Chapter 20
‘Thanks, Edward. I had a really nice evening.’
‘You’re very welcome. Although I realise you cleverly got me to reveal more about myself than you did.’
‘Not at all. It was just the way the conversation went.’
He didn’t look convinced. ‘I’m afraid in that case, I will be requesting your company tomorrow, if you can spare it, as I do need to know more about you if we’re to avoid being “rumbled”.’
I looked up as Edward used the word I’d blabbed in panic earlier. He was grinning like an idiot.
‘Hilarious. And all right, I shall give you the pleasure of my company tomorrow on one condition.’
‘Which is?’
‘We don’t spend any money.’
‘O… kaaay.’
‘I don’t need to be taken out to dinner, Edward. Wined and dined and all that. I wouldn’t need that even if this,’ I flapped my hand between us, ‘was real.’
‘It’s not a case of “needing”, it, Emmeline. It’s more a person wanting to treat, to spoil, the other.’
‘Fine, but you don’t need to do that for me.’
‘What if I want to?’
I opened my mouth to reply, couldn’t think of anything to say and closed it again for a moment.
‘Tough,’ I said eventually. I knew if I waited long enough I’d come up with a zinger.
‘I see. In light of that, what do you propose we do tomorrow instead?’
Damn it. I hadn’t considered follow-up questions.
Edward waited a while longer, then, when there was clearly nothing to be forthcoming from me, made his own suggestion.
‘How about a walk?’
‘A walk sounds great.’ It did sound great.
‘There’s a large woodland on the estate which is currently awash with bluebells. Have you seen it?’
‘No. I haven’t.’
‘I could call for you at eleven, or is that too early, or too late?’
‘No, that’s good.’
‘May I suggest a picnic?’
Oh bugger. That actually sounded like a great idea but I’d yet to get out and do my food shop this week.
‘I’ll bring some provisions.’
‘No, it’s fine, I can get some bits in the morning.’
‘There’s plenty in the kitchen. Please, let me.’
‘But we said no money to be spent.’
‘Actually, you said that, and we will need to eat whether we’re at home or in a field, and the food in the house has already been purchased so technically, if I allowed you to go and get supplies, we’d be breaking the rules you yourself set in place.’
I folded my arms. ‘I reckon Maria should have smacked your bum a bit harder. You might not be such a smart arse now.’
I’d had full intention of keeping a straight face but Edward’s laugh was so joyful and rare and unexpected, I couldn’t help but join him.
‘Eleven o’clock it is then.’ His manner and being seemed entirely relaxed and I was happy to see it. He looked younger when he wasn’t wearing the weight of the world on his shoulders and I wondered briefly if that was how he’d been before his dad died so suddenly and shockingly before his eyes.
I started as his hand brushed mine. ‘Are you all right?’
‘Oh! Yes, fine. Sorry. Miles away.’
He nodded, flicked a brief smile but there was a little more tension back in it now.
‘If tomorrow isn’t convenient, please do let me—’
‘No, really it’s great. I’m looking forward to it.’
And although I was hesitant to admit that fact to myself, I really was.
* * *
‘Morning! I brought this!’ I said, holding up a bottle I’d had steeping overnight. I might not have had much in the store cupboard but I did have lemons and sugar and my well used copy of Delia’s Summer Collection.
‘Good morning. And what’s that?’
‘Homemade lemonade.’
‘Yum. Don’t tell me you attended the Cordon Bleu school as well as Kew.’ Edward shrugged a rucksack off his back and took the bottle from me to add to the goodies apparently stored within.
‘I see your wit didn’t dim overnight.’
‘Only sharpened.’
‘Oh good,’ I said in the flattest voice I could muster. ‘I can hardly wait.’
And there it was again, that laugh from last night, and I couldn’t have been happier to hear it.
* * *
We’d been walking for an hour and during the times Edward was leading the way on a single path, I was doing my best not to notice how nice his bum looked in the pale khaki hiking trousers he was wearing.
Each time my eyes dropped to his bum, I yanked my gaze back up but it continued to slide down.
It was only when I tripped over a tree root and headbutted his back that my brain got the message to pay a little more attention to where I was going rather than the view.
As we crossed a stile, Edward gallantly held out his hand as I clambered over the wooden construction with less elegance than he was likely used to from his companions.
But I did so without falling arse over tit so that was something.
And when I turned to step down, my breath caught at the sight I’d been unable to see through the thick wooded approach.
All around us was a cloud of blue as far as we could see.
High above, the canopy was proudly showing off its spring green ensemble but here, with dappled shafts of sunlight darting through every now and then as the leaves moved in the gentle breeze, was an entire carpet of bluebells as far as the eye could see, their heads nodding in the light wind as though royally acknowledging their own beauty.
