Thomas followed the trail of blue silk like a hunter closing in on a frightened doe. Heart thudding against his ribs.
"Juliana, wait!"
Thomas's breath was short as he hurried along the winding path through the rose trellises, his boots barely making a sound against the grass. Juliana had her chin raised and her stride determined, silk skirts swirling around her like a shield.
He finally caught up to her near a vine-covered archway, where the morning light was dappled and secluded. "Please," he urged, reaching gently for her wrist.
Juliana spun around, her green eyes flashing. "Don't touch me," she snapped, her cheeks flushed with emotion.
"Juliana," Thomas said hurriedly, hands held up in a placating gesture, "it wasn't what you thought. Molly... she just appeared, I never encouraged her..."
"Of course," she cut in bitterly, arms crossed tight over her chest. "And she was so conveniently close to you because she feels nothing at all. Do you take me for a fool?"
"No," he replied quickly, stepping closer. His voice softened, low and earnest. "Never that. I swear to you, I never asked for her attention. It's you I want. It's always been you."
Her lips pressed together as her gaze searched his face, full of uncertainty. "And what do you want with me, Thomas?" she whispered.
"You," he answered without hesitation, voice trembling with sincerity. "No one else. I belong to you."
Still she wouldn't look at him. So he moved closer, careful, and lowered his voice. "Juliana, please. You're the one who holds my thoughts. My soul. My heart."
Her shoulders rose and fell, her hands clutched into fists. But there was something softer there too.
"Promise me," she whispered, finally meeting his eyes. "Promise you'll never look at any other girl like that. Ever. You belong to me."
A breath of relief rushed out of him. "I swear it," he murmured, his hands coming up to cradle her face.
Thomas felt a shiver of exhilaration at her possessive tone. "I wouldn't have it any other way," he murmured and before Juliana could say more, his hands slid up to cradle her face.
He leaned down and their lips met, hunger and relief crashing together like waves. The kiss was deeper this time, all the unspoken tension melting into reckless desire as Juliana's hands tangled in his hair and he pulled her body against him. She tasted like sweetness and sunshine, and he kissed her as though trying to memorize every inch of her.
Time fell away. The world around them disappeared.
And then
A loud crash shattered the haze.
The loud crash of glass made them jerk apart: breaths fast, faces flushed to find Mrs. Bramble standing just a few feet away, her round eyes opened wide and her hands trembling. A shattered teacup and saucer lay at her feet, tea bleeding into the grass.
For a heartbeat, all three stared at each other in frozen horror as Mrs. Bramble's mouth worked soundlessly, caught utterly speechless at the scandalous sight of the young miss and the stable boy wrapped up in each other's arms.
"Oh, my word," the elderly nursemaid gasped, cheeks drained of color. "My Lady… and Thomas!"
Juliana felt the blood drain from her face. Thomas instinctively stepped in front of her, shielding her as if that could erase what Mrs. Bramble had already seen.
The sound of their hearts thudded in their ears as Mrs. Bramble stared, trembling, at the pair of them, one thought clear in every stunned silence that followed:
They had been caught.
Mrs. Bramble's face darkened with fury as she strode forward with surprising speed. Before Thomas could react, her hand flew across his cheek with a loud, sharp smack that left a red imprint blooming on his skin.
"You brazen boy," she hissed, fury making her hands shake. "How dare you touch a lady of this house? Have you no sense of your station?"
Thomas lowered his gaze immediately, fists clenched at his sides. Guilt and worry churned in his chest, but he didn't dare speak, one word in his defense might only worsen Juliana's situation.
"Stop it!" Juliana cried, stepping between them. Her hands clutched Mrs. Bramble's arm, eyes bright with distress. "You've it wrong. It wasn't him. It was me. I'm the one who sought him out. I'm the one who kissed him. We love each other."
The confession hung in the charged silence like a bolt of lightning.
Mrs. Bramble stared at her in disbelief, then turned a scathing glare on Thomas. "And you allowed it," she growled, as if Juliana's words had only deepened his guilt. "You let her, a lady, put herself in harm's way with a mere stable boy. Don't you know the ruin you could have brought upon her?"
"I never wished her harm," Thomas finally spoke, voice hoarse and low.
"That's plain enough," Mrs. Bramble snapped, her hands gripping Juliana's shoulders protectively. "But wishing isn't enough in this house."
"Please don't scold him. I'm the one at fault".Juliana cried.
The nursemaid's brows shot up to her hairline. "My lady," she spluttered, scandalized, "you cannot mean that! He's a stable boy. This is improper beyond improper."
"That doesn't matter," Juliana shot back, hands trembling but her voice strong. "I forced this relationship because we care for one another. It was my choice."
Mrs. Bramble gave Thomas a withering look as if he'd bewitched her innocent charge. "Choice or not, you'll do well to stay away from him," she snapped at Thomas. "He's not fit for you, my lady. Do you want to ruin yourself? Think of your family."
Before Juliana could answer, Mrs. Bramble grabbed her gently but firmly by the arm. "Come along now," she said, voice tight with worry and authority. "You've been out too long and we need to have a proper talk."
"Mrs. Bramble, let go..." Juliana began to protest, but the nursemaid was already hurrying her along the path, determined to put as much distance as possible between them and the stable boy.
Left behind in the empty garden, Thomas watched them go with his cheek still stinging and his heart sinking. The lightness of a few stolen kisses had dissolved into something heavier, and worry settled into his gut like a stone.
If Mrs. Bramble told anyone or worse, if the Duke himself found out then this fragile happiness between him and Juliana could shatter completely. He doesn't care for himself but he fears for the Lady.