Adoration Read online

  ‘I understand that you went to view Farmer Martin’s cottage,’ he began when they had reached the narrow path running parallel to the river which flowed around the outskirts of the southernmost edge of the town.

  Sissy studied the glistening surface of the water tumbling past the bank upon which several ducks were swimming. ‘We have indeed.’

  ‘It is very remote.’ Morgan watched her out of the corner of his eye. He had to wonder what he had to do to get her to open up and talk to him. ‘There is just you and I here, Sissy. You can talk to me. I promise that I won’t judge you.’

  ‘We have to move there,’ Sissy told him. ‘Mr Lauden has decided to sell up. Have you not heard?’

  ‘I did indeed,’ Morgan replied honestly. ‘Mother told me.’

  ‘I thought she would.’ Sissy wasn’t angry, though. Alicia had already warned her that she had to tell her son.

  ‘That is what I wanted to talk to you about,’ he replied carefully.

  Sissy lifted her brows at him. ‘Your mother? Is she – well?’

  ‘Yes, she is fine,’ Morgan sighed impatiently. ‘I meant the house. I want to talk to you about Farmer Martin’s cottage.’

  While he was delighted that she had agreed to take this walk with him, Morgan now wondered if it had really been such a good idea. As they meandered down the path he became acutely aware of several curious gazes upon them. Women in the gardens of the terrace cottages running alongside the riverbank turned to stare. Several children playing in the fields beside the houses stopped to watch them. A farmer on the opposite bank kept throwing curious looks their way. In fact, now that he came to look around the riverside, Morgan realised that it wasn’t the quietest place to take a walk with Sissy.

  Still, it is too late to return now. People will think it is odd.

  Besides, Morgan didn’t see why he should be worried about other people being rude enough to stare at them. It wasn’t unusual for anybody to take a walk.

  ‘Oh?’ In that moment, Sissy looked up and saw Morgan looking around them. She turned to see what had caught his eye and realised just how much attention they had drawn. With her cheeks aflame, Sissy tried to remove her hand from his arm only for Morgan to place his hand upon hers, stopping her.

  ‘Don’t,’ he murmured.

  Sissy felt so guilty, but for the life of her couldn’t decide why. She wasn’t doing anything wrong.

  ‘People are curious because they don’t see you out and about very often,’ he murmured soothingly because he knew exactly why she was worried.

  ‘How do you know it is me they are looking at? You are the Lord after all. It is highly unusual of you to walk down the riverside, isn’t it?’ Sissy countered without thinking about how brash her bold statement was.

  Morgan grinned. For once, he had received a natural response from her that wasn’t guarded or restrained by social restrictions or her shyness. It was wonderful and gave him hope that he might, after everything, be able to get to know the woman she was, not the woman she presented to the world.

  ‘Maybe it is me they are staring at then. Or, maybe, they are wondering what we are talking about,’ he murmured with a wink.

  ‘I am sorry to put you under so much scrutiny,’ she replied dryly. She was a little shocked that she was behaving like this with him, so open and carefree.

  ‘Do I look as if I am bothered by it? They are just being nosy, that’s all,’ Morgan replied.

  ‘This is going to be talked about,’ Sissy moaned. ‘I knew it was a bad idea.’

  ‘But you came anyway,’ he countered.

  ‘The thought a walk in the sunshine would be nice,’ she replied honestly.

  ‘So it didn’t have anything to do with me.’ Morgan tried not to sound too disgruntled.

  Sissy blinked at him and felt her cheeks flood with colour. ‘If I objected to your company I wouldn’t have accepted your offer. I would have waited for you to leave and then asked Norma to walk with me.’

  ‘But it wouldn’t have been half as much fun, would it?’ Morgan countered.

  Sissy didn’t smile as he expected her to. Instead, she stopped in the middle of the path and frowned at him. ‘Is that what this is? Are you entertaining yourself with the impoverished miss just to show the locals that there is no ill feeling between us after what happened the other day? Do you find drawing the attention of the gossips entertaining?’

