Chapter 7 #3
He snickered and drew closer. “You’re fun.”
“So are you.”
His heart glowed. He wasn’t called “fun” too often.
Most of the time people called him serious or too passionate about obscure causes, which was probably true.
But he liked this too. Liked being regarded as someone who appealed to a pretty girl like Ellie, someone with more than looks about her, but who combined brains and faith and interesting facets and a sense of humour, which made him want to play.
They found some old photographs and imagined aloud what the lives of those people from one hundred years ago must’ve been like.
“Look at these women in their fancy skirts climbing mountains like this. Aren’t they awesome?”
“Intrepid ladies.”
“Mm, I like that. I’d like to think I could be intrepid.
” She glanced at him. “I still feel like I’m floundering about what to do with my life.
My two older sisters have their lives sorted, but me and Katie, well, it’d be nice if God pointed a big arrow from the sky and said, ‘This is the path; walk in it.’“
“That’d make life easier, for sure.” He asked about her sisters and soon learned about Liv and her amazing life in England, and the fact she was getting married at the end of the year to a titled gentleman who owned a fancy manor house that had been used as the setting for Pemberley in the 2015 production of Pride and Prejudice.
“My mom loved that movie.”
She nodded. “My mom does too, and we’ve probably watched it a dozen times.
Now that Liv and Liam are engaged, Mum has become next to impossible.
Everything is about Liv and Liam, so it’s nice to get away from that for a while.
Don’t get me wrong, Liv is completely down to earth, and so is Liam, and we just enjoyed time with them in England a month or so ago.
But Mum is getting a little stressed and tends to let us all know. ”
Just like Lucinda.
“My sister EJ—oops, Emma-Jane, I need to remember to call her that—is Mum’s total opposite. She’s much more like my dad and very methodical and organised. I tend to be a lot like that too, while Katie is a lot like Mum.”
“Organised is a quality that’s often underrated.”
“Right?”
Her smile caught him in the solar plexus, and he felt a desire to hold her close. But this wasn’t the place. Especially considering they had a high tea to get to.
“We should probably get going if we’re going to make this high tea on time.”
“Let’s go.”
They passed through the long corridors, the red painted walls lined with art and books and historical couches drawing smiles. She stopped to take another photo of an unusual curved door with intricate stained glass; then he insisted on taking a photo of her beside it.
“Why?”
“Because it’s artsy. Like you.”
She was a little awkward at first, then soon dropped her guard and posed, chin up, one hand on her hip, as she stared defiantly down the camera.
“Perfect.”
“Can I see?”
He caught a trace of honey again as she nestled close to examine the pic. “You look tough yet independent.”
“EJ’s the tough one, but I’ll take it.”
“How about intrepid?”
She smiled, and another moment passed as they sank into each other’s gazes.
Then he said, “Come on. Let’s get to our reservation.”
It felt like a lie to say that, when this reservation had been organised by Lucinda with him. But seeing as he was the one paying, he didn’t mind the different guest.
They drew up to the reservation desk, he gave his name, and they were soon led to what must be the premier spot beside the huge window. “Wow.”
“May I take your jackets?”
“Um, sure.” Ellie handed hers to the female server, and he did the same, and they took their seats.
Ellie’s face was aglow. “This spot is so much nicer than when we came a few days ago. We were by the window but over nearer the fireplace.”
He wondered if it was his last name that had secured such a great spot. “I’m glad you approve.”
She smiled and picked up the menu. A vast selections of teas were on offer, and she soon proved her tea expertise, picking a blend he’d never heard of, while he settled for plain Earl Grey.
“Don’t judge me for my lack of adventurousness with tea.”
“You probably need to have a tea tasting day.”
“Mm. Maybe. Do you know of anyone who could help with that?”
“I might.”
He laughed and leaned forward. “You know, I’m feeling a rather urgent need to expand my tea-tasting tastebuds very soon.”
“How soon?”
What did he have on next weekend? “Is next Saturday too soon?”
Her head tilted. “Next Saturday could work.”
Awesome. He internally fist pumped, even as he tried to play it cool. “That’d be great. I could check out your tea offerings and see if your coffee skills are as good as cracked up to be.”
“Hey, I don’t think I boasted about my barista skills,” she protested.
“Look, I like it when a woman is confident, so just own it, okay?”
“Okay.” She leaned forward. “In that case, you’d better prepare yourself for the best cup of coffee you’ve ever had in your life.”
He smiled. “Can’t wait.”
She smiled. “Me either.”