Nine Steps to Sara (39 page)

“No, I know.  Forget I said anything.  Chalk it up to being intoxicated by your beauty and the magic of the day.”  The lopsided grin was back and Sara warred between pressing him for a better answer and going with the light hearted change. 

“It is pretty magical out here, isn’t it?” she smiled, the latter winning out.  “You’re not mad I don’t want to jump into anything, are you?  It’s that I only just got out of a divorce and there’s Jack to think about.”

“I love
Jack;
you know I’d care for him as if he were my own.”

“I know, he’s crazy about you too, we both are.  It’s all happening so fast, too fast for me.  You probably think I’m being too cautious...”

“No,” he sighed in acceptance, “I think you’re perfection.  Too good for the likes of me.”

“Don’t say that, you know I don’t feel that way.   You know what they say, once bitten twice shy.  I guess I’m shyer than I used to be, that’s all.”

“Are you sure I can’t tempt you to run away with me?” 

Sara swore he was giving her his most appealing grin, designed to make her resolve crumble, and she almost did consider taking off with him, at least for a little while.  “No, I like my life here, and I like you in it,” she replied, reaching for his hand.

“Right then, I’d best get you back home,” Will gave her hand a squeeze.

“Already?”

“I’ve kept you longer than I should have already.  They’ll be wondering where you’ve gone off to as it is.  Come on then, let’s get you back where you belong.” 

“Where
we
belong,” Sara corrected, frowning to herself when he didn’t reply. 

* * *

“Come to the kitchens tonight after dinner,” Thomas muttered in passing, but Will shook his head.

“Make it after the house is locked up for the night.  I’m helping Sara with the parlor; she wants to move some furniture round.”

“Skip it.  You’ve had enough time to bring her around.  Luckily, all our eggs are not in one basket.”

Will froze, Thomas’ previous threats still fresh in his memory.  “You’re not bringing in another bloke like you said, are you?”

“That’s become unnecessary at this stage, Marwick’s offered another solution.”

“Marwick,” Will frowned.  “Another solution… I don’t understand.  I thought the goal was to keep her here so the rest of the town will prosper.  She’s keen on staying, I can practically guarantee it.  I just need more time to secure a marriage.”

“That’s as it may be,” Thomas waved it away, “but I told you we’re taking things in another direction.” 

Another direction… and Marwick was involved.  Will didn’t trust that jackass as far as he could throw him.  “You won’t hurt her…”

“Of course not, we still need her, idiot.  She’ll come through it safe and sound, don’t you worry about that.” 

Still, Will couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable with the whole situation, as if he was only getting a part of the story.  When he’d taken the job, it was just to romance the new Lady Darling, get her to make
Darling
Park
her home.  After meeting the pretty American, it hadn’t even felt like a job anymore.  He understood well enough that the village elders believed their fortunes were tied to
Darling
Park
, and it made sense enough that with a thriving estate there was more scratch to be had by all.  Will couldn’t understand Thomas’ intensity over the damn thing.  It made him wonder what else they weren’t telling him.  “I don’t like the sound of this.  I think…”

“We’re not paying you to think are we?  You’re in this up to your neck whether you like it or not.” 

Will’s eyes narrowed as he absorbed the insult.  “Alright if I’m in it, then I’m in it all the way.  Tell me exactly what you have planned for tonight.”

“Right then, listen up, you’ve a role to play.”

* * *

“Thought you might fancy a nice cuppa tea,” Will appeared in the parlor, arms carrying a wooden tray laden with a tea service and those little cookies Sara could never say no to.  But somehow she found the strength to turn him down.

“Not just now, thanks.  I wanted to get the furniture away from those walls over there so I can start on the baseboards.  It’s coming along pretty well, isn’t it?” she stepped back to take a look at her progress.  The walls were all laid bare of wallpaper and several swatches of new wall and window coverings laid out for her final decision.  At the moment she was still waffling back and forth between repainting the wood trim in a light color to brighten the room or if she wanted to deal with the hassle of stripping the old paint completely and stain it dark to match the study.  Either way, she wanted to see how hard it was to remove the old paint on the baseboards before she tackled the much more visible crown moldings. 

“It’s a bit of a mess right now, but then again, so are you,” Will teased, tossing the tea towel at her before he went to the end of the writing desk, lifting it experimentally.  “Where would you like it?”

“Anywhere over there is fine.  It’ll be a little jumbled for a while, but I don’t think I’ll have to move anything out of here while I work.”  Luckily the room was very spacious, and a few of the pieces had already been deemed too rickety to salvage and disposed of.  Lending a hand, Sara and Will got the furniture rearranged fairly quickly, the drop cloths replaced to shield them from any errant pain or stain that got out of control. 

“Right then, the tea’s gone cold.  How about a glass of champagne?” Will suggested brightly. 

“
Champagne
?” Sara blinked.  “Are we celebrating something?”

“Who says we need a reason to celebrate?”

“I don’t even know if we have any.”

“A house like this is bound to always have a bottle on hand for emergencies,” he shrugged.  “Right then, would you like a brandy, or a scotch?”

