Page 19 of The Lady and the Lion (Victorian Outcasts #9)

seventeen

S amuel had underestimated the strength the climb would have required and the effect of the freezing night on his body. But the discomfort was completely forgotten when he landed in Vivienne’s room and stared at her.

Her raven hair was styled in curls, forming small roses around her head.

The golden-and-white gown hugged her lovely waist, to give way to a flowing skirt with many folds.

Small silken sleeves and large ribbons covered her shoulders.

The neckline left her collarbone bare. The pink ribbons and embroidered roses matched the colour of her lips.

But what left him breathless was the shiny golden fabric. It made her skin glow as if she were a fairy, and glittering sparks flickered every time she moved.

“What do you think?” She twirled around, and the skirt lifted a few inches, showing her slender ankles, silk slippers, and white stockings.

What did he think? He was stunned. He’d never seen anything more beautiful. She looked like starlight wrapped in silk.

“Too much?” She smoothed down her skirt. “Perhaps it’s too extravagant.”

He swallowed hard. “You look so beautiful.”

The word couldn’t express how lovely she was.

She blushed, and it suited her. “It took me hours to get ready. Ridiculous.”

“All worth it.”

She averted her gaze, her eyelashes long and thick and dark as night. “This is my bedroom.” She stretched out an arm.

Her bedroom was twice the size of Captain Jackson’s flat. The four-poster bed had to be huge, but it looked tiny in the wide room. He wasn’t an expert, but the furniture and ornaments had to be worth a small fortune. The shiny fabric of the bed curtains had to be expensive as well.

Now he understood Captain Jackson’s words better. They were from different worlds.

“Did you have problems coming here?” she asked.

He shook his head and signed. “But I’ll have problems leaving.”

She tilted her head, and a dark curl slipped down the curve of her cheek. “Really?”

He hesitated. “I don’t want to leave.”

“Then don’t.” She sounded damn serious, and he was tempted to oblige.

Her tone killed the playful atmosphere from a moment ago.

“The captain is waiting nearby.”

“Oh, I forgot,” she said quietly.

They stood next to the window, staring at each other in the warm glow of the lamps until he either gathered the courage to tell her what he wanted or left. The clouds shifted, letting in the pale moonlight. Her eyes and gown were lit with tiny diamonds, and he couldn’t contain himself any longer.

“May I kiss you?” he finally asked the question that had tormented him for days on end.

She stooped her shoulders, and her inner glow seemed to dwindle. “Samuel…”

“Sorry, I shouldn’t have asked.”

“No, it’s that…” She took a few deep breaths. “I’m worried about you. I don’t know what will happen to us. We can’t meet in secret forever, and soon you won’t need me to learn new subjects.”

“I’ll always need you.” His words must have shocked her because her lips parted. “But I understand what you mean. We don’t belong together.”

“We do. But I don’t know how, and I don’t want you to get hurt.”

A flare of frustration made him huff. “I’m not the fragile, poor soul you think I am. I appreciate your concern, but I’m not an idiot. I might not know a lot of the world, but even I understand you’re the daughter of an earl whose future doesn’t involve me.”

“It’s not fair.”

“Trust me, I know a thing or two about unfairness.”

She exhaled. “You’re right.”

He wasn’t finished. “I’m not deluded. I know I still need everyone’s help to understand the world, but I don’t need you to protect me from my feelings. I’m not scared of the pain. I’m scared of having regrets.”

She raised her sapphire eyes to him.

“That’s why I asked you if I could kiss you.” He slowed his fingers. “But I understand if you don’t want a kiss from me. I’m so beneath you?—”

“Don’t say that. You aren’t beneath anyone.” Then she whispered, “Yes.”

“Yes, what?”

“I want a kiss.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

His world brightened like the dawn.

She moved closer, her dress swishing with each step. He took a deep breath and traced a fingertip over her cheek, wondering if the touch affected her as much as it affected him. Because he was shivering with unfamiliar emotions.

He dipped his head and kissed her cheek as gently as he could. She smelled of oranges and elegance, of starlight and happiness. The tremor going through him became an overwhelming sensation of joy he’d rarely experienced. Her cheek felt soft and warm under his quivering lips.

When he stepped back, he was surprised to find her frowning. A delicate crease appeared between her eyebrows.

“You didn’t like it,” he signed, forcing himself not to slouch.

“It’s not that. It was very sweet.” She lowered her gaze. “I’m glad you have another good memory to think of in a dark moment.”

He wanted to run his fingers over her shoulders, neck, and cheeks and get lost in her scent and softness, but he was risking everything standing there, and Captain Jackson was waiting for him in the street below.

“Did you like it?” she asked, and put a hand on his chest, sending shivers through his body.

He could only nod because the shock of her touch was too great for him to sign.

A veil of sadness clouded her eyes. “I’ve never met anyone like you. You’re different from the young men I know.”

The men she knew were normal people. His mind was as broken as his voice box.

“You’re…” He started to sign but paused, searching for the right words. “You’re happiness and freedom.” He winced inwardly. He should have told her how beautiful she was.

She hugged him, resting her head on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her awkwardly. His pulse thundered again.

She cleared her throat. “Samuel?—”

A soft whistle came from the street. Captain Jackson was calling him.

“I have to go.” Never had moving his fingers been so devastatingly painful.

The sadness didn’t leave her face. “I’ll see you soon.” She followed him to the open window.

He was on the branch a heartbeat later and he paused, looking back at her for a shared moment. When he climbed down the tree, he left, carrying with him not her sad eyes but the feeling of his lips on her silky cheek and the lingering scent of her, so sweet, standing in her pretty room.