Once Upon a Misty Bluegrass Hill (41 page)

Jolene checked herself in the mirror.  Her hair had grown long
.  S
he pulled it back with a
clip
.  The sun was quickly sinking behind the pond outside the
back of the
house into the green hills that reminded her
so much
of Kentucky.

Her heart
accelerated around the moment
.  Her mother would tell her that the Celts always know when life is going to change. 
Maybe it was because she said the words out loud.  Maybe it was because she claimed
her heritage and so she felt royal from the inside out. 

Now, looking in the mirror it was not so hard to
hold her back up straight like she learned in school.  She didn
'
t look so out of place wearing the beautiful pink dress and pearls that the girl who lived at Aunt Paula
'
s would never have seen, let alone wear.  On the bed rested her mother
'
s gold purse.  Her mother said it was filled with dreams. 
One day Jolene would open it and find her dreams. 

Jolene walked to the bed and picked up the gold purse.  It was perfect on the outside.  But on the inside, the fabric was worn and
bore
delicate holes, as if to ease the pain of age. 
She opened it wide. 

Dreams of my mother
come to me.

Little gold purse, bring my dreams to me.

Little gold purse, bring the dreams of my grandmother and her mother before.

Bring all
of
their dreams to me. 

I
will
walk through life on those dreams, and care for them faithfully.

Little gold purse, bring my dreams to me.

Jolene tucked some tissue in the purse.  Just like her mother always told her to do.

Always have a tissue.
 
Just in case.

She closed the purse and tucked it under her arm.  She took the steps two at a time.

"
Jolene.  What are yer doing
running so fast down the steps when you are wearing a dress like that.
"
 
Patrick
trapped her in his laughing eyes that shined like blue topaz.  He was dressed equally as elegant as she in a formal dove-gray pin stripped suit and crisp white shirt.  His tie was unlike
any
she had seen in the United States and reminded her of a cravat. 
He looked like a handsome prince.

Or an Earl.

Jolene giggled and slowed her step to walk just like she had learned in finishing school. 
"
You know I just can
'
t help it sometimes.
"

When she reached the bottom of the steps still trapped in his eyes he took her hand and kissed it sending heat firing through her veins.
 
"
You look beautiful.
"
  He murmured against her hand sending another wave of heat through her limbs.
"

He looked at her with eyes of fire and tucked her hand on his arm and led her outside to a waiting open carriage.  It was
white,
shiny and boasted
Patrick
'
s
coat of arms.
  Two white horses stood on dancing feet impatient to get started. 
Baxter
who stood next to the carriage wearing a black suit waved and smiled. 
Patrick
passed pleasantries with
Baxter
then assisted her into the plush carriage
.

"
It is beautiful
Patrick
.
"

"
It has been in my family for a very long time.
"

Jolene was living a beautiful dream as
Patrick
followed her
up
the small steps and helped her int
o the seat.  He took his seat unusually close to her and put his arm around her pulling her
against
in a way that he had never done before and that made her heart still, then accelerate like a speeding jack rabbit. 

The weather was cool even though the sun was shining bright in the sky and illuminating all the flowers that were arranged carefully on the perfectly manicured lawn.  The gardens at
Killruddery House were regarded, according to
Patrick
, as the finest French Classical gardens in the country. 

When the driver ste
pped up to his seat and the carriage lurched forward Jolene could no longer avoid
Patrick
'
s glowing eyes and the heat of his skin that soaked through her
clothing and sent a hot blush across her skin.

As they rode
,
the breeze
teased and lifted her curly locks and one curl
fell on
Patrick
'
s shoulder.

Patrick
smiled down into her eyes. 
"
Jolene, did I tell you yet how beautiful you look?
"

Jolene shifted under his gaze with prickly heat spreading from her limbs to her face. 
"
Patrick
, you never talked to me like that before.
"

He tilted his head. 
"
Haven
'
t I?
"

"
Certainly not.  Are you feeling alright?
"

Patrick
laughed softly and looked in front of him down the path tha
t le
d
between the long ponds and
the gardens. 
"
I would say I have never felt like this before, but I am certainly doing just fine.
"

A few minutes later, on a stomach filled with butterflies
, a face filled with blushes, and shaking limbs
, Jolene was assisted from the carriage by
Patrick
.  Baxter
provided a blanket
shaking it out under a tree where there was already an ornate stone bench.  He placed a big picnic basket on the blanket
. 

