Chapter 136
One of Emily’s younger brothers opened the door. “Good day my lord.”
“Good day, young man. I was wondering if I may see Miss Emily?” Prince Deacon played along with the formalities, entertaining the young boy.
“My lord, I am afraid Miss Emily has nothing to wear,” the boy chuckled.
“Perhaps you can send her these? One of them should fit?” Prince Deacon said, showing the dresses.
“Just a moment, my Lord,” the young boy said and walked off into the living room and returned with one of his sisters.
“She will take the dresses to Miss Emily,” the young boy said.
“Thank you. Please let her know to come down as soon as she is dressed,” Prince Deacon said, after handing over the dresses to Emily’s younger sister.
Emily's younger sister knocked on her bedroom door. “I have some dresses for you.”
“I don’t want any of Princess Freda’s dresses!” Emily shouted for her sister to go away.
“It is not from her. The fancy lord across the street brought them over,” her sister said back through the closed door.
“Really?” Emily asked, opening her bedroom door.
“Yes, really,” her sister said, handing over the dresses.
“Thank you,” Emily said, laying the dresses out on her bed, noticing that they were different sizes.
“They are all so pretty,” her sister noted.
“You may leave,” Emily said, smiling at her sister.
“Don’t you need help to get dressed?” her sister offered.
“No, I can manage,” Emily said, trying to walk her sister out of her room.
“What about your hair? I can help with your hair,” her sister protested.
“I don’t need help with my hair. Lord Duncan prefers my hair lose,” Armenia says, smiling before shutting the door.
‘I should decline, he will just drive Princess Freda and me further away,’ Emily thought as she picked up an off-white dress with cotton lace trimming that had three-quarter sleeves.
After getting dressed, Emily sat in front of her vanity table and unplated her hair before brushing it, leaving it in a wavey waterfall. Emily looked inside her jewelry box that once used to be her mother's. ‘Oh mother, if only you were still here,’ Emily thought fondly of her mother and how she wished her mother was there now to give her advice.
Emily decided to go without jewelry as she shut her mother’s jewelry box.
When Emily finally came out of her room, she heard her siblings laughing away and chatting.
Emily reached the door of the drawing room which did not have much furniture yet and watched Prince Deacon playing away with her siblings, all of them sitting on the floor, including Prince Deacon.
“Miss Emily,” Prince Deacon stood up, noticing her hair was not tied up.
“Lord Deacon,” she acknowledged him.
“You look beautiful,” Lord Deacon said, making her younger siblings giggle.
“Thank you and thank you for the dresses. You must let me repay you,” Emily said.
“You can repay me by joining me for a picnic. I already have a picnic basket,” Prince Deacon said, pointing to the picnic basket standing on the table.
“Very well then,” Emily agreed, only then realizing how hungry she was.
“Do you know of any picnic spots?” Prince Deacon asked as he picked up the picnic basket.
“Yes, behind my house,” Emily suggested.
“Surely you can do better than behind your house?” Prince Deacon asked, not wanting to be so close to where Princess Freda might be able to interfere.
“Let me ring for a cab then,” Emily said, walking over to the telephone.
After ringing for a cab that arrived promptly, they drove off to a picnic spot a bit further away, stealing glances at each other every now and then.
“Please return in an hour’s time,” Emily asked the driver when they arrived at the picnic spot.
“I will do my best, Miss,” the driver said.
“Make that in two hours’ time. Take the two hours off, I will pay you for them,” Prince Deacon said.
“Very well then, see you in two hours’ time,” the driver said, before driving out of sight.
“Puppy slept with me last night. I found him behind my house,” Emily said, helping Prince Deacon throw out the picnic blanket.
“He loves you as much as I do,” Prince Deacon said.
“Love? You only know me for a second day,” Emily said, stunted by his declaration of love even though she had to admit to herself that what she felt for Lord Deacon might be love as well but she was denying herself to believe that it was love as she does not know what love felt like.
