would his brother think? And his parents?
They would despise her. The duchess, his mother, had been so kind to her.
No. Eloping was the coward’s way out. They needed to stand their ground and explain themselves.
“No, as hard as it will be, I think we should speak to our parents first.”
“They won’t make me change my mind.”
“But we should at least try to explain. Make them understand that neither of us planned this, and that we don’t want to cause harm.”
“Do you regret getting involved with me?”
She shook her head. “Of course not! I wish you had been my betrothed, as I originally thought. But I can’t regret what I feel for you. I doubt I could have ever felt the same for your brother.”
“He’s not a bad sort. You could have been content with him. But he would never love you like I do.”
“Then there’s nothing to regret. Let’s be glad we found each other when we did. Can you imagine the heartbreak if we had met after I was already married to your brother?” She shook her head again. “What a tragedy that would have been!”
“I don’t even want to think about it. I will talk to my parents and brother tomorrow.”
“No, wait! Let me talk to my parents first. I wouldn’t want them to find out from your parents.”
He grabbed her by the shoulders and looked into her eyes. She had never seen him so serious. “Promise me you will talk to your parents tomorrow.”
“I promise.”
“What if they don’t agree to our wedding?” he pressed.
“Then we did all we could, and our fate is in our hands.”
“Will you elope with me then?”
“Yes, yes I will.”
“In that case, it’s settled. If they don’t agree, we will elope to Scotland and become husband and wife. I will ride out early tomorrow to make the arrangements for our trip to Scotland, in case it becomes necessary.”
She smiled, but a cold sensation licked down her spine, obscuring the image of the happy future Michael was promising. She clutched at his lapels, her heart thundering in her chest. “Don’t leave me.”
“I would never leave you. Everything will be well, love. If you want me to stay tonight, I will. If you want us to elope sooner, we can do that too. We could even leave right now.”
She was being silly. They had discussed their plans in a rational manner.
She had been the one to suggest that they talk to their parents and his brother before they did anything rash.
But a sudden premonition was telling her that when Michael walked out of her room tonight, she would never see him again.
Nonsense. Maybe the stress of the past few days had finally taken a toll on her sanity. That was surely what motivated her next words.
“Stay with me tonight. Make love to me.” Her hand flew to her mouth, appalled after posing such a scandalous proposition. But she couldn’t take it back. With every fiber of her being, she wanted—needed—this. Her breath locked in her lungs awaiting his response.
She had never seen his eyes so tender. So full of love. His fingers stroked her cheek, a velvety caress. She needed more, and she leaned into his hand.
“There’s nothing I want more right now than to make love to you. But we don’t need to do anything until you are ready. We’ll soon be husband and wife. I can wait for our wedding night.”
The more he talked about their marriage, the more her panic rose. She couldn’t see it happening. “I am ready. I want to be yours now. Please, Michael, make me yours.” Surely, once he claimed her, they would have to marry. Right? No one could separate them then.
“But you are trembling.” He hugged her close, enveloping her in blessed warmth and safety. Panic receded when he held her in his arms.
“That’s because I want you too much. Please.” She was too desperate to be ashamed of her begging. Turning her face, she kissed the column of his throat above his necktie.
She heard his sharp intake of breath. Felt his resistance crumble under the mighty weight of their combined desire. And their fate was sealed.