The Magic of Gingerbread, page 12
She squeezed his fingers. “Yet here we are now, in one of the most glorious stations in the world and there are trains all around. I hope you’ve taken advantage of modern technology and fulfilled your love of trains by riding on them.”
“Ah, but I have. As soon as a new station opens or a new route to a different part of England is added, I have to investigate.” He laughed. How absurd that sounded. “It’s quite exciting. My sister cannot fathom why I like this sort of travel so much. There’s something about embarking upon an adventure, of packing a valise or a trunk and watching familiar scenery go by as the train pulls away.”
“To go to a new place where no one knows who you are and cannot judge you,” she murmured, and though she looked at him, her attention was not on him. “Shortly after the mirror incident, my family took the train out west. I accompanied my parents, who were in the hunt of a particular grape to make a new blend of wine. The trip took months, but the scenery was amazing and so different than what New York City offered.” She sighed. “I often wish we could have lingered in each new city along the way.”
“It’s never too late to travel, Ellie.” Would that he could take her anywhere in the world she desired. It would be something he’d gladly and without regret use his grandfather’s reach and coffers to obtain. He said nothing more. Neither did she, and they sat in companionable silence for a long time as the world went by.
After a while, Eleanor stirred. She sought out his gaze once more. “Thank you for including me—in everything. You’ve made this holiday season bearable.” Sincerity shone in her eyes.
“I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.” Stunned amazement buzzed through him. No one ever thanked him for such small gestures. “I will ask that you remain wary around Mr. Gibson in the future. If he is the contact we seek, he now knows something is most definitely at play.”
“I will.” When she smiled, it lit her eyes and set the golden flecks dancing. He fell deeper under her spell, and for the first time realized this had been the best Christmas season he’d passed in a long time. “Cameron, I’d...” A blush tinged her cheeks, and she leaned closer, lowering her voice. “I’d like to kiss you.”
Low-grade heat flowed through him. “Here?” A thrill moved up his spine when she nodded.
“It’s something I feel compelled to do.” Eleanor stood and offered him a hand. “Unless there’s a better place you know of?”
He launched to his feet. “There’s not a vast amount of privacy here.”
“Then we shall create a scandal, for I won’t change my mind.”
Oh, God. “Come. We’ll make do.” Cameron grabbed her hand and ushered her along the line of shops, most of which had closed for the evening. “Here.” He pulled her into a shadowed doorway of a shoe cobbler and shine service. “It’s the best I can offer since you’re so adamant.”
“It will do.” She retreated into the shadows until her back lay wedged in the corner, and taking hold of his lapels, she reeled him close.
Gently, Cameron took her into his arms. Would she spook even though her words were bold enough to shock the queen? At least his back was to the crowd and would shield her from prying eyes while Eleanor tested her new wings.
Then his thoughts scattered as she pressed her lips first to one corner of his mouth and then the other. The tentative exploration tightened his groin and fired his desire as well as his imagination. When she claimed his lips in a kiss that asked him a hundred questions, he stifled a groan, fit her more comfortably in his embrace, and kissed her back.
The pressure of her hand at his nape and the other clutching his lapel betrayed her need, and he kept the overture sweet and tender. As much as he wished to take advantage and kiss her until she couldn’t remember her name, this was not the place. So he hinted and teased, letting her take the lead, giving her what she sought until she pulled away breathless and wide-eyed.
“Ah, Ellie, how you enchant me more with every meeting.” Cameron eased away and put space between them as he delved a hand into his coat pocket. “Before I forget, I should give you this.” He thrust a napkin-wrapped parcel into her shaking hand.
Another piece of his heart flew into her keeping. At this rate, I’ll tumble tip over tail in love with her by Christmas. He grinned. There were worse things.
Her kiss-swollen lips curved into a glorious smile, and he nearly lost his mind, for he wanted to stake his claim now. “What will you do when you have no more pieces left to give?”
