Honor and Desire (Gold Sky #3) - Rebel Carter Page 0,34
suspect you’ll come away with at least a handful of new offers at courtship as well. I have no idea how you’ll manage all of it. Perhaps, you could even pick two?”
“Two?” Seylah squeaked.
Florence gave her a look that could only be vexation. “Of course, two. Two men is a fine number, just ask Mama.” She clasped her hands with a sigh of longing. “I’d give anything for a marriage like our parents. Oh, how in love they are. Can you just imagine it?”
Seylah shook her head. “No, but only for the reason that I can’t imagine how to even manage one, Flo.”
Her sister’s eyes moved over to the door and she grinned. “Well, use your imagination, Seylah because you have one fine specimen of a man awaiting you.”
Seylah paled and glanced nervously at the door. “Perhaps, it isn’t such a good idea that I go.” She turned to her sister. “Perhaps it wouldn’t be such a poor idea for you to go in my stead.”
Florence blinked at her sister for a moment before she narrowed her eyes. “No, you are not getting out of this.”
“But you just asked if you could have him.”
“And it was a jest, you are going on this outing, or else.”
“Or else what?” Seylah asked, arching an eyebrow at her sister who, to her credit, drew herself up until the two women were eye-to-eye.
“I know you can cuff me in a scrap, but that doesn’t mean that I will make it easy for you,” Florence told her, putting her hands on her hips and meeting her sister’s gaze. “I wouldn’t make it easy for you and I would hate to see your lovely dress ruined.”
Seylah drew back in shock at her sister’s meddle. She hadn’t ever figured Florence one for fisticuffs, but she could see that Florence was willing to go the extra mile to ensure that she went through with the picnic with Elliot, and whatever else the outing brought with it—attention from the townsfolk included.
“Oh all right,” Seylah huffed and walked towards the entryway where Elliot was waiting, and hopefully, had not over heard too much of their conversation. She paused in the threshold of the parlor and looked back at her sister. “Would you have really fought me to get me out the door?”
Florence smiled serenely at her sister. “Ah, now that is a mystery for you to contemplate on your wonderful outing with that fine looking man out there,” she said with a jerk of her chin towards the door.
Seylah shook her head when her sister took to wiggling her eyebrows suggestively at her and opted for a hasty retreat as the best course of action given that Elliot was waiting on her. She turned on her heel and took a fortifying breath when the gesture brought her within sight of Elliot Myers. She gave him a tentative smile as she walked towards him, hands clasped in front of her as she went.
He was standing tall, broad shoulders filling out the charcoal colored suit he wore quite nicely, his hands were behind him and she forced her steps to remain unhurried.
“Hello,” she greeted him. “I hope you haven’t been waiting long.”
Elliot smiled warmly at her. “No, not long at all. Your sister was gracious enough to give me entry.” He brought his hands around and held out a bouquet of roses to her, “I saw these and thought of you.”
“Oh!” Seylah took a step back in surprise at the sudden appearance of roses. Outside of family, there had only been one other person who had gifted her flowers.
August.
She swallowed hard staring at the bouquet of roses as sumptuous as these. Crimson red with lush petals that had made her fingers itch to see if they were as velvety as they looked. But itchy fingers or not, Seylah still wondered if August would have chosen a different bloom for her. She gave herself a mental shake. It wouldn’t do to think of him. Not with Elliot here with her. Not with these beautiful flowers. Flowers that were a far cry from the bullets and leather boots she was usually charged with keeping order of at the sheriff’s office.
She raised the blooms and gave them a sniff. “These are lovely, Elliot. Thank you.”
“They are not quite so lovely as you,” Elliot told her and she once again was taken by that rich timbre that made her weak in the knees.
She blushed and held the roses closer to her chest. “You flatter me.”