No love for Louisa

EIGHTEEN

After his mother had not too subtly reminded Alex that to be seen talking with Miss O'Mara had been fine. But to give her too much attention could cause tongues wagging, which was the last thing he needed or wanted, when he was still getting over the scandal of being jilted, Alex kept his distance from her for the rest of the evening much to his slight frustration.

  Deep down, he was feeling  tempted to inform his mother that he didn't care if tongue's wagged over his new found friendship with Miss O'Mara,  and that he would prefer keeping her company above anyone else in the room.  But he held his tongue and his  common sense, just for the sake of not embarrassing Louisa. Now he had said her first name in his head, and it sounded delicious and he wanted to say it aloud.  

Still, despite being at the other end of the room from her, his eyes found hers, and realised she was looking at him also, but then she quickly looked away again when he caught her, to reply to whatever her cousin Rosemary was saying to her.

He wished they could be alone together with no one watching, just as they had been in his coach  at their last  unexpected meeting, so he could not believe his good fortune the following day as he was about to take a turn about his parents estate, that he found her sitting on the neatly manicured lawn, busy with a  sketch book and pencil seeming engrossed in what she was doing as she looked from the sketch book, to glance up at  the  grand building he knew as his home  in front of her.

Somewhere in the distance he could hear Miss Chapple laughing and his brother Adrian talking, and realised they were down by the lake just within eyesight, but not so much that you could hear what they were saying,  it appeared  Rosemary was also sketching, their backs were turned on Louisa, as they seemed only engrossed in each other.  

Curious, he made his way over to where she was sitting. Her back was to him, so she was not aware of his presence as he stood just a few feet behind her, to see what she was doing, and then he  realised she had indeed been sketching his home, and she was doing quite a good representation of it too. 

The straw bonnet that she wore on her head, to protect her from the bright sunshine, hid her face from him.  He suddenly wanted the pleasure of having her blue eyes look upon him, which was why he spoke up, "I see you are a budding artist as well Miss O'Mara, you never cease to surprise me"

His voice startled her a little and she quickly looked round to see him standing almost towering over her, as if her cheeks suffused a bright pink glow

"Oh,  you gave me a slight start. I was not aware of you being there standing over me" 

"Sorry,  I did not mean to creep up on you so, but I  just needed to see what you were doing  when I saw you sitting here, so  I had to come over" Alex explained a little apologetically

"Well, I am just passing a few hours in, whilst my cousin spends time with your brother" Louisa replied. "I wanted to do a sketch of your home, I was thinking of presenting it to the Duke and Duchess, as a small thank you gift before we leave to go back to London tomorrow" she then explained, "Do you think they will like it?" she finished a little anxiously.

Realising she was having  to crane her neck to look up at him, Alex decided to sit on the grass beside her, not caring in the least if it stained his clothes. He inspected the drawing closer, whilst physically very aware of how near Miss O'Mara was next to him. If he reached out he could touch the  stray fair ringlet that hung loosely free from her bonnet.

But he forced himself to focus on her sketchpad and her drawing "Its wonderful,  how very thoughtful of you, they will love it" he then assured her, making her smile ,

"Somehow I get the feeling you would say that even if it were not true, you always go out of your way to be kind to me,"  she spoke up honestly

"Which is why I would not lie to you," Alex counteracted gently, "I had hoped I had earned your trust"