“I’m really fine.” 

“Whatever you want, I’ll get it, just tell me.” An edge of frustration clung to Will’s voice and Sara took a deeper look at him.

“Maybe I should be the one getting you a drink, are you alright?”

Will’s shoulders sagged at the question and it struck Sara that he suddenly looked very, very tired.  “Sorry, yes.  It’s been a trying day.”

“I’m sorry, love,” she tried his word out experimentally and found it didn’t sound as strange as she’d thought it might.  “You didn’t have to come and help me tonight if you’re all tired out.”  Laying her hands on his shoulders, she gave them an experimental rub, gratified at his immediate groan of relief.

“No, it’s fine.  This is the highlight of my day.”

“Somehow I doubt that,” she snorted, but he stilled her hand, pressing a kiss to the back of it. 

“It’s true, you know.  My day doesn’t truly begin until I have the chance to spend some of it with you.”

“You are spoiling me,” Sara grinned, loving every moment of it.

“That’s my job.”

“I’ll tell you what.  I’m going to finish up down here and take a bath, how about I meet you upstairs in my sitting room in about an hour and we can have that drink?”

“
S
ounds
cracking
, I’ll see you then.”  With another kiss to her hand, Will hauled himself up to his feet and picked up the tray, offering a quick wink before he disappeared. 

“Tonight’s the night,” Sara murmured under her breath to the empty room.  She’d been putting him off and he’d been so patient with her.  He loved her and she intended to show him she was ready to love him back. 

* * *

Bathed and dressed in a silky peignoir set in a pale peach that made her skin glow, Sara stocked the seduction scene with a bottle of chilled champagne
(he was right, Katie had produced one easily without question)
, a roaring fire, and plenty of candles to set the mood.  Nervous as hell, she gave up trying to open the damned bottle after the third failed attempt.  A soft knock at the connecting bathroom door caught her attention and she looked up to find Will watching her in amusement. 

“It looks like you found cause for celebration after all.”

“I did,” she smiled, offering him the bottle which he took and deftly opened on the first try. 

Will turned to pour the glass into the tall flutes on the side table, waiting for the bubbles to die down before adding a little more.  “Something tells me I’m going to like this celebration.”

Sara sat on the
small
sofa, crossing and uncrossing her legs, as she tried to figure out the best way to sit to paint a pretty picture, but not look too posey.  “Oh?  Why is that?” 

“You brought presents,” he grinned, taking a seat beside her and handing her the glass.

“What?” she blinked. 

“You look like Christmas morning, all bright and beautiful, like a gift.”

“One you’re hoping to unwrap later?” Sara raised a single brow.

“
Y
ou know me so well,” he chuckled and she took a small sip of the bubbly, looking for the courage to stop holding back.

“I’d like to.”

“You do, Sara,” he replied earnestly.  “You know me better than anyone else; remember that, whatever else may come.”

Sara accepted that, taking another fortifying sip of champagne.  “I think I owe you an apology.”

“What could you possibly have to apologize for?” his brows drew together in puzzlement.

“You said something to me the other day and I didn’t say anything back.”

“Sara, I didn’t expect you to…”

“But I should have said something, and then I was afraid to bring it up again.”

“It’s alright.  I know I’m moving a little too fast for you, it’s fine.”

“No it’s not,” she interrupted again.  “I mean, yes, you are moving fast with the whole marriage proposal thing, but you had a point in the middle of that crazy conversation that I should have clarified.”

“I wish you’d forget that entire afternoon,” Will groaned, head falling into his hand.

“No, I don’t want to,” Sara reached out to stroke the side of his face.  Smooth.  He’d shaved.  Tearing herself away from that distraction, she tried to remember her point.  “It’s not every day a girl gets a proposal and a proposition all at once.”

A wince twisted his features.  “I shouldn’t have said anything at all.”

“The point is, you told me you loved me and you asked me if I had feelings for you too.  I should have made it clear.  I do love you, Will.  I’ve been afraid to admit it to myself, but I do, I really love you back and I’m ready to let you love me.”  With a deliberate shrug, the corner of her robe slipped off, leaving her shoulder bare. 

Will’s eyes tracked the movement, “I never thought I’d hear you say those words,” he admitted.

He didn’t immediately lunge for her, so Sara decided to make a toast.  “
W
hat shall we drink to?” she held the glass up to his, a little surprised when he pulled his away.

“We don’t need to drink, not tonight.”

Her forehead puckered, why the sudden aversion to drinking?  She’d thought he would enjoy a little bubbly; hadn’t he been the one to suggest it earlier?  “But we’re celebrating right?”

“Right,” Will nodded solemnly, lifting his glass to hers almost as if it was a chore. 

“What shall we drink to?”

“The future,” he said grimly, touching his glass to hers.  “May we both come out the other side and live to see it.”

“That’s a funny way of putting it.”  Sara took a longer sip and Will drained the rest of his glass, setting the flute down with a clatter. 

“Sorry,” he apologized with a sheepish smile.