by Sky Winters
“This is too generous,” she whispered, tears welling in her eyes. The thought of being able to create again meant so much to her, more than she could even have imagined it would.
“My sister told me that she offered to buy you paints while you wait for a response from your family but you would not let her,” he pointed out. It was true, Gwen had after their conversation about Dalton’s studio. She could not allow it though, not after all that she had given her.
“She and her husband have already been too generous,” she said, trying to keep her tears from falling.
“It brings her joy to fuss over people,” Dalton said, smiling with a clear fondness for his sister.
“I already feel terrible for taking advantage of her kindness,” Violet explained, knowing that there was no way that she could ever repay their kindness.
“I did not mean to make you feel badly,” he assured her, kneeling in front of her and taking her hand in his as he spoke.
“I know, I have just always taken care of myself. I hate feeling helpless here,” she explained as her tears began to fall in earnest.
“I get the distinct impression that you could never be entirely helpless,” he said as he smiled at her with admiration.
“Thank you,” she whispered, unable to keep from smiling through her tears at his words.
“Most ladies would not take that as a compliment,” he smirked, rising from the ground to take a seat beside her on the stone wall.
“Did you not mean it as one?” she asked with a giggle that she could not keep from escaping her mouth.
“Oh I most definitely meant it to be a compliment,” he said with a tone of heat in his voice that thrilled her.
“We Americans enjoy self-sufficiency,” she said saucily, trying to put her sadness aside.
“Do you know at all how you came to be here?” he asked, leaning towards her as he spoke. The sweet smell of coffee and tobacco surrounded her and she could not remember a more appeal scent in all of her like.
“I truly have no idea,” she murmured, leaning towards him instinctively.
“Whatever it is that brought you here I am glad,” his said, his eyes looking deeply in to hers.
“Suddenly, so am I,” she whispered, biting her lip as she stared at his mouth. She knew with every fiber of her being that he was about to kiss her and she could hardly stand the anticipation.
When he finally did press his lips to hers, it was like nothing she had ever experienced before. She had expected that he would be timid, treating her like a gentile lady of his time. Instead, his mouth crashed down on hers as though he was trying to stake a claim on her and her body responded eagerly. Her arms wrapped around his neck and, in one motion, he looped his arm around her waist and pulled her on to his lap to give himself better access to her mouth as his free hand began to explore the curves of her body.
When his mouth left hers to trail kisses down her neck, she whispered, “Fireworks!”
“What did you say,” he asked, causing her to moan in disappointment as he lifted his mouth from her neck.
“Nothing,” she assured him, leaning in to him and savoring every inch of his body against hers.
“We better get down to lunch before my sister comes looking for us,” he said, though his mouth immediately returned to hers. He seemed to be unable to keep himself from kissing her and that was just fine with her.
“Yes, you are right,” she muttered after a few more moments of passion, not wanting to attract suspicion from Gwen.
“Can I see you again soon,” he asked, his arms still wrapped around her.
“Yes,” she said, pressing her forehead to his and biting her lip in an attempt to keep her desire for him in check.
“Would you like to go to the park tomorrow? Perhaps we could paint together,” he suggested with a smile.
“I would love that,” she cried aloud as she kissed him on the cheek, full of joy at the thought of a day of painting with him.
“I will arrange it with my sister. We will need her to be our chaperone,” he explained, though he did not look happy at the thought of not being alone with her.
“Really?” she asked, surprised that he was bound so much by propriety when it was clear that they both wanted to enjoy each other without watching eyes.
“Do proper American ladies not need chaperones?” he teased, his eyebrows raised in mock horror.
“I suppose it is proper, though inconvenient,” she said, doing her best to look as though she was pouting.
“I like your spirit,” he laughed as he pulled her close again for one more long, lingering kiss before they made their way back to the house.
Chapter 6
The next day Dalton arrived early in his carriage to collect Gwendolyn and Violet for their excursion to the park to paint. His loving sister met him in the foyer, her eyes sparkling.
“It is a beautiful day,” Gwen observed after embracing him.
“Yes, the light is lovely to paint in,” Dalton remarked, though his eyes were not on her as he spoke. He was looking about, waiting for Violet to arrive.
“Yes, I am sure painting is what you have on your mind Brother,” Gwen smirked.
“I do not know what you mean,” he replied, though he did finally look away from the staircase long enough to give his sister a warning glance.
