Once Upon a Romance 01 - Before the Midnight Bells (22 page)

“
… ‘oh no, I would never do anything to hurt you, I’ve just been lying to you from the beginning about who I was, and the fact that I’m already
engaged to the princess’
…”

“
MAX!”

“
WHAT?!”

Vivienne gave a small smile. “You should know, my father thinks you’re sneaking around on me.”

“
What?”

“
Almost everyone believed that performance the other night, but Father thinks you’ve pulled the wool over my eyes, and are using my request for a special dance as a chance to sow some wild oats.”

“
What?!”

“
He thinks,” Vivienne enunciated each word carefully, “that you are a philandering rake.”

“
Well,” all the energy seemed to rush out of him, and he flopped in a chair, “that’s just wonderful.”

“
I thought so.”

“
I mean, technically, I guess he’s right.”

“
No, it can’t be sneaking if I know you’re doing it.” Vivienne spoke firmly.

“
There is that. I don’t suppose he’d listen to an argument based on the premise that you’re fine with it?”

“
Unlikely, unless we explain just
why
I am fine with it, which would probably get me locked in a tower for a few years.”

“
Well, we can’t have that.”

“
Quite right.”

Max sat and brooded for a moment. Vivienne thought her friend brooded rather well, just the right touches of sullen resentment and manly nobility. Still, she preferred his normal, cheerful demeanor.

“
Max, never mind about father. You only have to keep him off the trail for another week. Then I’ll be gone and he’ll just think you’re drowning your sorrows, or something like that. What are you going to do about
Ella
?”

“
You know,” Max looked at her thoughtfully, “that’s the first time you’ve called her by name.”

“
Well, I’m beginning to think you’re serious about her. I imagine you would object if I never stopped calling her ‘that seamstress.’”

“
Mmmm…” Vivienne waited, but no further response was forthcoming.

“
Max?”

“
Yes?”

“
What are you going to do?”

“
Well, I suppose I’m going to do something rakish, after all.”

“
Which is?”

“
What do you know about climbing in windows?”

***

Ella was curled in a ball on her bed. She was wearing her favorite dressing gown and had piled the covers on top of herself, but even this habitual comfort wasn’t helping. All day she had sketched, worked up patterns, chosen fabrics, and pinned and draped until she should have been too tired to think. Instead she was lying here in bed, running over and over everything Max had said to her, and everything she had said to him. Where had she gone wrong? When had she let a man she knew next to nothing about worm his way into her heart? Why was she, even now, wishing she could see him again, instead of turning her mind to other things?

It was useless. She was never going to sleep. Whenever she banished their conversation from her mind other thoughts crept in. Max in the measuring room, Max holding her on the dance floor, Max pressed full length against her… She threw the covers back. If she couldn’t sleep she might as well work. She
wanted
to work. She had
chosen
to work. She hadn’t chosen Max;
he
had just happened. Work would help her forget him.

Barefoot she padded her way up to the attic,
treading softly on chilly feet,
careful to make no sound to wake her family. Just because she couldn’t sleep was no reason to have the whole household awake. She had several lamps in the attic, since good light was essential when she sewed at home, and she carefully touched her taper to one oil soaked wick,
then
replaced the glass bulb as she blew out the candle.

Then she gasped and dropped the smoking taper, because there, in the casement of the attic window, was Max.

His clothing was ripped in several places and he had a long scratch running down one cheek. He had apparently managed to open the window from the outside, but had perched on the casement rather than jump down to the floor in the dark. A smart choice, as it happened, as directly below the window was Ella’s button and bead collection. Ella quickly drew her dressing gown tighter, and secured it firmly with the belt. Then she hurried over to move the divided tray that housed the collection, and pulled him into the room.

“
What are you doing here? And what happened to you?” From her whisper it was hard to tell if she was more angry at his presence or concerned over his appearance. He decided to answer the second question first.

