Caught in the Storm of a Duke's - Abby Ayles Page 0,65
to it herself, growing all the flowers from seeds and cuttings. When I married her son and joined the family, we worked here together. Since she left us, I have carried on, trying to keep her love alive.”
There was something in her voice … an emotion which told Judith that her aunt had been very close to her mother-in-law and missed her dearly.
Aunt Tia heaved a dreary sigh. “The storm almost ruined it all. I feared its beauty would be lost forever but look at the flowers surviving still and sprouting with life anew. I can hardly wait for next spring. The bloom will be full.”
She turned to Judith and the duke as she finished speaking. Eyes twinkling, she asked, “What do you think of it?”
“It is beautiful,” Judith answered. As she did, she heard the duke speak too, the exact same words as hers. She turned to him, daring to look at him for the first time since making her error.
She was startled when she caught him staring at her, his gaze filled with meaning. Her stomach squirmed, and she willed her heart to stop pounding.
“It is, isn’t it?” Aunt Tia asked, breaking the moment.
Judith quickly looked away from him, grateful for her aunt’s interruption. Flushing crimson, she made a point of taking in the entire garden.
It was large and lovely, indeed. There were so many flowers. Roses, lilies, daisies, gardenias, sunflowers, and others she could not recognize.
Little evidence of the havoc that had been wreaked by the storm remained, but it was clear that much work had gone into restoring the garden to its former glory.
The colors were so plentiful, and the air was filled with their sweet scents.
“That it is, aunty. That it is,” she replied.
The smile on Aunt Tia’s face showed that she was pleased by the response. She raised her face to the heavens, and her eyes closed as she drew in a lungful.
“I love to come here as often as I can. Ah… I shall miss it when I leave in a week’s time.”
Judith’s eyes widened. “You are leaving in a week?”
“Yes,” Aunt Tia nodded, dropping her head as she opened her eyes.
“The storm has passed, and I have finally seen you. It is time to return home to my husband. I’m certain he has grown sick of missing me, though he would never admit it. I fear if I do not return soon, he might breathe his last.”
The mischievous glint in her eyes, and the crooked smile that danced across her face, told Judith she was jesting.
Judith chuckled, loving every moment spent with her aunt more by the hour.
“In that case, I suggest you tarry no longer. You must return to Uncle Dalton lest your fears come to pass,” she jested in return.
Aunt Tia giggled, evidently enjoying herself too much. “You agree, do you not? Yes, I suppose I must.”
Judith tucked this new piece of information away safely, knowing what it meant. If she wanted to see Aunt Tia again before returning to London, she would have to go all the way to Yorkland.
She did not quite know how to feel about that. The thought of having Aunt Tia so close by had pleased her. She had begun to make plans to visit often and perhaps have the duke accompany her each time.
She turned to look at him, realizing he had been quiet for some time. The sight she saw warmed her insides.
He and her aunt had their backs turned to her and their heads close together. They looked to be deep in conversation, speaking in mellowed voices, so she could not hear what they were speaking about.
Aunt Tia was quite a small woman, barely reaching the duke's shoulders. They looked so adorable together, they could easily pass for mother and son.
Smiling, Judith watched them.
Yes, it was easy to see that Aunt Tia was growing fond of the duke, and that he found her equally as endearing. The thought gladdened Judith’s heart immensely.
Still, she knew it would be pushing her luck to imagine them together as a true family. Aunt Tia might have said the duke had become one of them, but they both knew what would really make him a part of the family.
She shook her head. I really mustn’t think such silly thoughts.
She was simply going to enjoy this wonderful time with the people who meant the most to her and cherish every moment, especially when they would soon become nothing but memories.