by Rye Hart
"Yes," Amelia sighed. This was what she had been waiting for her whole life, dreaming of from within the confines of the house. This man was offering her the world.
"Let me be that guide," he breathed against her skin. His lips grazed the edge of her ear and caused Amelia to flinch.
Amelia had never been this close to a man before, and she especially had never experienced this level of heated intensity. It was new, exhilarating, and all-consuming.
"What do I need to do?" she asked hesitantly.
Thomas leaned back then and leveled his gaze with hers. "Marry me," he offered seductively.
Amelia gasped. Marriage? "But, we only just met earlier this week!" she protested. She wasn't adverse to the idea, but something within her hesitated at the offer.
"I understand that, but we artist types not only express passion in our work, but live passion in our lives." He brought her right hand up to rest against his chest. "Do you feel how intensely my heart beats for you?"
Amelia could feel his heart beating beneath the cotton of his dress shirt. She wasn't sure what to say, she was so caught up in the moment. "Yes," she mumbled.
"You have ignited a fire within me, in my heart, that cannot be quenched without your help," Thomas expressed. His eyes blazed as his continued his speech. "I know that you are the muse that I have been waiting for, the one that will bring much needed life to my artistry."
Amelia could barely think, so enraptured by the moment. Thomas Florian wants to make me his muse? She thought to herself. She couldn't believe it.
"I will only exist in misery if you are not by my side, for after meeting you, it has become obvious that we were meant to be together," he breathed.
"Yes," Amelia said shakily. "Yes I will marry you," she said with a bit more energy as she began to accept the idea.
"I know this is all so sudden," Thomas said, "but you must see it was our destiny to come together."
Amelia nodded. "I feel it too," she said quietly.
"Perfect," Thomas concluded. He brought his mouth forward to brush a light kiss against her lips.
When his mouth touched hers, she couldn't help but balk a little. Perhaps it was because she had never been kissed before, or perhaps it was because she was still becoming accustomed to the idea of marrying Thomas Florian. Either way, she couldn't help but feel just a little relieved when he pulled back and his lips left hers.
"My love," he whispered to her again.
Amelia sighed with delight as Thomas gave her his undivided attention.
Thomas's demeanor suddenly changed. "I believe it is time for me to return you to your family," he stated quickly. "I have to be back at the gallery to prepare the artwork for transportation," he said.
"Oh," Amelia said, still flustered from the moment.
Thomas quickly ushered them from under the willow tree and into the carriage. Once they had settled into their seats, he wrapped his arm protectively around Amelia.
"I am looking forward to starting our life together," he commented.
Amelia nodded. "When will that be?" she asked.
"Once I return to England," he said. He looked at her sorrowfully. "Unfortunately, I need to complete the art tour here in America first, but once it is done, I will return home and make the necessary arrangements for us. Once that is complete, I will write to you and you will join me," he explained.
Amelia felt that strange hesitancy bubble up inside her again. "We will be moving to England?" she repeated.
"Of course," Thomas stated. "That is where my family's ancestral home is. We will be quite comfortable on the lavish estate," he explained.
"Oh," Amelia voiced. She had probably envisioned her charming knight rescuing her from the drivel of daily life in Valley Springs for the past nineteen years, yet now that it was finally being offered to her, she couldn't help but feel a little sad. "Would we still be able to come back to visit?" She couldn't believe she was asking that question, especially since most of her time was occupied with thinking up ways to get out of town. But she suddenly needed the reassurance that she wouldn't be leaving forever.
"Absolutely, my love," Thomas said as he cupped her chin in his hand and brought her face toward his to plant a light kiss on her lips. "Whatever you need," he assured.
Although his words echoed the sentiments Amelia had always dreamed of hearing, she couldn’t help but feel like they rang a bit hollow.
Chapter Five
Amelia sat outside sketching, trying to think of how she could tell her family that she was engaged. She didn't think she would receive too many negative reactions, considering her sisters' unconventional engagements, but she still couldn't quite shake the uneasy feeling that they might think she was making a mistake.
She had to use loose-leaf paper to draw today, as she had left her sketchbook with Thomas since he had offered to show her work to a few curators.
"Thomas is a good man," she repeated quietly to herself in an attempt to quell her anxious thoughts.
She tried to distract her racing mind by throwing herself into her artwork. It didn't last long, as a very different kind of distraction sat down next to her on the porch.
She didn't need to look up to see that it was James, because her body had an odd way of responding whenever he was near. Her chest would become tight, the hairs on her arms would raise, and her hands would start to tremble. She was afraid that James would notice the slight trembling, so she started to put her work away.
"Please don't stop on my behalf," James said as Amelia began to put away her things.
Amelia was too proud to tell him that his presence made her unable to focus on her work. She hated that he had that kind of effect on her. "No," she lied smoothly, "I was about to pack up anyways."
James settled in next to her. "Good," he said, "I've been meaning to talk to you."
Amelia stilled. "About what?" she asked nervously. Does he know about Thomas?
