Chapter 19

CHAPTER NINETEEN

A s the joyful laughter of children filled the air, Eliza lifted on her toes to see over the hedge, her brow furrowed in confusion. The unexpected sound of a woman's voice on Captain Blackwood's property caught her off guard, and she paused, trying to make sense of the scene before her through the hedge.

"Daniel is such a good man," a woman said to her companion. "You'd never know the darkness he's faced, seeing him like this with the children."

"I agree. War changes a man. It is a good thing we are here."

"It must be hard on him to be so removed from everyone. I wonder if there is more that we should think about doing," she said.

"We can only do what we can, my dear. There is nothing else we can do. "

Eliza ducked as the couple walked closer to the hedge, pretending to find an offensive weed to pull in this area of the garden, though she had had no intention of working in this part of the garden at all. She strained her ears to hear more of the couple's conversations, but it faded behind the laughter of the children once again, punctuated by a deeper baritone laugh that immediately had her insides melting. It was a much richer sound than she had heard before. Could that really be Captain Blackwood's laugh? It was as if she were hearing it truly for the first time.

She leaned forward to enjoy the sound through the hedgerow, when a blade of grass tickled her nose. She sneezed loudly.

Immediately, the laughter stopped, and Eliza looked for any small weed to pull.

Captain Blackwood's voice wafted over toward her. "Miss Montrose, is that you?" The hint of surprise in his voice was not unpleasant.

Eliza stood up, proudly holding a small weed in her hand as proof that she had been doing something other than spying on her neighbor. "Hello, Captain."

The smile that he gave reached his eyes, and it warmed her heart. Her breath caught in her throat as she took in the way his lips framed his teeth so perfectly. Those were the lips she'd kissed only last night under the moon. She bit her lip. If he didn't have company over, would they repeat such a thing again? Heat spread across her cheeks at the thought .

"I was hoping to see you today."

She held up the small weed she'd found, suddenly feeling shy with others around. "You found me. A gardener's work is never finished."

"Who are you talking to?" the young boy asked.

Daniel smiled down at him. "This is my neighbor, Miss Montrose."

"Is she a friend or a foe?" the little boy asked with a determination in his eyes.

Daniel laughed, then caught her gaze. "She is a friend. There is no need to declare war on her."

The boy sighed. "Very well. We must search out the pirates then." The boy scampered, hunching as he went, as if he were trying to hide behind invisible walls to not be seen.

Eliza found the moment endearing. "He is certainly an imaginative one."

Daniel nodded. "He is. He's my nephew, Henry. His younger sister, Charlotte, is following after him."

Eliza wanted to talk to him about last night, but she couldn't figure out how to formulate the words.

A woman cleared her throat. "Daniel, shall we not have proper introductions without a hedge in the way?"

"Of course. Would you allow me to introduce my family to you?" He raised his eyebrows toward Eliza in question.

She nodded her agreement and after tossing the inconsequential weed onto the ground, she made her way through the opening in the hedge, coming to meet the small party in Captain Blackwood's garden.

Captain Blackwood gestured to the couple, who stood together. "Miss Montrose, may I present the Earl and his wife, Lord and Lady Devon, my cousins. Lord and Lady Devon, this is my neighbor and friend, Miss Montrose."

Lord Devon gave a polished bow, his wife a refined curtsy.

Eliza curtsied. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Lord and Lady Devon."

Lady Devon reached her hand forward to Eliza. "Any friend of Daniel's may call me Emily."

Eliza smiled, though she was taken aback by the woman's informality. "Very well, Emily."

"I was just telling my husband how much I admire your garden. From the little we've glimpsed, it looks positively heavenly."

"Thank you, m'lady."

"Emily, please. I am much more comfortable with a name than a title," Emily said.

Eliza nodded.

"Miss Montrose takes exceptional care of her garden. In fact, she's helped me with this area of my own. It still has a long way to go, but it is in a much better state than it was. Miss Montrose is an expert in plants and flowers. I am constantly in awe of her knowledge and her passion," Captain Blackwood said.

Emily's eyes widened, looking between the two of them. "That is quite a feat. I should love to hear more about it."

Eliza's heart swelled at his praise. "Thank you, Captain. That is kind of you to say, though I believe you have exaggerated my abilities."

"I do not lavish praise or exaggerate," Captain Blackwood said.

"And I should enjoy hearing more about it," Emily insisted.

"I would be delighted to share my knowledge with you," Eliza said.

Emily clapped her hands together. "Then it is settled. We shall become great friends while I am staying, and you shall tell me all about yourself." Emily looped her arm through Eliza's and directed them both in the direction the children went.

Eliza glanced back at the earl and the captain. Captain Blackwood's posture was as strong as she'd ever seen him, and yet there was something in the way he looked at her that made his features seem less harsh. He gave her a small smile, and she couldn't believe the amount of energy that fluttered inside her, part of her wishing she was still in the Captain's presence.

"You must tell me all about yourself, Miss Montrose, starting with your Christian name. If we are to be the best of friends, I should not be kept in the dark on that fact," Emily said.

