Page 32 of Love Affair in London (Once Again #12)

For her, though, as well as countless other tourists, the top attraction in Kew was the treetop walkway.

Up there, she could see almost the entire park.

After sending a selfie to Jared, she didn’t expect to hear from him again—his meetings or workshops would have started by now.

But he surprised her with another quick reply. Gorgeous , followed by a smiley face.

It would have been so much more fun if he were here with her. But she’d have him again tonight.

She ended her tour at the Great Pagoda, its tiered roofline guarded by dragons. She climbed the spiral staircase, all ten floors to the top. The panoramic view of London was worth every step.

Having researched the route, she walked from the park to Kew Pier, where she boarded a boat to Hampton Court. That’s how Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn would have traveled to the palace—along the river, though they would have done so in a decadent barge.

She bought a cup of coffee and another crumpet, and sat in the sun to enjoy the snack.

Tourists filled the cruise—families, teenagers, young kids, and couples.

This wasn’t a commuter boat, and there were few solo travelers—maybe none but her.

She took a picture of her coffee and crumpet, and sent it to Jared with a brief text. Jealous?

Once again surprising her, his reply came quickly. You can’t know how much I’d rather be with you.

She couldn’t resist sending back. I’d rather you were here with me too. The boat ride would be so much more enjoyable.

He sent back a devil emoji blowing steam.

The boat motored past Ham House, an old manor house, and beautiful riverfront homes which probably cost a fortune.

Colorful houseboats docked along the banks, and swans drifted across the water.

People walked the towpath, which stretched all the way from Kew Gardens to Hampton Court.

If it hadn’t been an eight-mile walk, she’d have loved to do it, but there was no way she could fit it all in.

Hampton Court was massive, as it had needed to house all the young nobles granted the privilege of serving the king and queen.

Anne Boleyn had originally been a lady-in-waiting for Queen Catherine.

The majesty of Hampton Court truly showed how small Kew Palace was, more like a small manor house than a palace.

Urns of flower decorated the huge cobblestone entry, and through a portico, she entered a wide expanse of lawn and flowerbeds surrounded by two floors of latticed windows over a colonnade.

Instead of going inside, she walked straight through to view the gardens.

Tourists drove along the wide pathways in horse-drawn carriages.

But Piper strolled around the fountain and along the gravel path bordered by ancient Yew trees, and out to what was called The Long Water, a beautiful canal lined with lime trees stretching almost as far as the eye could see.

She sat on a bench for long minutes, enjoying the serenity.

But there were so many more gardens to visit, the famous Privy Garden, then the Pond Gardens, where the flowers lay in colorful designs. You could walk forever in the gardens of Hampton Court.

She headed inside then, passing the Vine Keeper’s House, its walls and trellises covered with wisteria still in bloom. She held the flowers to her nose, breathing in their sweet scent.

While the palace was magnificent, her favorite part was the tapestries.

They weren’t mere decoration, but used to keep the rooms warm in days of old.

Those added by King Henry filled the walls of the huge dining room, but she found the tapestries next door in the Great Watching Chamber—all acquired by Cardinal Wolsey—to be more impressive, especially the one depicting the elephants.

After touring the house, she grabbed a salad from the café, taking it outside to eat. Families and couples lounged on the lawns, enjoying the beautiful gardens on such a gorgeous day. The sun on Piper’s face was a joy.

She’d saved the best for last. Just as the treetop walkway was her highlight at Kew Gardens, the maze was the star attraction at Hampton Court.

As she entered, shouts and laughter and children calling to each other drifted in the air.

She wandered the hedgerows, which were taller than she was, as birds flew overhead and clouds scudded across the sky.

She followed a rule she’d read somewhere that you should always turn right in order to get to the middle.

And it worked as she finally made it to the center, which deserved another selfie.

Was it pathetic to keep sending selfies to Jared as if she couldn’t go a day without him? She sent it anyway. I made it to the center of the Hampton Court maze. Now I have to figure out how to make my way back.

Jared sent a laughing emoji. Let me know if I need to call out the King’s Guard to find you. He brought such a smile to her face.

A family with two teenagers joined her in the center, all of them laughing after they’d navigated their way through the maze.

She thought of Jared. This could have been his family before the divorce—a handsome father, a beautiful mother, and sweet-cheeked teenagers who actually seemed to enjoy themselves on a trip with their parents.

