Page 17 of A Kiss to Stop a Wedding

A sunny June afternoon was the perfect time to visit the pleasure gardens and Flora was impressed with what she saw.

She felt perfectly at ease, strolling along the shady paths with Betty, and there was nothing to disgust her in the people she saw along the way.

They appeared to be mostly wealthy tradespeople or minor gentry strolling through the grounds, although there were a few decidedly fashionable young bucks cutting a dash.

One or two of the gentlemen cast a second glance at Flora, but Betty’s fearsome scowl prevented anyone approaching them.

Flora spotted several wardens, all in dark green breeches and waistcoats and with the Bellemonte emblem embroidered upon their matching coats. She recalled Matthew telling her they were employed to keep the peace and remove any rowdy or drunken revellers.

She also took note of the number of statues throughout the gardens, many of them in the centre of small clearings on each side of the path.

They were all very fine, but none looked at all similar to the one Quentin had installed at Whilton Hall.

Not that she was any judge of these things, of course, but the pleasure gardens were very large and there were so many side paths and little tracks that it would take some time to explore everything.

As she stepped into yet another secluded recess, this time with a stone bench beneath a wooden arch covered with roses, her maid emitted a loud sigh.

‘Are you not enjoying yourself, Betty?’

‘It’s all very pretty, ma’am.’

This was said so woodenly that Flora almost laughed.

‘But you have seen enough for today, is that it?’

‘Aye, well, I’m not as young as I was,’ said Betty, ‘and we had a full day’s travel yesterday. It fair takes it out of a body.’

‘Very well,’ said Flora, taking pity on her maid. ‘We will go back now.’

* * *

When they reached Flora’s bedchamber, a glance at the little carriage clock she had placed on the mantelshelf told her it was still early.

‘Goodness, we were out for little more than an hour!’

‘It seemed a lot more than that,’ muttered Betty, following her into the room. ‘And in the heat of the day, too!’

She sounded aggrieved, which Flora realised was due to tiredness. She sent her maid off to lie down, saying she was quite capable of removing her own pelisse.

‘There is a good two hours until dinner,’ she added, when Betty hesitated. ‘I dare say we shall both feel better for the rest.’

However, when she was alone, Flora did not lie down upon her bed.

She pottered about the room, then tried reading her book, but she could not settle.

Perhaps the hotel could provide her with a newspaper, or a lady’s magazine, something to pass the time.

From the adjoining room came the faint sound of snoring and she decided not to wake Betty. She would go down herself and enquire.

She had reached the landing and was halfway down the final flight of stairs when she saw Matt Talacre in the hall, talking with the manager. She froze and was about to retreat, when he looked up and saw her.

There was no escape. His eyes held hers and although her brain told her to turn and flee, her body would not obey. She watched as his initial surprise gave way to a warm smile.

‘Miss Warenne.’

He walked across to the bottom of the stairs and there was nothing she could do but carry on. The way his eyes crinkled when he smiled had set loose a net full of butterflies inside and she gripped the handrail tightly as she made her way down the last few steps, afraid her legs might give way.

‘This is a delightful surprise,’ he said, reaching out to take her hand when she was at last standing on the tiled floor of the hall. ‘Welcome to the Bellemonte Hotel.’

‘Thank you.’

Flora’s cheeks were flaming and she was aware that the manager and at least two other servants were in the hall, watching them. Matt was still smiling and gripping her fingers. Then he suddenly seemed to realise their situation and released her.

‘You are here with Mr and Mrs Farnleigh?’

‘No. But I have my maid,’ she said quickly. ‘She is upstairs.’

‘Of course.’ He looked around. ‘Will you take some refreshment with me? Tea, perhaps. We have a very comfortable morning room here, overlooking the square.’

‘Tea would be very…refreshing,’ said Flora, although she would have liked to ask him for wine, or brandy, to steady the tumult inside her.

After a word to a hovering footman, Matt escorted her into the room and to a small table by one of the windows. She was relieved to see they were not alone—there were two other couples on the far side of the room.

‘Now,’ he said, sitting down opposite. ‘Tell me what brings you to Bellemonte and without your aunt and uncle.’

Why, oh, why did I come here?

Flora breathed deeply, struggling to regain her composure and maintain some sort of dignity.

‘Miss Albright is visiting her godmother in Hotwells.’