  She had to wonder if he had any idea just how much whispering she would face in the next day or so for today, but doubted it seeing as Morgan didn’t frequent the village shops.

  ‘Of course not. I just don’t care what people gossip about, and neither should you. If you allow the judgement of others to bother you too much, they will control your life and that is not for anybody to do,’ Morgan retorted. ‘I am sorry for what happened the other day. Like mother has told you, Arthur, the man driving the curricle, is no longer an acquaintance of mine. His behaviour was completely abhorrent. But I don’t see why I should be judged for it.’

  ‘People will judge you because you were there,’ Sissy replied.

  ‘Well, that is their problem. I have apologised to you,’ he prompted.

  Sissy nodded graciously. ‘Apology accepted.’

  ‘Thank you,’ Morgan sighed, forcing himself to calm down and not be so grumpy.

  ‘But I think you should know that people are going to gossip about us taking a walk like this,’ Sissy informed him bluntly.

  ‘I don’t expect anybody to criticise you for something I encouraged. If you learn of anybody spreading malicious gossip about this, I will put a stop to it. I should like to see someone try to question my conduct.’ While Morgan’s features were perfectly affable, contented even, there was a hint of darkness in his voice that warned her he would have no qualms about confronting anybody who dare question anything he did.

  ‘Your mother is going to wonder what has gotten into you.’

  ‘My mother likes you. She will be relieved that I am showing an interest in a marriageable female,’ Morgan snorted.

  ‘But I am not suitable.’ Sissy struggled to ignore the sudden flurry of nerves that slammed into her at the thought that he might consider her marriageable.

  ‘Any single woman is suitable if the attraction is there,’ Morgan replied honestly.

  Sissy huffed a disgusted snort before she could stop it.

  ‘Do you not believe me?’

  ‘No, I do not,’ she replied firmly. ‘Everybody knows that people like you do not marry the likes of me.’

  Morgan stopped in the middle of the path. When he turned to look at her his face was hard. He looked angry. So much so, Sissy took a wary step away from him.

  ‘What do you mean ‘the likes of me’?’ His words were sharp and demanding.

  Sissy tipped her chin up. ‘You are wealthy. I am not. You belong to a world my father’s death removed us from. We are from totally different places in life. We shouldn’t even be walking out like this. That’s why people are staring at us.’

  ‘If it doesn’t bother me it shouldn’t bother anybody else, even you,’ Morgan protested. ‘Why in the Hell should I allow any of the locals to govern what I do?’

  ‘You don’t have to. But you have to understand that something like this has consequences for me,’ Sissy snapped. ‘People might not be brave enough to openly talk about you when you are present, but they will gossip about me.’

  ‘So why did you agree to come on a walk with me?’

  ‘Because I thought it might be nice to enjoy the sunshine a little.’ Suddenly, Sissy found herself on the verge of tears. They appeared from nowhere and hovered on her lashes. They were so strong they made her chin quiver and her chest heave no matter how much she tried to stop it. She sighed and turned away but not fast enough to stop Morgan from seeing her face crumple. With the river before her, Sissy couldn’t move anywhere. She was helpless when Morgan stepped up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders to gently turn her to face him.


  Morgan took one look at her face and knew there was considerably more upsetting her than what the locals thought. Without thinking, he gathered her into his arms and held her while she wept against his shoulder. It was concerning that she couldn’t stop crying. She didn’t seem to even realise that he was there as she cried as if her tears came from her very soul.

  ‘Is she all right?’ one of the elderly women from the house asked, stepping closer. She had come out to the field beside them to round up the children and had seen Sissy start to cry.

  ‘She will be,’ Morgan replied firmly, thanking the woman for her concern.

