Chapter 11

Chapter 11

“You didn’t think I would be able to convince your parents, admit it,” Edward teased as the open carriage glided smoothly along the picturesque streets. The gentle clip-clop of the horses’ hooves could be heard in the background, merging with the liveliness of the streets they were passing through.

Vivianne laughed. She was caught and she had to admit it. “Yes, I didn’t think you would.”

“And yet here we are, ladies and gentlemen,” Edward announced so dramatically that a few passersby turned around in wonder to see what was happening.

All four of them laughed at his words. As his carriage continued to glide along, Vivianne couldn’t stop stealing glances at him. He held the reins with practiced ease, occasionally glancing back at his companions with a smile. He looked so utterly distinguished and his comments were more charming than usual. Was it her or did he somehow become even more handsome than before? Was such a thing even possible?

“Jonathon, you must tell Vivianne how I always get what I want,” Edward said mischievously.

Jonathon turned his attention to the girls, giving them a helpless glance, which amused them all. “I… I must say that. He is my best friend, after all. And also, my ride back home.”

His unexpectedly playful comment caused another outburst of laughter, and Vivianne could see plainly how Aurelia beamed at him, hanging on his every word. Her eyelids fluttered at the man, and she even stole a few touches, her fingers lingering on Jonathon’s elbow or shoulder. It was all perfectly innocent, yet for those who knew where to look, everything was clear as daylight.

“Do you remember the time at the harvest fair, Edward?” Jonathon recounted, his eyes twinkling with mischief, which wasn’t something Vivianne thought the man possessed. He was usually calm and composed. In fact, he was Edward’s stark opposite, but it seemed that the relaxed atmosphere was bringing out everyone’s fun side. “You were so confident about winning the archery contest.”

“Eh, now.” Edward pretended to frown, but everyone could see that it was in jest. “You had to go and mention that now, when I was on a winning streak. Besides, it was the wind, not me, who made the mistake.”

Jonathon turned to the girls. “His arrow went so wide off the mark that it almost hit the pie stand.”

Aurelia giggled, covering her mouth with her hand. “That must have been quite a sight!”

Vivianne laughed as well, thinking that it truly would be a sight worth seeing.

“But you know Jonathon, always being the modest one, probably didn’t even think to mention that he won the horse race that same day.”

It was obvious that Edward was doing his best to make his friend look good for Vivianne’s sister, and Vivianne for one, could appreciate the effort.

“You did?” Aurelia exclaimed, her eyes sparkling.

Obviously not the one to brag about such things, unlike his friend, Jonathon smiled at Aurelia. “A bit of luck, I suppose. The horse did most of the work.”

“But you led it,” Aurelia urged, wishing to give him the credit he had been taking away from himself.

“Perhaps.” Jonathon accepted the compliment, his eyes fluttering over Aurelia as if she were a rare treasure he had seen for the first time ever.

Vivianne’s gaze softened as she watched the exchange between them, noting the subtle glances Jonathon had been casting her sister’s way and how tenderly he smiled when she spoke. It was clear Jonathon was utterly smitten with Aurelia, even if he tried to hide it behind his playful banter. Aurelia, for her part, seemed as equally smitten, and it was an utter delight to watch their exchange.

“You must have a talent for horsemanship, Jonathon,” Aurelia said, her eyes meeting his for a brief moment before she shyly looked away.

Jonathon’s expression grew earnest. “I enjoy it very much. There’s something freeing about riding, feeling the wind and the power of the horse beneath you. Perhaps you and Vivianne could join Edward and me for a ride sometime.”

“Could we?” Aurelia turned to Vivianne, who didn’t really know what to respond. She didn’t see an obstacle to it, but she also knew that her parents would demand that it be done according to rules of propriety. So, she offered the only response she could.

“If Mother and Father allow it, it would be a pleasure to join you,” she replied cheerfully.

As the carriage continued its leisurely pace, the group fell into a comfortable rhythm of conversation and laughter. Edward shared humorous anecdotes from their childhood, each one a new window into their past, revealing more and more. Vivianne’s heart warmed at the sight of Jonathon’s subtle, sweet attentions toward her sister, his genuine affection clear in every word and gesture.

Until, without warning, there was a sharp crack, and the carriage lurched violently to one side. Edward quickly reined in the horses, bringing them to a halt as the carriage wobbled precariously.

“What’s happened?” Vivianne exclaimed, eyes wide with surprise and concern.

Edward dismounted and walked around to inspect the source of the disruption. “It seems we’ve had a bit of bad luck,” he said, kneeling beside the carriage. “The wheel’s broken.”

***

Bad luck, indeed. Edward barely resisted the urge to grin. Everything was going according to plan. He personally wouldn’t have minded if the wheel had snapped a bit earlier than it did, but it was difficult to time these things. He had to make sure it broke in a way that it was still repairable, but that would allow them some time to remain there, stranded, so to speak. And now, they were exactly that.

That was when Jonathon jumped down from the carriage, examining the damage himself with a furrowed brow. “Yes, it is broken, but fortunately it is not split. That would have been a disaster.”

“Jonathon, the drama queen,” Edward teased, patting his friend playfully on the shoulder. “Yes, we won’t be able to continue without fixing it, and yes, it is not a disaster at all.”

He straightened, looking around him, with his hands placed on his hips. “Fortunately, we’re in the middle of town,” he said, pretending that there was an idea hatching inside his mind, while in fact it had hatched a long time ago. It had simply taken some time to properly ripen. “I have a suggestion,” he informed them all, pointing at Jonathon. “You and Aurelia stay here in the carriage while Vivianne and I go and fetch help.”