Did she refer to the gingerbread or his heart? No matter, the answer was the same: what indeed? “I suppose we’ll both discover that together.”
She peeked into the napkin and chuckled. “It’s a head this time.”
“Yes, and I’ve nearly lost mine in your company this evening. Perhaps a walk in the brisk air will help marshal my thoughts.” And cool his reaction. He offered her his arm. “Come. Let us partake of dinner from street vendors while we talk of ‘ships and shoes and sealing wax.’”
“‘And cabbages and kings.’” After she stowed the cookie into her hand bag, she took his arm and they left the station.
Interesting how he longed for Ellie in his arms much more than he’d ever wanted that long ago train for Christmas. Would his luck change this time around?
Chapter Eight
December 23rd
Sunday again, which meant Eleanor had the whole day to spend in Cameron’s company.
As she sat beside him on the short train ride to the Crystal Palace gardens in Sydenham Hill, butterflies tumbled through her insides, and those butterflies had increased their intense ballet since last night when she’d kissed him at Victoria Station.
Whatever had possessed her to do such a thing? Even now, her cheeks burned, not from embarrassment, but from the remembered heat that had passed between them and how much she’d wished for more than that brief taste of him. Of course she’d kissed men before—her husbands—but those embraces had had all the excitement of pressing a cold fish to her lips. But with the man next to her, it had been... magical. With him she felt alive in a way she’d never thought possible.
And it went beyond working as his partner to track down a spy. A frisson of unease tripped down her spine. There was something about that case that gnawed at the perimeter of her mind. That tapping Lila had done on his shoulder hadn’t been random, but... I’ll have to concentrate more on that moment. And the fact she had red hair, like the strange woman Mr. Gibson met at Victoria Station last night. Oh, my stars and stripes, are they connected?
Beside her, Cameron shifted. “You’re a million miles away. Are you well?”
“Oh, yes.” She stole a glance at him as he peered out the window. When he met her gaze, he smiled and the dimple in his chin winked. Tremors of need joined those happy little butterflies. Eleanor returned the smile. How had she come to look forward to seeing him in such a short span of time? A handful of days couldn’t change her life, could they? Oh, but they had. No longer did she feel the need to keep him at arm’s length, and the urge to tend the thorny hedge around her heart hadn’t been foremost in her mind. Being in his company made her both dizzy with excitement and giddy with happiness.
Yet, what exactly was his purpose in showing her so much attention? Perhaps he would tell her once he revealed the need for a large gingerbread man in pieces. And she hoped it wasn’t for some bizarre lesson about the differences in men, where he’d show her everything a gentleman could be but then wish her luck in life. Worry curled its icy bands in the pit of her stomach. Please don’t be so cruel. Her heart would surely crumble into dust if he let her down.
“After we peruse the gardens and take in the dinosaur collection, shall we do high tea at Claridge’s?” The sound of his voice yanked her out of her musings. “Afterward, we could have another go at ice skating if you’d like.”
She shoved possible misgivings from her mind. For the moment, she would enjoy what was before her without tainting it with thoughts of the future. “All of that sounds lovely.”
“Good.” He put his lips to the shell of her ear and whispered, “Unless you’d like to rent a room at that austere hotel where we can begin a torrid affair?”
“What?” Eleanor didn’t dare to search out his gaze in the event she spied the truth in his eyes. “Is that what all of this has been building toward?” Panic surged through her veins. Hard on the heels of her thoughts, this suggestion made what they’d shared seem cheap and tawdry. Was that how he perceived her, twice a widow and not wishing for another marriage? Her heartbeat accelerated and her breath came in short pants.
Cameron put space between them on the bench. “No.” Confusion shadowed his eyes behind the lenses of his spectacles. “I was teasing you, Ellie. Nothing more.” He grasped her hands in his, and she clung to his strength like a lifeline. “I respect you too much to use you and then leave you.” His jaw worked as he searched for words. “I apologize. It was poor form.”