Piper wasn’t jealous. She simply felt how different Jared’s life was from hers.

She’d never had kids; she’d always been a career woman.

Maybe she truly was the one at fault for how things turned out with Roger.

She hadn’t understood kids or motherhood, or how to deal with young women who’d lost their mother.

Maybe she’d been judgmental. She should have been more sympathetic. If she’d worked harder in the beginning, the girls might not have resented her so much. Were they really the stepdaughters from hell? Or was she the insensitive stepmother?

Except that she had tried. And the girls never seemed to give her a chance.

It was a good thing that whatever she had with Jared wouldn’t last beyond this trip. He was a much younger man with a family, and she’d already proven she wasn’t good with kids, be they teenagers or young adults.

But she wouldn’t let maudlin thoughts ruin the beauty of the day, and she left the family to enjoy the maze’s center by themselves.

Leaving Hampton Court, she opted to take the train back, crossing the bridge over the river to the station, then switched to the Underground at Waterloo. She marveled at how easy it was to get anywhere in London.

Coming up out of the Tube station at Tower Bridge, she considered dinner.

Though she’d eaten the salad earlier, plus those two crumpets throughout the day, her stomach rumbled.

When she’d first decided to make this trip by herself, eating alone hadn’t seemed so bad.

But this would be her first dinner by herself since meeting Jared.

Should she go out? Order room service? Or grab a salmon salad from the same chain deli she and Jared visited yesterday outside Hyde Park? She’d seen the one by the Tower of London’s visitor center. She could eat the salad on her balcony.

Her phone pinged with a text from Jared, and her heart leapt.

What are you doing for dinner?

She replied quickly. Getting a salad.

His text zinged back. How about dinner with me instead? Which was followed quickly: I missed you all day.

The words were everything she could have asked for.

The day had been long and mostly uneventful.

Jared sat through talks by competitors showcasing their latest products, gave his first presentation, manned the exhibit booth, and glad-handed with countless attendees.

Not that anyone really shook hands anymore—not since COVID—but his cheeks ached from smiling, and his throat felt raw from talking.

All he wanted was Piper. Her texts throughout the day had kept him going.

A couple of his coworkers were going out for drinks, but Jared had no interest. His boss was off to an exclusive dinner with a group of elite CEOs—no underlings invited, not even VP status. And that was fine with Jared.

He politely declined the drinks and texted Piper. When she responded, Yes, I’d absolutely love dinner with you, he wanted to punch the air like a teenager who’d just scored a date with the prettiest girl in his class.

Stepping outside the hotel, he found a quiet corner to call her.

“Where are you?”

“Near the Underground by the Tower of London,” she replied.

“What would you like for dinner?”

“Shepherd’s pie,” she said without hesitation.

“That sounds like pub food.”

“Absolutely.” Her laugh filled him up. “And I’ve already got a list of the best shepherd’s pie around.”

“Then where shall I meet you?” His heart was already beating faster, knowing he’d see her soon.

“Meet me by the hotel at the bottom of the stairs at Tower Bridge.”

“I’m on my way.”

He arrived first, standing back and scanning the crowd. When he saw her, his heart skipped. She wore a pretty floral sundress, her shoulders slightly pink from a day in the sun. Her bag hung loosely at her side, and her hair caught the golden light of the early evening.

He hadn’t planned to kiss her in public, but when she reached him, he couldn’t help himself.

Wrapping her close with one arm, he held her tight and drank in the sweetness of her kiss.

God, he couldn’t get enough of this woman.

He’d missed her—not just because his day had been dull, but he’d missed her smile, her laugh, her sunny outlook, her pretty face.

When he finally let her go, he admitted it aloud. “I missed you today.”

“I missed you too.” She pouted her lips. “Playing tourist wasn’t as fun without you.”

She could have said it wasn’t as fun being alone, but she made it about him. That was Piper—making him feel like he was the center of her world. At least while she was in London.

“So, tell me where this pub is.”

With his arm around her, they climbed the Tower Bridge stairs. Being with her again felt right, as if the day without her had been incomplete.

“It’s really close—near the place we went to for Sunday roast.” She glanced up at him with a lighthearted smile. “Have you ever had shepherd’s pie?”

He opened his mouth to answer, but she held up a hand to stop him. “Wait—don’t tell me. Of course you haven’t. That means I get to introduce you.”

If he had tried it before, he would have said he hadn’t, just to see her radiant smile.