Jonathon, almost successful in ruining Edward’s plan, pointed out, “Why don’t we all go together?”

Edward frowned, biting his lip and preventing himself from slapping his friend’s back in an effort to stop him from speaking further and actually ruining the plan he knew nothing about. “And leave my new carriage unattended? You must be out of your mind, John. It would disappear faster than a stand of free honey cakes at a fair.”

His comparison made the girls laugh, so he smiled reassuringly at them. “Don’t worry,” he addressed Jonathon. “You and Aurelia will wait in the carriage, and because it is open, it will leave you in public sight at all time, without any risk of being compromised.”

… while also providing you some alone time with her, but you can thank me for that later, old boy, Edward mused mischievously.

Then, he turned to Vivianne. “I hope that’s all right by you.”

“Well…” she started, so he hastily cut in to root out any doubt that it could be done any other way.

“We couldn’t very well send you ladies off to fetch help on your own, now could we?” he asked, almost teasing her to contradict him.

Just as he expected, she did. “We could wait with you two going for help, you know.”

He shook his head. “No, no, no, out of the question.”

“Why?” she demanded, and as he gazed at her, he could see the fire in her eyes. She was daring him, testing him, something few people dared to do. He was desperate for some time alone with her, without any prying eyes around them. But he had to satisfy himself with a stroll through a busy street… for the time being.

“Because that would have been quite unchivalrous of us, that’s why,” he said in a not-very-argumentative manner, but he hoped it was enough to convince her.

“Yes, you are quite the Don Quixote, aren’t you?” she teased him.

He had to laugh. He had forgotten that she loved to read as much as he did, a pastime he didn’t reveal to many people. In fact, he believed that part of his personality was reserved solely for Jonathon. Yet, he found himself wanting to open up to her more and more, even about the things that no one else knew about him, and reading was one of them.

“You could be my Dulcinea,” he replied playfully, stepping closer to her. The smell of her skin was intoxicating. He wanted to bury his nose into her neck, inhale her very essence, then reverently kiss every inch of her body, allowing that same fragrance to lead the way to her most hidden pleasures. He swallowed heavily at the thought, his manhood straining against his trousers.

“No, thank you,” she replied with equal playfulness and charm that made her even more desirable. He had to use all of his conscious effort to remain calm in the face of such yearning. “I would rather be your windmill.”

“You are and you don’t even know it,” he said with a wink that he knew would enrage her, but he quickly turned to Jonathon before she could reply. “All right then, Vivianne and I shall go back to see what can be done about the wheel. You two just… stay here and enjoy yourselves.”

Jonathon frowned. He still didn’t understand that it was all a set up and it was all because of him. Edward loved that man like a brother, especially in moments when he didn’t know what was best for him.

“Enjoy ourselves while waiting?” Jonathon wondered as if that was the most preposterous thing he had ever heard.

“Yes,” Edward replied jovially, amused by his friend’s charming innocence. “Sometimes, the best things happen when you are doing nothing but waiting…”

Upon those words, he turned to Vivianne, offering her his arm. “Shall we?”

She seemed to hesitate, as if she were still trying to come up with arguments not to leave her sister, but eventually, she couldn’t come up with any, so she acquiesced.

“All right,” she said, pouting ever so slightly, which only made her even more intriguing.

In fact, almost everything she did, everything she said, titillated him in a way he hadn’t anticipated. He’d thought their game would be fairly simple, but he was taken aback by the unexpected strength of his attraction to her. He had certainly been attracted to other ladies before, but not in such a manner, not in such a way that he didn’t want it to end.

“Maybe that is the character I should have chosen first,” he suddenly said.

She turned to him as they walked slowly, leaving the carriage behind. “The character?”

“The windmill,” he replied with a grin. “Not Rosalind. Not Dulcinea. But rather, the windmill.”

Her eyes looked like two bright suns in the darkest night, illuminating every corner of his mind. Then she burst into laughter, a melodious sound akin to the choir of angels themselves.

“A windmill?” she finally asked, once she stopped laughing.

“Not a windmill.” He shook his head, correcting her. “ The windmill.”

“Oh, I see,” she replied, still smiling. “That makes more sense.”

“You don’t like it?” he wondered.

“To be honest, yes, I preferred Rosalind,” she mused. “At least, she’s a woman. This windmill of yours represents… well, an imaginary enemy, something you romanticize in your mind, you idealize it, and therefore, it is something of a misguided fight.”

A misguided fight. Yes, that was exactly what she was for him. He was fighting his attraction to her, while all he had to do was give in and she would follow. He was certain of it. Still, he’d told her she would be the one asking him to kiss her, not the other way around, and he planned on staying true to that promise.

They continued walking. It was a particularly busy street, all because of some street vendors celebrating Oak Apple Day. Edward had totally forgotten about it, but it did explain all the hustle and bustle in the street. At least no one would be paying any attention to them, as everyone was busy with their own agenda for the afternoon.

Vivianne stopped, and he could feel her entire body tense up. He turned to her, but her eyes weren’t watching him. They were focused on something, or rather, someone, in the distance.

“Vivianne?” he asked, endeavoring to pull her back to the present moment, feeling a certain unpleasantness grip at him, forcing itself upon his conscious mind. “What is it?”

She waited a few moments before responding. “It’s Lord Kinsington.”