“I think you do,” she said with a knowing look.
“Where is Violet?” he asked impatient to see her again.
“She is upstairs. I have not sent a servant to fetch her yet,” his sister explained, though she usually would have upon hearing his carriage arrive. She needed a few moments alone with her brother first.
“Why on earth not? We will lose the light,” he demanded, annoyed to be so close to Violet and yet unable to see her.
“What are you doing with her?” his sister asked, her chin raised as though she was challenging him to lie to her.
“Not a thing. I am just trying to make her feel welcome,” he said, though he did not meet her eyes when he spoke.
“Is that all?” she asked, eyebrows raised and hands on her hips.
“Of course,” he said, much too adamantly to be believed.
“Because if you cared for her, it would be one thing,” she began, but he was quick to interrupt her.
“How could I care for a strange woman that we just met days ago?” he asked, throwing his hands in the air as he spoke.
“As I was saying,” she continued, “if you cared for her it would be one thing, but if not then you need to be careful. She is alone in a strange place and she is a part of my household. She is my responsibility and I will not see her taken advantage of.”
“I would never do that. I would never hurt her,” he said, betraying with his eyes just how much he cared for Violet.
“I have seen the way you have burned through woman since Celeste broke your heart. It's like you have been on a mission to break as many hearts as possible,” Gwendolyn accused, unable to ignore her brother’s past.
“I would never do that to her,” he vowed.
“Why not?” she pushed, forcing him to face his feelings.
“She is different,” he explained, but his sister was not content with his vague answer.
“Why? What makes her different?” she continued, her eyes unblinking as she stared at him and awaited his response.
“She is special,” he said, smiling at the thought of Violet and all the things that made her so different than any woman he had known before.
“That seems a lot like caring,” his sister said with a gentle smile as she placed her hand gently on his arm.
“I do not like where this conversation is going,” he said, shaking his head and trying to push away the thought of how sweet it would be to have Violet as his own. He had sworn when Celeste broke his heart that he would never give another woman the power to do it again and he had no intention of breaking that vow.
“Just be sure you know what you are doing. She is in a vul
nerable position here. I will not see her hurt,” Gwen said, looking very much like their mother as she scolded him.
“What if I did not hurt her?” he asked, unable to shake the image of Violet from his mind.
“Then I would be very glad that you were letting yourself care for someone again,” she said as she hugged him tightly.
“I do not know if I can,” he whispered to her.
“Try, Brother. I think she might be your last chance,” she warned as they heard footsteps descending the stairs. They stepped apart and Dalton looked up to see Violet standing there, the light behind her making her glow like an angel.
“Hello Dalton,” she said from the landing above him, her eyes locked on him.
“Violet,” he whispered, unable to say anything more as he had thoroughly lost his breath upon seeing her.
“Let's get going. The servants have packed us a picnic,” Gwendolyn said, pulling the lovers from their moment.
“Let us go then,” Dalton said, offering Violet his arm as they moved towards the carriage.
Chapter 7
They had been painting in silence for nearly an hour when Gwen could no longer stand her boredom.
“How can you both be so focused?” she asked as she fanned herself.
“It is just so lovely here,” Dalton said, though his eyes were not on the landscape he was to be painting. Instead, his gaze was focused on Violet as she painted. She was so immersed that she did not realize he had eyes only for her. With her face bright with the joy of painting, she had never been lovelier.
“And it is so good to be painting again,” she said without taking her eyes from her canvas.
“Well I need a bit of conversation. I saw Lady Tarkington and her daughters settle in for a picnic just over that knoll. I should go and say hello,” she said as she rose from her seat on the blanket beside Violet.
“Would you like us to accompany you?” Violet offered, finally looking up from her work.
“No, keep at your art. I will be fine,” Gwen said as she began to walk away.
“Are you sure sister?” Dalton asked. The spot they had chosen was removed from the other picnickers around them by a tall hedge and there was no denying that it was inappropriate for a chaperone to leave them along in such a secluded spot.
“Absolutely,” Gwen called over her shoulder as she walked away.
“You have remarkable skill,” Dalton said once his sister was out of hearing range.
“Thank you,” she said, looking up at him with a bright smile that took his breath away.
“When we first met, you implied that you do not paint anymore,” he reminded her, unsure how anyone with her skill could walk away from their craft.
“I have not done work of my own for some time,” she said, though her attention was once again focused on her canvas.