“Don’t you believe in love at first sight?” Prince Deacon asked.
“Not really,” Emily confessed, conflicted.
“Then forgive me for my forwardness,” Prince Deacon said as they sat down on the blanket.
“You are forgiven,” Emily said, her eyes on the picnic basket, wanting to dig in but feeling it will be rude.
Prince Deacon noticed that Emily was eyeing the picnic basket and reached for it. “Let’s see what Benjamin packed for us.”
Prince Deacon took out the bottle of white wine and corkscrew with two wine glasses. “It feels like Christmas, not knowing what is inside.”
Emily chuckled, thinking he was just the most charming, most handsome man she has ever laid eyes on.
“Lobster salad,” Prince Deacon said after unwrapping the first bowl.
“That smile on your face tells me you like it?” Emily smiled, thinking what an outlandish dish to pack for a picnic.
“I will have lobster salad every day,” Prince Deacon admitted, just how much he loved it.
Prince Deacon continued to unpack the picnic basket. “This looks like cheese, some sausages, tuna cream sandwiches, and finally, the plates and forks.”
“Benjamin did a good job for a man,” Emily laughed.
“He is still new to this whole butler, running a house thing,” Prince Deacon said, dishing some lobster salad into his plate.
“I could tell,” Emily said, holding her plate so that Prince Deacon could dish for her as well.
“Have you ever had lobster salad?” Prince Deacon asked after dishing salad for her.
“I have, but not for a picnic,” Emily smiled, lowering her eyes.
Prince Deacon smiled as he took the corkscrew and opened the wine bottle flawlessly.
“One would think you were a butler of some sort in your previous life,” Emily said, holding the two wine glasses for him to pour.
“I found myself traveling alone more often than not, so it is good to be able to take care of oneself,” Prince Deacon said before putting the bottle down and balancing it perfectly back into the picnic basket.
“To love,” he raised his glass slightly.
“To love,” Emily said, blushing.
After enjoying their picnic luncheon, they went for a walk, Emily slipped her arm around Prince Deacon’s arm naturally.
‘She is so different when not forced,’ Prince Deacon thought to himself, laying his hand over hers.
“I saw Lord Eliot promising marriage to a housemaid this morning,” Prince Deacon said, hoping to hear Emily’s true feelings.
“Thank goodness. Last night when I said, ‘yes,’ I meant it yes; into responding to you, but they understood me wrong,” Emily laughed.
“So, you are glad to be off the hook?” Prince Deacon asked.
“I am, but I have to admit I am shocked that he proposed to a housemaid,” Emily admitted.
“I for one am not,” Prince Deacon said.
“You don’t even know him,” Emily defended Lord Eliot.
“I know enough to let you know that he does not love you,” Prince Deacon said.
“We would have learned to love each other if it came to marriage,” Emily said.
“What I have picked up in the past twenty-four hours is that he was going to marry you for your money,” Prince Deacon said.
“But he has his own money now, so when he proposed last night, I don’t believe it was for my money,” Emily continued to defend Lord Eliot.
“Why are you defending him?” Prince Deacon asked, forcing her to a halt.
“I am not defending him,” Emily claimed.
“You are,” Prince Deacon accused.
“Perhaps I am, just a little. I have known Lord Eliot all my life,” Emily told Prince Deacon about her childhood memories.
“But he did not know you until a week or so ago,” Prince Deacon said.
“I suppose you are right, but it does not matter now as he is engaged to be married to a housemaid,” Emily said, thinking just how bizarre Lord Eliot’s behavior has been since the arrival of Lord Deacon and Lord Wynn.
They both turn around at the horn of the car.
“My goodness, how time flies,” Prince Deacon said.
“It normally does in good company,” Emily said as they start to walk back.
“Will you join me for afternoon tea?” Prince Deacon asked while they pack up the picnic.
“That will be lovely,” Emily said, folding up the picnic blanket.
On their way back to their street, both of them wore smiles on their faces, looking at the scenery outside.