For long moments she held his gaze. Finally, she nodded. “I have no doubt overreacted.” When she attempted to tug her hands from his, he tightened his grip. The pressure of his fingers on hers brought her the comfort she craved. “These last several days have been a jumble of emotions. I’m overwrought.”
He snorted. “I’ve not borne witness to such a thing in all of our dealings together, and I suspect you’re a much stronger woman than you’d have people believe.” His blue-gray eyes darkened. “The promise I made to you stands. I hope you believe me.”
“I do.” She blew out a shaky breath. “I suppose working for the Home Office infiltrates your thoughts and twists everything.”
“At times the subject matter is stressful, but at the end of the day, you must remember that you are you, not the part you’re playing in order to track down a foreign operative.” Cameron leaned back against the polished wood of the bench. “In that vein, I had word from my office early this morning.”
“Oh?” She straightened her spine. “News of Uri?” she asked in a whisper.
“Not exactly, but their plans are moving. And it will happen tonight.” His expression sobered. Gone was the teasing twinkle in his eyes as well as his grin. “We’ve had confirmation of a London location.”
“It’s a big city. Can they not narrow down their intelligence?” If they had information regarding the man in charge of the operation, why could they not figure out this?
“I agree.” He shrugged and his shoulder brushed hers. Tingles of awareness skated over her person, and she gave into a shiver. “However, there are many people the Home Office tracks. It’s a large balancing act.”
“I should have questioned Mr. Gibson further, or made better use of my time. No doubt he’s more distrustful of me than ever.”
Cameron let go of one of her hands and then patted the one he still held. “You’ve done admirably. Don’t fret. I shall handle anything that might occur.”
“Because I am untrained or unable?” Her tone was sharper than she intended even as her stomach muscles cramped. If the case came to its natural close, he’d have no more use of her Morse-coding skills. Did that signal the end of their association?
“Please leave off with that old way of thinking, Ellie.” He squeezed her fingers. “I believe you’re more than capable of apprehending a spy. Hell, there is no doubt in my mind you could set the world on fire if you wished it.” He met her gaze. Sincerity swam in his stormy depths. “This is what I do; I’m more familiar with the work. Also, I don’t want to put you into danger unnecessarily.”
As the train slowed to a stop at their destination, the panic continued to rise in her chest, now for a different reason. “But...”
He raised an eyebrow. “Yes?”
She cleared her throat. “I don’t want you harmed either, Cameron. You...” When he continued to stare at her with expectation, she rushed onward despite her blazing cheeks. “You are beginning to mean something to me, and I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if you were hurt because I couldn’t ascertain enough information.” A tiny gasp followed her admission. What is happening to me? I don’t do things like this. I don’t allow men to affect me in this manner.
“Ho hoo! This is a novel feeling.” A wicked gleam appeared in his eye, and that set off another host of butterflies in her belly, more animated than ever. “That someone unrelated to me worries about my safety.” He raised one of her gloved hands to his lips and kissed the middle knuckle.
She rolled her eyes to alleviate the emotional confusion swirling around her even as she appreciated the gallantry he exhibited. “Someone should worry if you persist in being reckless alone.”
As the few people sharing their car moved into the aisle to exit the train, Cameron laughed. “Then let’s be reckless together. Today. Right now. Let’s forget about everything else and do something for ourselves. The spies can wait a few hours.” He stood and brought her upright with him. “What do you say?”
Oh, he was tempting, and it was the Christmas season. This day would be her gift. “It sounds marvelous. I put myself completely in your care.” Literally and figuratively. It was a major step in trust for her. Did he realize that?
“Ah, such power.” He pulled her into the aisle. “I promise not to abuse it.”
Though the temperatures were chilly, with the sun shining, touring the wintertime gardens was an exciting jaunt. Between all of the fountains that pumped out water; the edges had frozen into bizarre sculptures of their own, the shallow pools that had frosted over and the flower beds that hadn’t quite been pruned back for the long sleep ahead, the grounds were beautiful, and they hadn’t even explored the exhibits within the Crystal Palace structure itself.