"
I
'
ll be off then.
"
 
Baxter
smiled big.

"
You go on.
"
 
Patrick
laughed and clapped
Baxter
on the shoulder.

Baxter
rode away with
the beautiful prancing horses. 
In the distance t
he house and sunset reflected the long ponds.

Jolene was certain she had never seen anything more beautiful.

Oh yes…the pastures in Kentucky were lush and green to be sure and looked so much like these green rolling hills one might be confused if she didn
'
t know where she was.

"
Come and sit on the bench Jolene.
"

Patrick
led her to the stone bench
and
brushed away the dust and Jolene sat down
,
her heart pounding. 
He poured
sparkling wine
from the basket into delicate glasses.  His eyes were dark purple, like the morning glories that grew on the fence outside her family home.  She had never seen just that shade of purple in
anyone's
eyes until
Patrick
. 

Something was happening here. 

S
he was living a moment from one of her books.

Only it was her
….
not a heroine
from a book.  I
t was happening to
Jolene who
once lived in Aunt Paula
'
s house...an old run-
down white house with the rusted cars. 
It was t
he Jolene who went most summers in
bare
feet
. 
And once used the word "ain
'
t" and ate with her fingers.

Patrick
sat down next to her and took her hand
into his.  His
eyes were glowing earnest into hers.  The wind blew the tree and a few leaves scattered around them. 
"
Jolene you must know that I asked you to get dressed up
and come out with me like this
for a reason.
"
  He was caressing her hand in gentle strokes that set her on fire.

Jolene
'
s heart beat like a humming bird
'
s wings. 
"
I do know there is a reason
Patrick
.  I just never saw you act like this.
"

He laughed softly and leaned forward. 
"
That is because maybe you never saw me in love before.
"

Jolene
'
s heart stopped. 
"
Oh no!  Are you going to tell me you have gotten engaged again?
"
 

Patrick
leaned closer still
and pressed his lips
gently
to hers.  Her legs turned to noodles.  When he
lifted his lips
his eyes glowed hot blue into hers. 
"
I am hoping to get engaged
very soon
.
"

"
Then you should not be kissing me
Patrick
, that was terrible last time, even as much as I hated Leona that is no way to treat a girl.
"

"
I can promise you Jolene I
'
ll never look at another woman if the girl I
want to marry
will have me.
"

He slid from the bench and kneeled on one knee still holding her hand
.  He rubbed his fingers along her knuckles
. 
"
What I am asking you Jolene
,
is to marry me.
"

Jolene
'
s world stopped
all movement
. 
Her breath
halted and hung
along with her heart. 
"
You want to marry me?
"
  She whispered the words aloud hoping to capture them and make them true in the sound.

His voice was low and soft. 
"
Will you marry me Jolene McKnight?
"

Surely this was a dream come true. 

Jolene felt the blood rushing through her veins like a steep waterfall. 
Her heart swelled quickly, like it might burst. 
"
Patrick
, I have always loved you.  I have imagined this moment a million times never believing it would
ever
come true.
"

Patrick
pulled a small box out of his pocket and opened it toward her.  There was a single diamond in the center with countless smaller dark emeralds surrounding the large sparkling center stone. 
"
I bought this for you because I thought it matched yer eyes.
  I am hoping you
'
ll accept it and agree to be mine.
"

Hot tears swelled in Jolene
'
s eyes.
 
"
Of course I will
Patrick
, I have loved you always.
"

"
Yer don
'
t mind coming her
e
some
times to live for
a
spell?  My D
a is getting older and I have been away too much getting the farm going.
"

Jolene looked around her, her heart filling with awe. 
"
Of course
Patrick
, I cannot think of a place I
would like to come to more.  But are you sure it is okay with your parents?
  I mean…that you marry me and everything
?
 
You know that
I don
'
t come from a good family.
"

Patrick
gently tugged he
r hand closer and slipped the ring on her finger. 
"
Jolene, you are a princess remember?  You are American royalty and
that means if you marry me
you
will
finally
be
where you belong.
"