  Sissy tried to move away, to break free of his hold, but Morgan refused to allow her to put any distance between them. He tightened his arms and slid a hand into her hair to keep her still while he watched the woman usher her charges into the end property. Once the door had closed, he nudged Sissy further along the path until they were alone.

  It wasn’t until he leaned down to look into her eyes that Morgan realised his mistake. Without thinking about what he was doing, and the consequences of it, Morgan captured Sissy’s lips with his. It was then that his entire world changed.

  CHAPTER NINE

  The second Morgan’s lips touched hers, Sissy was lost to the desire that overwhelmed her. She clung to him. She could hear his heartbeat thundering in tune with hers. Or was that her heartbeat? It was difficult to tell. What she did know was that she didn’t want this precious moment to stop. This was Morgan. The man she had been in love with for as long as she could remember. He had always been a part of her life albeit always on the edge of it, just out of reach. But he was within her reach now. In fact, he was holding her as if he would never let her go, as if she was the most precious thing in the world to him. His tender embrace made her feel fragile yet powerful at the same time. He was wrapped round her so tightly that she could feel the faint shimmering of his breath against her cheek. The feel of him was so enchanting she couldn’t find the will to deny herself this moment of being with him. She didn’t care if the gossips saw them and whispered about her wantonness. She didn’t care if her reputation was ruined because of it.

  And it will be, but like Morgan says, why should I allow the gossips to govern what I do with my life? They won’t help me when I need to trudge from the village with provisions in the dead of winter. They won’t help me when I have to walk to the village in the pouring rain just to be able to take tea with the few friends we have who won’t gossip about us.

  For once, Sissy didn’t care what anybody else wanted, liked, or disliked. She was completely selfish. Deep in the back of her mind she still knew that there could never be a future with. Despite their closeness, the future was going to drive them apart because his family would have expectations that he married someone of his own standing. That could never be her. Even so, when he lifted his head to change the angle of his kiss, Sissy didn’t stop him from returning to her. When she should have pushed at his shoulders, her delicate hands slid up the hardness of his chest to the broad width of his shoulders. When she should have eased away she stepped closer and leaned against him instead. When she should have tipped her head to one side to avoid his marauding mouth she met him half-way and began to copy his movements. She had no idea what she was doing. The only thing she could do was copy what Morgan did. It felt wonderful, so much so she wanted more, much more. Sissy was compelled to stand still and see what happened next. She was rewarded with another low moan from him. It rumbled through him and seemed to call to something deep within her. It created a deep ache, a yearning that was entrancing. She suspected Morgan was the only person in the world who would be able to understand what it was and how to quench it.

  Morgan moaned again when Sissy shifted against him and his body immediately leapt to life. He knew that this was not the time or place for such intimate behaviour but struggled to remember who he was let alone where they were. All common sense had disappeared the second his lips touched hers. It was only when he began to contemplate just how far he could take matters that he felt compelled to stop. But the only distance he could allow at first was the lifting of his head. When he looked down into her lambent gaze, though, he couldn’t resist another kiss.

  How long they would have stood there indulging in the unexpected delight of their mutual passion Morgan had no idea. What he did feel was a profound regret when the soft rumbling of a river boat approaching broke the silence that surrounded them. Rather than immediately release her and step away, Morgan looked lovingly down into Sissy’s beautiful face before pressing his forehead against hers for a moment.

  ‘At least your tears have dried now,’ he teased, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

  Sissy’s cheeks flooded with colour.

  ‘I won’t apologise for that,’ Morgan informed her.

  ‘I didn’t ask you to,’ she countered.

  ‘I suppose I am going to have to get you home or Norma will send someone out to come and find you,’ Morgan sighed reluctantly. It was the last thing he wanted to do but he had no idea how long they had been out. Time had disappeared completely over the last few moments. He remained quiet while the river barge passed. The captain touched his forehead in acknowledgement of Morgan and looked at Sissy curiously but promptly lost interest in them the second he passed them.

  ‘See? He doesn’t care about us,’ Morgan offered.