By the time she and Cameron entered the dinosaur park, Eleanor’s cheeks and ears tingled pleasantly with cold. She’d laughed so much with him since entering the grounds, her sides hurt with every new trill of mirth. The man had gone out of his way to act goofy or tell her jokes and horrible puns on the off chance she’d react. People touring the gardens around them often stopped to stare, but Eleanor didn’t care. Never had she felt so carefree or that she belonged.
At the first display, or the Palaeozoic era, when he paused at a fence and rested his forearms on the worn wood to gaze upon the two Dicynodon models, their green paint faded in the sunshine, she observed him instead of giving the dinosaurs their due. She didn’t care that the creator likened the beasts as a cross between a turtle and a hippopotamus. Not when Cameron’s hair gleamed golden and the slight smile flirting with his sensuous lips caused her heart to flutter. Didn’t these dinosaur replicas—that looked like long lizards with turtle flippers—appreciate the strong cut of the man’s jaw or that his lean body made her want to trace every line and angle with her fingertips? A pox upon the winter clothing, for they hid his form from her.
The Mesozoic era section was decorated by a model rock exposure showing a succession of beds, namely the Jurassic and Cretaceous, by statues of dinosaurs and other animals known from Mesozoic fossils plus suitable vegetation. Some real and others of painted rock or clay. Eleanor had difficulty concentrating on the various dinosaurs: Hylaeosaurus—which was her favorite of the grouping—Ichthyosaurus, Iguanodon, Labyrinthodon, Megalosaurus—which she said looked ridiculous and made up—and a few Plesiosauruses. Cameron read every plaque and storyboard aloud, and she had to refrain from sighing each time his narration came to an end; the timbre of his voice was that soothing.
“The Hylaeosaurus reminds me of a dragon straight out of a fairy story,” she said in order to make conversation lest she let her budding feelings for this man overpower her and she gape at him like an idiot. “I like the spikes.”
“Of course you would,” he replied with a grin that brought out the chin dimple. “Spikes are much like prickles and thorns, wouldn’t you say?”
“I am attempting to overcome them.” Her cheeks ached from smiling so much. “You help.” She continued to gaze at the dinosaur model. Its green-painted scales and massive stone body stole her breath and fired her imagination. “Do you suppose Early Man lived in pure terror knowing these creatures existed?”
“If humans were actually on the Earth at that time, how could they not be?” His eyes twinkled when he looked at her. “But then, they’d all existed together. Mayhap they grew used to these creatures as we have with trains.”
“Except trains will not eat us or terrorize our homes.” She shifted her attention back to the Hylaeosaurus and its ponderous size. “The teeth and spikes are off-putting, but it had to mate, so at least one male on the planet managed to look past her appearance and beastly tendencies to love her.”
“If such creatures even knew what love was over the primal urge to procreate.” Cameron touched her hand, and when she peered at him, her breath stalled, so intense was his gaze. “Are you speaking from personal experience?”
“I’ve told you all my secrets; what do you think?” Well, all of them but the undeniable fact she couldn’t carry children to full term. Some of the joy faded from the afternoon as her failures hung heavy about her shoulders like an invisible yoke.
“In my opinion, I think you long for a man to look past those hindrances you pull about your person, and love you for the magnificent woman that you are.” He took her hand. “Yet you’re too blind to see you are beautiful and that love might be unfolding before those sightless eyes despite the fact that it terrifies you.”
Was that his way of saying he harbored feelings for her that went beyond friendship? There was so much to process in that speech her mind spun from the implications. “I... that is to say I...” When she trembled and couldn’t form words, he tugged her away from the dinosaurs.
“Come. It’s time to indulge in a bit of recklessness.” He pulled her down the path, and when he broke into a trot, she was hard-pressed to keep up with his pace.