‘And is she staying here, too?’

‘No. She is putting up at the Hotwell House. I stayed there with her last night, but I thought, since we were so close…’

Flora stopped, thankful that the arrival of a maid with the tea tray obliged them to pause their conversation. She then elected to pour tea for them both, giving herself a few extra moments to compose her reply.

She would have liked to appear nonchalant, to admit to nothing but idle curiosity bringing her to Bellemonte, but that was impossible. Far better to tell the truth.

‘I wanted to find out if all you had told me was true.’ His brows went up and her cheeks grew even warmer. She said, ‘Lord Whilton said you were trying to trick him. I did not know who to believe.’

‘Since you are going to marry the Viscount, surely you should believe him.’

‘His Lordship might have misunderstood the situation.’ She knew she was clutching at straws and expected him to say so. When he remained silent, she burst out, ‘I thought you would still be in London, or I should never have come!’

‘No, I can believe that. But what did you hope to achieve?’

‘I hardly know. I just thought, if I could see Bellemonte for myself, inspect the statue of Aphrodite and compare it to the one at Whilton…’

‘And have you seen it?’

‘No. Not yet. I took a short walk there when I arrived, but the gardens are much larger than I envisaged…’

He drew out his pocket watch. ‘I am free for a couple of hours. I could take you to Aphrodite now, if you wish? When you have finished here, of course.’

Flora sipped her tea. It was out of the question.

She must subdue this new, wayward spirit that had been kindled within her these past weeks.

Coming alone to Bellemonte was quite reckless enough.

Besides, she was here on Quentin’s behalf and to accept Matt Talacre’s escort would be tantamount to consorting with the enemy.

She did not even need to consider her answer—she must refuse.

‘Unless you think your Viscount would not like it.’

He was smiling, a faint challenge in his dark eyes. Flora put down her cup.

‘I will fetch my pelisse.’

Flora hurried up to her bedchamber, telling herself there would be no impropriety in touring the gardens with Matt Talacre as long as Betty was there as a chaperon.

However, when she entered the maid’s room she found her faithful servant sleeping soundly.

Flora quietly closed the door again and, quickly donning her pelisse, she ran back down the stairs.

Matt was waiting for her in the hall.

‘No maid?’

‘She is asleep and I did not have the heart to wake her.’ Flora avoided his eyes. ‘She was exhausted by our earlier walk in the gardens, even though we did not make a full circuit.’

‘Has Miss Albright’s godmother visited the gardens?’ he asked her. ‘As you have seen for yourself, it is within easy reach of Hotwells.’

‘I do not think so. Certainly not recently. She is too ill to go out now. I went with Jenny to visit her this morning and she is very frail.’

‘I am sorry to hear that,’ he replied, sincerely.

‘Yes, it is very sad. She wrote to ask if Jenny could come and see her, only with Mrs Albright herself in poor health, her parents could not come. That is why I offered to accompany her.’

‘And Bellemonte just happened to be on your way.’

‘Yes. It seemed too good an opportunity to miss.’

‘Even knowing I would not be present?’ he teased her.

‘ Especially since you would not be present! ’

Flora tried to sound severe, but it was difficult when she was so at ease.

It was as if she had known Matt Talacre for years, rather than a few weeks.

She discovered that he was an excellent guide, too, very knowledgeable about the shrubs and trees as well as his plans to make the gardens more profitable.

‘I beg your pardon,’ he said, after a while. ‘I have been talking non-stop at you since we set off.’

‘Not at all, I am finding it all very interesting. It is a pleasure to walk here with someone who knows so much.’ She chuckled. ‘My poor maid found the whole thing so tedious, when we came here earlier.’

‘A good thing to let her sleep then, this time.’

‘Yes.’ She smiled back at him. ‘A very good thing.’

* * *

Matt did not take Flora directly to the statue, but diverted along several of the smaller paths, taking his time, pointing out to her the more exotic plants and explaining his ideas for opening up new paths.

It was a pleasure to walk with her, she showed a genuine interest in the gardens and posed intelligent questions.

But no matter how much he liked Flora Warenne, however enjoyable he found her company, she was betrothed to Lord Whilton.

Nothing could come of their friendship, so why was he taking so much trouble with the lady?

Because she can help me persuade the Viscount to return the statue. That’s all .