“Why on earth not?” he asked, shocked.
“Because it does not pay,” she said as she put her brush down and looked up at him, unsure how to explain it to him.
“What does a lady need funds for?” he asked, clearly confused by her explanation.
“It is hard to explain,” she said, afraid that he was going to push her further for answers that she could not give him.
“Well whatever it is, I think you should always do artwork of your own,” he said, sensing her apprehension.
“Thank you,” she said, rising and going to sit beside him. She stared at his canvas for a moment and her heart skipped a beat. The canvas before her echoed the bright and joyful canvasses she had seen in his studio from the time before his heart was broken and it have her hope.
Impulsively, she kissed him. At first, he froze in shock at her boldness but it did not take him long to recover. Gently, he pressed his body against hers as he eased her on to her back. He lay on top of her, his mouth locked on hers while his right hand caressed her sweet breasts and his left rested on her hip holding her right where he wanted her. They were so far from all the other picnickers that it felt as though they were completely alone and they took full advantage, devouring each other’s kisses. Her hands traveled the strong muscles of his back before she wound them in his dark hair, something she had longed to so since she first set eyes on his shaggy locks.
“We have to stop,” he gasped.
“Why,” she murmured, trying to pull his mouth back down towards hers.
“My sister will be back any minute,” he said, using all of his restraint to pull himself up and off of her.
“Alright,” she said as she sat up. She looked so delightfully mussed and her lips were so thoroughly inviting that he could not help but pull her to him and kiss her again.
“Ok, now we really have to stop,” he said as he broke their kiss, though his roaming hands had found their way to her backside.
“You are the one who has his hands on me,” she said with a giggle.
“I know. Saying a thing and actually doing it are very different things,” he said, burying his hand in his hair as he tried to move away from her.
“I hear your sister. Now we really do need to stop,” she said, rising and returning to her seat so that Gwen would be none the wiser.
“Damn her,” he said under his breath as he tried to right his hair.
“She is your sister,” Violet said, doing her best to straighten her dress just as Gwen came in to view.
Chapter 8
The next night, many guests streamed in to Gwen and Martin’s townhouse for her annual ball. It was the one event that Gwendolyn had insisted that Violet allow her to buy her a new dress for and Violet could not deny that the silver dress was the loveliest garment she had ever warn but she was anxious about being surrounded by so many strangers. To escape the commotion, Violet had taken refuge in the garden and it was there that Dalton found her when he arrived.
“My sister said I could find you here,” he said, grinning at her. Dressed in all black, he looked like temptation personified.
“I just wanted to get some fresh air before her guests arrive,” she explained, her arms wrapped around herself as a shield against the summer breeze.
“You look stunning,” he said, moving closer to her. He tried to take her in his arms, but she stepped away.
“Thank you,” she said, unsure what else to say to him. She had gone through the full range of emotions since the day before. She was so excited by all of the passion and caring that he stirred inside of her, but she could not ignore that he was a man who held all women to blame for the one who broke his heart. She was in a tough enough position without heartbreak to add to it. She was not at all sure what to do. Her heart wanted her to run to him, but her brain was telling her to be caution.
“My sister told you about Celeste didn't she?” he asked.
“Yes, but only in the broadest of terms,” she answered, not wanting him to be angry with his sister.
“Well then let me fill in the gaps. I loved her beyond reason and she threw me over for an elderly Duke with a fat bank account and a fatter waistline,” he said with a smirk, though there was not the anger in his eyes that she had expected.
“And she broke your heart,” she added, unable to leave the words unsaid.
“Yes and I have been taking it out on the whole world ever since,” he said with a sad smile.
“I am sorry that she hurt you,” Violet said, fighting the urge to wrap her arms around him.
“I am not, because if she had not then I would never have found you,” he said, closing the distance between them and pulling her close to him.
“What are you saying?” she asked in shock.
“Painting with you yesterday was the first time I have been truly happy since she broke my heart. I finally felt like myself again and it was because of you,” he explained, his face looking peaceful.
“I am sure that it was not because of me. Time has healed your heart,” she said, shaking her head in disbelief.
“No, you have,” he insisted, taking her chin in his fingers and forcing
her to look at him as he spoke.
“What does that mean?” she asked.
“It means that I am very much in love with you,” he said with eyes full of hope and love.
“This not possible,” she said, pulling away from his embrace.
“Are you saying that you do not love me?” he asked, already knowing that she did.