  Sissy sighed. ‘I don’t understand what happened.’

  ‘Would you come to the house and dine with me tomorrow evening?’ Morgan asked.

  Sissy opened her mouth to reject his offer but something compelled her to stop.

  ‘Please?’

  ‘Norma would love it,’ Sissy whispered a little shyly.

  Morgan mentally cursed because he knew that Norma would, naturally, have to be invited as well. He wished he could just invite Sissy for just one evening, though.

  I will have to invite mother as well. Hopefully, they will create a way for me to get a moment or two alone with Sissy. That is all we need. Just a few dinners, a few moments alone, and a little time to come to terms with this new change in our acquaintance. She will come around, I am sure of it.

  Morgan had to make it happen. After the kisses they had just shared he knew that nobody else would be able to make him contemplate marriage. Not now.

  ‘We have to get back,’ he urged gently, although with an air of reluctance that made Sissy want to cry again but only because she didn’t want her time with him to end either.

  ‘You haven’t answered me,’ he prompted as they began to retrace their steps.

  Sissy wanted to refuse but wanted to be with him again too much. ‘It would be wonderful to dine with you tomorrow, thank you.’

  Morgan placed her hand on his arm again and began to walk her home. Their amble was considerably slower than it had been on the outward journey because they both wanted to prolong the time they had together. Neither spoke much but then didn’t need to. There was an air of togetherness between them now that was too fragile for either of them to risk damaging with banal conversation, or anything which would ruin the tentative bond they had started to forge. It was too precious; too rare. While neither of them knew where it was going to lead them, or understood what it meant for their future, they both knew that what they had just shared was special. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity for everlasting happiness.

  What Sissy couldn’t understand was why Morgan had chosen now to kiss her. Was it something that he would regret when he returned home? Did he want something from her? Did he truly see her as marriageable? She wanted to ask him so badly but then didn’t want to sound as if she expected something from him.

  I need time to think about this. He must want to see me again or else he wouldn’t have invited us to dinner tomorrow evening.

  ‘I shall send a carriage to collect you about seven tomorrow,’ Morgan murmured quietly once they were on her doorstep.

  Sissy turned to look at him. The second she did she felt something in t
he centre of her chest begin to melt. She knew what it was. It was the same feeling she experienced each time she saw him; that strange ache, the yearning, the need, all created a wealth of emotion she struggled contain. It was love.

  Adoration.

  ‘Are you not coming in? I am sure Norma will be back by now,’ Sissy offered.

  Morgan shook his head. ‘I have business at the estate to attend to. I am already late. If I leave it too long they are likely to send a search party out for me.’

  Sissy matched his smile. Her cheeks flooded with colour again when he picked her hand up and pressed a loving kiss onto the back of it. His eyes twinkled teasingly and promised her all sorts of scandalous things.

  ‘Tomorrow,’ he whispered.

  Sissy’s smile remained in place as she watched him stalk through the gate and mount his horse. He winked boldly at her before he trotted out of her life leaving her to stare after him with all the adoration that was in her heart. It was only when he had disappeared that Sissy realised where she was and what she was doing. Warily, she slid a worried look up and down the street. There were few people out and about but she was sure she had just seen several curtains and shutters twitch.

  ‘Well you can think what you like,’ Sissy snorted dismissively before letting herself into her home. It was then that she realised that Morgan hadn’t told her what he had wanted to discuss with her. ‘Well, we shall find out tomorrow evening no doubt.’

  ‘Is that you, dear? Where have you been? I have been getting worried about you,’ Norma called as she shuffled into the sitting room.

  ‘I have been for a walk,’ Sissy replied. ‘The weather is wonderful, don’t you think?’

  ‘Well, yes dear.’

  ‘I have news,’ Sissy interrupted before Norma could bring her up to do date with the latest gossip Maud had told her about. ‘Morgan has just invited us to dine tomorrow evening.’