As for the scent, I wanted to lie down in it and never get up.
‘Not bad, eh?’
I realised Edward was still awaiting my dismount. I took his hand without thinking, my eyes still feasting on the sight before me.
‘Edward. This is so beautiful!’
‘I’m glad you like it.’
I turned, having now got my feet back on terra firma. ‘I love it!’
His smile widened and it was only after a few steps I realised I was still holding his hand. I paused, let go and pretended to fiddle with my boot lace as a means of making the action a little less obvious but a side-eyed glance told me my attempts had not been as successful as I’d hoped.
‘Are you hungry?’ Edward asked after a few minutes of us walking in silence, both taking in the view and incredibly heady scent of the flowers.
‘I could eat. But then I can pretty much always eat.’
‘Great. I know just the spot. Up here.’
He led the way up a small incline through the blue mist until we came to a glade.
On three sides, we were still surrounded by bluebells but now, in front of us there was a clearing that gave out onto a stunning vista of rolling farmland, the fields varying in their colours.
Some were green and held sheep – from here, little blobs of white – others contained cattle, many of them brown and white Herefords, at home in their native shire.
And yet more fields were varying shades of green and brown as crops began poking their heads from the damp earth in anticipation of becoming this year’s harvest.
I stood looking out at the vista until movement behind me made me turn.
Edward was down on one knee.
‘What are you doing?’ I squeaked.
‘Getting a damp knee. Come here.’ He reached out and tugged me gently towards him. ‘Emmeline Buchanan. Wait, do you have a middle name?’
‘Daisy,’ I answered automatically.
‘Emmeline Daisy Buchanan, will you do me the honour of pretending to be my fiancée?’
He held up a box on which was written the word, DeBeers.
‘That,’ I said, pointing at it, ‘looks expensive.’
‘Answer the question.’
I stayed silent.
‘Maybe this will help you decide.’ Edward opened the box and there, on a bed of Millenium Blue velvet, was a Haribo jelly ring.
Laughter burst out of me in a mixture of joy and relief.
‘Seriously?’
‘Barney had a bag. I couldn’t resist.’
‘And what if I’d said no?’
‘You’ve kind of already committed but if you had, then I’d have eaten it on the way home.’
‘You know, I might have been really disappointed that there wasn’t a massive diamond in there.’
Edward gave me a look. ‘Something tells me you aren’t.’
‘Something was right.’
‘Although,’ he said, getting to his feet, ‘we do need to sort out a solution for a ring. People will talk if you’re not wearing one soon. I’m not worried about that but I don’t want you drawing any more attention than is needed, for your own peace.’
‘My own peace? I think that ship’s sailed.’
He pulled a pained expression.
‘Fine, but you are not buying me anything. Doesn’t your mum have something I can borrow?’
He opened his mouth to speak but I wasn’t finished.
‘Nothing expensive!’
‘Good thought. I’ll ask her.’
‘We can still be designing the real one.’
‘Excellent plan.’
‘Glad you think so.’ And then I popped my new engagement ring in my mouth and chewed. Delicious.
* * *
Edward had been busying himself with the rucksack and from it had produced a picnic blanket, which he now spread out upon the ground, the bottle of lemonade I’d brought with me, along with another bottle of expensive-looking champagne, a crusty, fresh baguette, a pot of olives, some soft cheese and a small pile of a variety of hard cheeses.
‘Wow!’
‘Good wow or bad wow?’
‘Definitely good wow.’ I plopped myself down on the blanket and shuffled so that I was facing out at the bucolic vista.
Edward lowered himself down beside me.
‘Drink?’
‘Yes, please.’
‘Alcoholic or a glass of your delicious-looking offering?’
‘I think I’ll go for the lemonade, please. Probably not the best idea for me to drink alcohol on an empty stomach.’
‘Didn’t you have breakfast?’ he asked, his gaze flicking up at me momentarily as he concentrated on pouring my drink into what looked worryingly like real cut-glass crystal. He passed it across to me. It was. I made a mental note to be extra careful.
‘Thanks, and yes, but that was hours ago and we’ve done a hike since then. As far as my stomach is concerned, it’s empty.’
‘Then best to stick with this then.’ He held his glass to mine. ‘Cheers.’
‘Cheers.’
I hesitated as he took a sip and he caught me watching.
‘What?’ One side of his mouth lifted.
‘I was just…’ I wrinkled my nose, suddenly feeling a bit daft. ‘I was hoping you’d like it.’
‘I do. It’s delicious.’
‘Are you just saying that?’ I chewed my lip.
‘No, Emmeline. I’m not.’
I looked away.
‘Look at me.’