Page 57 of Yours Truly, the Duke
Elise, on the other hand, stopped running, jerked her hands to her hips, and provoked her little sister by singing, “Tag me if you can!”
Bella immediately changed course and took a straight line toward her. Elise squealed with delight and started darting between bushes of peonies, clumps of daisies, and patches of not-yet-blooming lilies that had been planted in the park.
“Watch out for the bushes,” Fredericka admonished as Bella barely missed tromping down one of the budding thorny plants. “And don’t try to hit Charles. You must play nice.”
“Fredericka,” Wyatt said, coming up beside her and touching her arm. “Let the children play on their own. Let’s you and I take a stroll.”
“We can’t leave them.”
“We won’t.” He smiled. “They don’t need your help to do what comes naturally. They know how to run and chase. Tease and provoke. Let them.”
She looked a little stunned by his suggestion and pulled away from his touch. “I wasn’t trying to tell them how to play. Just to make sure everything is fair.”
“Let them figure it out.” He gave her a shrug and another smile. “That’s how they grow and learn to takecare of themselves. Walk with me. We won’t lose sight of them, I promise.”
Hesitating, she glanced at the children again but then slowly started walking without looking at him. He fell in step beside her and sucked in a deep breath of cool afternoon air. It smelled and tasted of fresh vegetation. Trees in the full bloom of spring foliage sprinkled the landscape. It reminded him of the lush meadows of Wyatthaven. For a moment, he imagined walking the stone paths that led to the glades. With Fredericka.
“You don’t know me very well, Your Grace,” Fredericka offered.
He wasn’t sure that was true. She had revealed a lot about herself the first day they met. She was extremely cautious. Most ladies would have jumped at the chance of marrying him. He had to entice her into agreeing. Her strength, efficiency, and loyalty were impressive.
“Maybe, but I get to know you a little better every time I talk to you.”
“I often enjoy frolicking in the garden at Paddleton with the children.” When he didn’t make a comment right away, she glanced over at him. “Are you surprised about that?”
“A little. Usually when you’re with the children you seem so—” He scrunched his eyes in an exaggerated manner as if he were searching for a suitable word.
“Strict?” she asked, more worriedly than defensively as she stopped and narrowed her eyes too.
He laughed softly and tipped his hat to a gentleman who passed by them. “I’m not going to admit to anything so reckless and find myself in deep water with you again.”
She tilted her head back and gave him a comfortable smile. “That’s astute of you.”
“I’m learning.”
“I’m not always stern,” she said with conviction.
He gave her a mock look of surprise as his gaze caressed her face. She didn’t like to give an inch on anything. He liked that about her. And that wasn’t all he liked. There was the sensuous quality to her full lips and the amusing twinkle that often lurked in her eyes. They beckoned him whenever she took issue or teased with him.
Without thinking, and only acting on what he was feeling, he moved far too close to her for being in a public park. She could have easily stepped away but didn’t. The frisson of exciting energy that sometimes passed between them so intensely neither of them wanted to miss it held them spellbound. Wyatt wanted nothing more than to untie the pretty ribbon that rested under her chin and kiss her lips for as long as he wanted.
The sound of masculine laughter and an approaching carriage stopped him.
He stepped back and so did she. They started strolling again. It was easy to filter out the park’s noise of carriage wheels, distant chatter, and loud bursts of laughter. It was easy to forget others were around when he was with Fredericka.
“It’s true,” she said, picking up their conversation where they left off. “Because Charles relishes it so much, I have tramped through the forest and into the muddy marshlands below Paddleton with him a few times in the past year. The girls joined us only once and decided they didn’t enjoy the tall grasses and soggy ground. They love for me to skip to the meadows with them in the heat of summer and cut wildflowers. We pulverize the blooms and petals to make flower water.”
“You make your own perfume?” She was beautiful,intelligent, and industrious too. He stopped walking and gave her his full attention. “I’m impressed with all you do for the children.”
His unexpected praise seemed to cause a wave of shyness to wash over her. Before focusing on him again, she averted her gaze to look toward the children.
“I wouldn’t go so far as to call it perfume. It’s simply something we take pleasure in accomplishing together.”
The girls came running up, talking over each other as they vied for Fredericka’s attention. “One at a time please,” she calmly said. “I can’t listen to both of you together.”
Elise grabbed Fredericka around the waist and held tight. “Why were you leaving us?”
“I wasn’t, silly girl.” Fredericka hugged her close and then caressed Elise’s cheek affectionately as she looked into her bright blue eyes. “You know better. We were just moving about.”
