Page 40 of Charming the Headmistress (Spinsters and their Suitors #3)
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
C amden adjusted the cuffs of his coat and took a steadying breath as he stood outside Eleanor’s office door. The modest bouquet of pale blush roses felt almost absurdly fragile in his hand, but he had chosen them with care—elegant and quietly resilient, like the woman who had claimed his heart.
The maid admitted him and said she would bring a vase of water for the flowers before she quickly slipped away.
Camden knocked softly on the partially ajar door of Eleanor’s office, before he fully opened the door.
Inside, Eleanor looked up from her desk, her eyes widening in surprise that quickly softened to a smile.
“Camden,” she said, his name gentle on her tongue.
“Miss Langford,” he replied, his voice low, his smile warm. He stepped forward and presented the bouquet. “These reminded me of you.”
She took the flowers carefully, lifting them to her nose with a delighted breath. “They’re beautiful. Thank you.”
“I’m glad you like them.” He watched her, his heart thudding at the unguarded joy on her face. “It looks like today will be blissfully free of rain.”
She smiled. “Indeed, Lord Camden.”
“Might I convince you to accompany me on a walk?”
Her smile bloomed, radiant and soft. “I would like that very much.”
She laid the bouquet gently on her desk, its scent lingering in the air as she reached for her gloves and bonnet.
Camden watched as she slipped her hands into the soft kid leather, then lifted the bonnet, her fingers deftly looping the ribbons.
She met his eyes with a quiet smile as she tied the bow beneath her chin, each movement precise yet unhurried, as though savoring the moment.
They stepped outside together into the warm summer day, the air carrying a faint sweetness from the orchard beyond.
The school grounds lay quiet, save for the distant peals of laughter drifting from where girls played among the trees.
Their boots crunched lightly on the gravel as they took a slow path beneath arching branches, the world seeming to shrink until it held only the two of them.
Camden cleared his throat, the words he’d rehearsed slipping through his fingers like water.
“Eleanor,” he began, his voice full of feeling, “when I first came to Greenbrook, I thought only of duty. But somewhere along the way, you ceased to be merely a headmistress I admired. You became the woman I cannot envision my life without.”
She stopped walking, turning to face him fully, her eyes luminous. “Camden—”
He reached for her hands, holding them tightly between his own.
“I would stand beside you always, if you’d let me, Eleanor.
I want to build a future with you—not to take you from what you’ve created, but to be part of it.
” His gaze searched hers, earnest and unguarded.
“But tell me truly—do you feel the time is right? Or shall I wait longer for your heart to be ready?”
Tears shimmered at the edges of her eyes, her smile was bright. “I’m ready, Camden,” she whispered. “I want that too. I’m ready to take that step—with you.”
A breath of relief escaped him, unsteady and almost reverent, as if he’d been holding it for a lifetime. “You cannot imagine how happy you’ve made me,” he said, his voice rough with wonder. “You’ve given me everything I dared hope for—and more.”
She rose on her toes, her lips brushing his cheek with a lingering breathless tenderness. “I have some idea,” she murmured.
He caught her face gently in his hands, his thumbs stroking the delicate curve of her jaw as he drew her close.
Every part of him felt brilliantly alive, as if his world had been drained of color until she had stepped into it.
The world fell away around them, the hush of the garden wrapping them in a world that was their own.
He didn’t hesitate for even a heartbeat.
His breath mingling with hers, before closing the distance and capturing her mouth in a kiss.
Their kiss was unhurried yet fervent, a sweet collision of the longing he’d carried for what felt like an eternity.
Her lips parted with a soft, breathless sigh, and he answered with a tender intensity, until the world around them seemed to blur.
Every quiet vow he’d yearned to make, he poured into that kiss.
Her fingers curled into his coat and warmth flooded his chest, fierce and bright.
When they parted, the world around them felt hushed, suspended.
He rested his forehead against hers, breath catching softly. “I want every tomorrow with you.”
And she, eyes shining with certainty, whispered, “Then let’s begin.”