“
Well, it turns out that climbing trees isn’t actually a natural skill. And I had to climb four of them since I didn’t know where your bedroom was. In fact, I never actually found your bedroom, unless you sleep here?” He paused and glanced around. “I’m guessing not. But I did get blessed with the horrible sight of your stepmother. Do you know she sleeps on top of the covers? In the nude..?”

“
Max! What are you doing climbing trees around my home in the first place?”

“
I already said, I was trying to find your bedroom.”

“
Why were you trying to find my bedroom?”

“
Ella,” he stopped teasing, “you wouldn’t let me call on you, and you wouldn’t see me at the shop. I have to talk to you.”

“
Max, no.” Ella sighed. “Whatever your reasons are you don’t have to explain. In fact, I’d rather not hear them. You can’t make me feel better and,” she paused, looking for the right words, “I don’t think I could stand feeling worse. I have to go on with my life as it is, and you… you have to go spend your time with someone more suitable.”

“
Ella, please stop being ridiculous and melodramatic.”

“
No, Max, I… what?”

“
I already told you, you’re perfectly suitable.”

“
I am?”

“
Yes.”

“
But at the shop, when you said you needed to… I thought…”

“
Clearly.”

“
But you said you needed to explain something, and you looked so serious.”

“
Ella, I
do,
but it isn’t about your suitability.”

“
Are you going to tell me it’s about my personality?”

“
NO!”

“
Shhhh!”

Max took a deep breath and spoke in a whisper. “No, Ella, it isn’t about
you
at all.”

“
It isn’t about me?”

“
No.”

“
Oh…” Ella had finally stopped protesting, and now seemed like the perfect moment to actually try to begin this impossible conversation, but before he did, and perhaps ruined everything, Max wanted to say one other thing, first.

“
Ella?”

“
Yes?” She looked pensive and distracted, so he caught her chin and tilted it up, making sure that she was paying attention.

“
Before I tell you why I’m here, I just want to make it clear…”

“
Yes?”

“
I find you more than suitable.”

“
You do?”

“
Yes, I find you wonderful.”

“
You find me wonderful…” Her voice caught. Ella reached up and twined her fingers with the hand gently holding her chin. “Max?” She moved closer, tucking herself against his body and lifting her free hand up to cup his face.

“
Yes?”

“
I think you’re wonderful, too.”

Ella stretched up and planted a gentle kiss on Max’s mouth. She wanted to give him the chance to explain what had been so urgent that he came looking for her up trees and through closed windows, but one kiss seemed to call for another. And another. Locking both her hands behind his neck, she gave herself up with glorious abandon to the joy of kissing Max. He thought she was wonderful. Whatever he was going to say could wait.

Max tried to hold on to the little speech he had prepared, but the feel of Ella’s body clinging to his made all thought of speeches slip away like the inconsequential words that they were. Later. They could work everything out later. How could he think of what to say when his mind was filled with her?

Max picked Ella up, and cast about the room for a couch, a chair, anything. Ella ignored his search and wrapped her legs around him, nuzzling into his neck and nipping at his earlobe. Good lord, if she kept this up he was going to throw her down on the floor and have her right there. Finally he spotted the work table, at the end of the attic under the racks of fabrics. He practically sprinted to the table and lifted Ella up to sit on it. Standing there between her thighs he became very aware that Ella was dressed, or rather,
undressed
for bed. What a happy circumstance.

Ella tugged at Max’s hair, his lapels, his shirt,
anything
she could reach. All day long her body had been keenly aware of what it had
not
done that morning. Now he was here, and he was wonderful, and the only thing that mattered anymore was that she needed him to touch her. He had covered her mouth with his own, absorbing her eager little pants and sighs with his lips and tongue. Finally,
finally
she felt him pull her dressing gown down off her shoulders, but when it was halfway down her arms he stopped and tangled the sleeves with the gown’s belt, temporarily restraining her.