"Well," he ran a hand through his unruly auburn hair. "I had a fine time going to that art show the other day," he said.
"Really?" Amelia said, surprised by his statement. "I thought you preferred to experience the outdoors, rather than look at a landscape on a wall?" she asked.
"I do," he tossed her a cheeky grin. "But it wasn't the art that I enjoyed," he broke off his words and leaned in closer to Amelia.
She'd never been this close to James before, and it made her feel dizzy. She looked into his eyes, the intense green reflecting a depth that she had not realized was there. James may act cocky and self-important, but she suspected he observed a lot more than she gave him credit for. She opened her mouth to protest the closeness, but instead she surprised herself with her own words. "What part did you enjoy?" she whispered as her eyes continued to hold his gaze.
"The time I spent with you," he breathed as he leaned in closer to her.
Amelia gasped as James's lips brushed against her cheek. She thought she would feel embarrassed by his actions, but instead she found herself turning her face so that his lips came into contact with hers. She was shocked by her own boldness, but her body guided her forward before her mind could process her action.
Amelia felt James press his lips against hers, gently. Slowly, he began to nip and taste her plump mouth. She closed her eyes and allowed her body to be enveloped by the enticing sensation. Her mind could no longer process any rational thought, and instead, she found herself bringing her hands up to run through his hair and pull his mouth tighter to hers.
"What are you doing?" said a quiet, child's voice.
And just like that, their moment was over. Amelia pulled her lips away from James.
"Honey? What are you doing outside? It is almost your bedtime" Amelia said to little four-year-old Lilly. Amelia quickly rose from the spot where she had been sitting when James had embraced her, smoothing the hair away from her face.
"I don't want to go to bed," Lilly said with impertinence. She stomped her little foot and gave an angry pout.
"What if I read you a bedtime story?" Amelia offered. She tried to guide the little girl back inside, not just for her sake, but because Amelia wasn't sure she would be able to look James in the eye ever again.
"Ok," the little girl agreed, the smile returning to her face. She quickly turned around and began skipping toward the door that led inside the house.
Amelia breathed a sigh of relief once she was inside; she knew that James would not follow them. She dared not turn around, as she did not want to see the smug satisfying look that was probably plastered on his face. She wasn't sure what she was going to do about that kiss right now. But lately, Amelia wasn't sure about what she was going to do about a lot of things.
Oh Amelia, she thought silently to herself, how are you going to get out of this one?
Chapter Six
Amelia struggled to fall asleep. Her mind kept racing with the events that had transpired. She wondered how her life could have changed from predictable complacency, to sudden chaos as she navigated the attention of two very different men. She wasn't really sure how it had all happened, and she most certainly wasn't prepared to handle it.
When she finally had settled her mind enough that sleep had become a possibility, she was startled by the sound of someone knocking on her window. She tossed the blanket aside, expecting the sound to be the result of a stray tree branch. She was sharing a room with her little niece and didn't want the child to wake from the noise.
Amelia pulled back the soft curtains to look outside, and gasped when she saw a face. She stepped back and covered her mouth to keep herself from making any more loud noises.
The face at the window belonged to James.
Heat instantly crept up Amelia's face as she stared back at the man she had shared an intimate moment with just a few hours prior. She had thought she could avoid him long enough for her embarrassment to wear off, but apparently he was determined to get her attention.
James made a motion for her to open the window; Amelia quickly complied.
"What are you doing outside my window so late?" she said in her best urgent whisper.
"I have something I want to show you," he said eagerly. "Put on one of your split skirts and meet me out front in ten minutes," he said.
"But I —" she began.
"No excuses. Ten minutes," James said with a wry smile, before disappearing into the night.
Amelia knew that she should just go back to bed and ignore the persistent man. He shouldn't be waking young ladies up in the middle of the night to show them things. But even as she tried to convince herself that the right thing to do would be to get back into bed and ignore him, her body refused to respond to reason. Even as she tried to come up with reasons as to why it was a bad idea to meet James, she had already begun to pull on her skirt.
In less than ten minutes, she was already dressed and heading toward the front door to meet James. As she left the sleeping house, James was waiting for her at the bottom of the steps.
"You are late," he said teasingly.
Amelia scoffed and produced a pocket watch that she always carried on her person. "Check your time," she said as she pulled the watch out and swung it a few times in the air in front of him, "but I believe I responded in eight minutes flat!"
James laughed. "I believe you are right," he smiled.
Amelia thought that he winked at her, but she couldn't quite see through the dim moonlight.
"So where are you taking me?" she asked.
"That's part of the surprise," he answered vaguely. "Although how we are going to get there isn't," he said as he motioned toward two objects propped up against the fence.
"Are those bicycles?" Amelia said with excitement. She had always wanted one, but didn't have the money for it.
"I bought them, one for you, one for me," he said. "I thought we could test them out by riding to our destination."
"In the dark?" she asked aghast.