"My name is Eliza," she said, wondering how she would feel about a near stranger using her Christian name. It should have felt uncomfortable, but Emily seemed to have a way of setting her at ease. It felt as if she was reconnecting with an old friend as they walked around the garden and whispered as if they had very great secrets to share with one another.

"Now, Eliza, start from the beginning and tell me everything about yourself. And please do not leave anything out."

Eliza did not feel the need to share everything about herself as Emily had asked, but she told her about her love of gardening, and a little about her early childhood. As they spoke, Emily took them down the meandering paths through Captain Blackwood's large estate. Through the edge of a clearing, Eliza saw the sand and the water gleaming beyond the trees. Her heart squeezed at the sight—she could almost see the spot where she and Captain Blackwood had shared a kiss.

"This is a beautiful area," Eliza said. "I have now seen more of the Captain's property without him than with him."

Emily nodded. "I imagine he doesn't come this way much anymore. But, still, it was always my favorite way of coming down to the water years ago."

"It sounds like you spent a lot of time here," Eliza said, wondering just how much Emily would reveal about Captain Blackwood.

"Yes, Daniel and Adam were closer than brothers for a long time. It was natural that I joined them here, and … of course, we were not the only ones. There were others that we socialized with." Emily seemed to be gazing back into the past, and Eliza wished she would continue.

"There was a large group of you?"

Emily blinked. "Oh no." Emily shook her head. "But that was a long time ago. I shouldn't say more. We were down here on one of the last times I was here. Truthfully, I never thought Daniel would return to this place."

"But it's his home."

"That's true. But then again, home is more than a finely furnished manor. It is more of a state of mind than an actual place, is it not? "

"I suppose that is a fair way to describe it." Her home was nothing fancy, but the feeling of solace and joy permeated her home and her garden.

As they retraced their steps toward the manor, Emily's children came racing toward them, with Captain Blackwood and Adam following behind. "Uncle Daniel says he is going to show us inside before we have dinner."

Emily smiled. "That sounds wonderful."

Eliza took this moment as her cue to leave. "I should be on my way as well. It was lovely getting to know you," she said to Emily.

"I feel the same way. I hope we see you very often while we are here. We shall be here for nearly a month."

A month. Eliza took a steadying breath. She did not want to intrude on the captain's time with his family. Surely, Emily was only being polite. She started to make her excuses, but Emily stopped her.

"Perhaps you could join us for dinner? I should very much enjoy continuing our conversations."

"I appreciate your very kind invitation, but I wouldn't want to intrude on your time with family."

"Please say you'll come," Emily said again. "It wouldn't be any imposition at all, would it, Daniel?"

"I would be honored if you would join us for dinner," Captain Blackwood said. He tilted his head, an unspoken question on his lips. "That is, unless you already have a prior engagement."

Eliza's heart skipped a beat at the captain's invitation, and a flurry of conflicting emotions coursed through her. The prospect of spending an evening in his presence both thrilled and unnerved her.

Yet, as she gazed into the captain's warm and inviting eyes, Eliza's inner turmoil vanished, and she found herself only thinking of her evening with Captain Blackwood on the beach. "I do not have a prior engagement."

Captain Blackwood stepped forward, his voice gentle and reassuring. "Then we would be delighted to have you join us, if you would like to."

His words, spoken with such sincerity, sent a shiver down Eliza's spine. The way he looked at her, with a mixture of admiration and longing, made her heart flutter. Eliza felt an undeniable pull towards Captain Blackwood .

"I would be delighted to join you for dinner," Eliza said, the words tumbling from her lips before she could second-guess herself. "Thank you for the invitation, Captain."

Captain Blackwood nodded.

Emily's face lit up with genuine joy, her smile radiant as she squeezed Eliza's arm affectionately. "Wonderful! We shall have a lovely evening together, and I look forward to getting to know you even better."

As Eliza returned Emily's smile, she felt a weight lift from her shoulders, replaced by a newfound sense of excitement and possibility. Her gaze drifted once more to Captain Blackwood, and in that moment, she saw a flicker of something in his eyes that made her heart skip a beat—a mixture of relief, gratitude, and perhaps even a hint of yearning.

Eliza realized that her growing interest in him, the desire to explore the connection that had taken root between them, had played a significant role in her decision. She had spent so long guarding her heart, focusing solely on her independence and self-reliance, that the prospect of opening herself up to the possibility of something more was both thrilling and terrifying.

Captain Blackwood gave the time for dinner, and Eliza gave her goodbyes before making her way through the well-trodden path in the hedge, her mind abuzz with the events of the day. The unexpected encounter with Emily and the children had left her feeling both exhilarated and apprehensive, and she couldn't help but wonder what the upcoming dinner would bring.

As she stepped into the familiar comfort of her own garden, Eliza paused to take in the vibrant colors and sweet fragrances that surrounded her. The gentle rustling of leaves in the breeze seemed to whisper words of encouragement, urging her to embrace the changes that lay ahead.

Eliza's thoughts drifted to Captain Blackwood, and she found herself replaying their interactions in her mind. The way his eyes had softened when he looked at her, the gentle curve of his smile, the unspoken understanding that seemed to flow between them—all of these moments had left an indelible mark on her heart.