Maximum Dare - Vanessa Fewings Page 0,51

having taken a tour on a double-decker bus around the city, and then getting off at the stop outside this museum.

After her tearful confession of self-imposed guilt earlier, I was glad to be the one to make her feel better.

She’d lit up with joy the moment she’d realized we were stopping at the museum. It housed some of the most incredible sculptures. One could see a brilliant snapshot of Great Britain within its formidable walls, but other objects from all over the world were showcased here as well—from rare manuscripts to a showroom full of glamorous wedding dresses.

“It’s impossible to see everything in one day,” I told her. “There are well over two million treasures here spanning five thousand years. We’ll have to come back again. Just you and me.”

She brightened at that. “To be honest, you didn’t strike me as the type of person who would want to visit the Victoria and Albert Museum.”

“I have a soft spot for Prince Albert.” I rolled my eyes. “No, not because of that, Daisy Whitby,” I chastised her with a grin. “For what Albert did for the United Kingdom. Advancing social issues, his passion for the working class, that kind of thing.”

“It’s the most common type of male piercing, apparently.”

“Hey, focus.” I snapped my fingers in front of her face.

We both laughed, drawing amused stares from the other tourists.

We continued on until we reached the jewelry collection, lingering before a glass case with a collection of rare objects. The one that caught Daisy’s attention was an eye miniature from the early nineteenth century.

“This seems to be a common theme around the world,” she said.

“Doesn’t surprise me,” I said. “They are the gateway to the soul.”

She rose onto her toes so she could stare right into my eyes.

“What are you doing?”

“Looking into your soul.”

“Careful, you might not like what you see.”

She wagged a finger in front of my face. “You can’t fool me, Max. I see who you really are.”

I grabbed her fingers and squeezed them gently. Perhaps she really could see the real me. It felt like a revelation.

Daisy filled the vacuum within me, making it easier for my feelings to find their freedom. I had never really allowed myself to love a woman before. With her, I could see it happening.

We stopped at the entrance to another exhibit. “I have to cover your eyes for this next one.”

“It’s not horrific, is it?” She sounded nervous.

“Trust me?” I stood behind her and put my hands over her eyes. “Walk forward.”

She giggled, finding this mysterious adventure funny.

Once we were inside the exhibit, I eased my fingers off her face. “Open your eyes.”

She glanced back at me, smiling, and then turned to face the glass window shop displays. The one before us had been created by Liberty’s.

Within the small space directly ahead of us was a mannequin dressed in a green taffeta gown. It was holding up a book and was surrounded by many more that were artfully positioned here and there. Liberty had created a glamorous shop window with a colorful collection of romance novels. The museum plaque stated this one was called “The love of reading captured in a moment of time.”

Daisy let out a gasp filled with awe.

“I want the rest of today to be about you.”

She seemed dazed. “What?”

“Go look.” I nudged her forward.

She hurried over and peered through the glass window, mesmerized by the display. She started to press her nose against the window, but then seemed to think better of it.

“Does it inspire you?” I asked.

“Tremendously! Thank you so much, Max.” She fell back against me as my arms closed around her.

“I can’t stop looking at it,” I said. “It’s the spectrum of colors and the unique way the display conveys its meaning.”

“When I was little,” she said, excitement in her tone, “we went Christmas shopping, me and my mum, and all I wanted to do was peer into the shop windows. They really can be magical.”

I released her and tilted her chin up, staring intently into her eyes. “When you’re drawn to something like this you have to listen to your heart.”

“It isn’t easy to join the design teams. There’s a lot of competition.”

“You have to believe in yourself.”

She looked away. “After Liam died, nothing seemed to matter.”

“Your dream matters now more than ever,” I said softly.

She gazed up at me. “If you reconsider your career, I will too.”

That made me smile. “I’d sit in on my dad’s court cases…always in awe at how he tore apart