"It isn't that dark out," James countered. "We have a full moon and the stars are in full tonight. Besides, if you are worried, I can ride in front to check for dips in the road."
"How chivalrous," she teased.
James did a little bow in response. "Always here to serve," he said in fake British accent.
Amelia froze. What was she doing? She was about to go for a ride in the middle of the night, with a man other than her fiancé, on a bike that he had bought for her. Although she had known James for far longer than the man she had recently become engaged to, she still couldn't shake the sense of disloyalty. Besides, when she left for England, she likely wouldn't be able to take James's gift with her. A part of her told her to refuse now, to go back inside, to play it safe.
Amelia hadn't done a good job of listening to that little voice so far, she wasn't about to start now. "Let's go then," she said loud enough to quell the protest of her conscience.
Chapter Seven
As they rode down the street, the sky began to light up with the brilliance of the morning sunrise. It was beautiful, the way the orange and red began to peek up and over the edge of the horizon and illuminate the path before them.
"How much farther?" she asked over the humming of the sounds around them as the world came alive. They were heading out of town and into an area Amelia wasn't too familiar with, as she had never ventured that far on her own.
"Not long," James called back over his shoulder.
They rode in silence for a while, before James suddenly pulled up sharply.
"We have to walk from here," he said. He quickly set his bike down on the soft grass and motioned to Amelia to do the same. "This way," he beckoned.
At this point, Amelia was nearly bursting with curiosity. "What are we looking for?"
"You'll see," he winked at her. "But we have to be quiet at this point, we don't want to scare them away."
"Scare what —?" she began, but stopped the moment James pulled back the leaves of a bush to reveal the small nest hidden behind it. "Ducklings," she finished.
"I discovered them when I was exploring new places around town the other day," he whispered to her. "Here, come a bit closer so you can get a better look."
Up until now, Amelia had been keeping a safe distance from James. But once she saw the small nest of baby ducklings, she didn't care if she had to climb over James in order to see them more clearly. With careful maneuvering so as not to make a lot of noise and startle the ducklings’ mother, she moved in next to James and pressed up against him in order to get the same view as him.
"What do you think?" he asked; his breath blew hot against her cheek.
"They are incredible," she breathed. She tried to ignore how close they were, but her body hummed with awareness, despite her mind trying to block it out.
"I thought you would like them," he said.
Amelia thought that he would touch her now, and bring her in even closer. But James didn't make a move. Instead, he removed his hand from where it held the leaves of the bush back and moved away from her.
"Should we head back now?" he asked gently. "I don't know about you, but I'm starving."
Amelia nodded, disappointment coursing through her. Although she knew she should be glad that James hadn't pushed the boundary, she couldn't help but wish he had. She was shocked by her own scandalous thoughts, but she couldn't control them nonetheless.
"Would you like to lead the way this time?" he offered.
"Sure," Amelia said. She was glad that he gave her the opportunity to take the front. That way, she would be able to hide her face from James, and hopefully, conceal the growing desire she had begun to feel for him.
Chapter Eight
"I should probably tell Thomas," Amelia muttered to herself as she got dressed to meet her fiancé. Amelia found herself wracked with guilt over her stolen kiss and secret rendezvous with James. She was engaged to Thomas, so what right did she have to run around with James? Likewise, she shouldn't be deceiving James, allowing him to think she was unattached and interested.
James is not the one, she thought to herself. How could she go from being annoyed by the backwards Texan, to suddenly fantasizing about him riding in on a massive stallion and whisking her away to faraway lands? And on a similar thread, how could she go from being excited about her engagement to Thomas, the man of her dreams, to suddenly thinking about a man that was the exact opposite?
Amelia had never felt more confused in her life.
A soft knock at the door signaled Amelia's attention. "Come in," she said.
Her older sister, Marianna, stepped into the small room and shut the door behind her in order to afford her sister privacy — something that no one got much of while they were living in a full house.
"I want to talk to you about something," Marianna said through the silence.
Amelia gave a muffled groan; apparently everyone wanted to talk to her about something. "Go on," she said as she continued to try and do up the laces in the back of her dress.
"Here, let me help you," Marianna offered. She came in behind Amelia and began lacing up the back while she spoke. "So you have a gentleman caller downstairs," she stated as she cinched up Amelia's waist.
"Thomas Florian? I know," Amelia replied softly. "Has he been waiting for long?" she asked.
"Not too long," Marianna paused for a moment. "But long enough for anyone with eyes to see that he seems quite enamored of you," she added.
"How so?" Amelia prodded.
"He was telling mother and I about how he thought you had a lot of talent and he hoped that we would give permission for you to meet a famous curator in Boston," she explained.
"Is that all?" Amelia plied. She wasn't sure if Thomas had revealed his intention to marry her, she hoped that he hadn't — at least not yet.
Marianna didn't reply, instead she seemed intent on fastening the ties just right. "Done," she said with a final tug.
"Thank you," Amelia said as she turned around to head toward the door. However, before she could reach it, Marianna's words stopped her.
