An Innocent Affair

XII

"To be trusted is a greater compliment than being loved." George MacDonald

----

XII.

Jem still could not quite believe that Cressie had agreed to accompany him on this most foolish outing. No matter the fun, or the hope it gave him, she was still a lady and she was with a man unchaperoned.

That was where the hope was coming from. She had come with him. Surely Jem could not be imagining the way her brown eyes were looking at him. Did she feel what he did? Could she sense this burgeoning attachment between them? It felt like a string that was hardening with every passing moment, turning from cotton to an unbreakable steel.

The carriage had brought them to Bushy Park, near Hampton Court Palace, namely to visit the remarkable fountain that was situated in the gardens. Being new to London himself, Jem had not known about this place until he had made some subtle inquiries.

By the look on Cressie's face, it was well worth the risk.

Jem jumped down from the hackney first, before helping Cressie out into the beautiful afternoon sun. He once again paid the driver to wait for them as Cressie took his offered arm to venture further into the park.

They were some ten or so miles from the centre of London. The park was certainly populated on a beautiful day like this, but not by the folk frequenting London for the Season. They rarely ventured beyond Mayfair. There were plenty of couples walking, as well as families with their children, and Jem felt as though he and Cressie were one of them.

Nobody knew them, and so nobody looked at them.

The park was a wide expanse of lawns and mature trees, sheltering the masses in shade with their full summer canopies. The gravel path crackled underfoot as they walked.

"I much prefer this park to Hyde Park," Cressie confessed. "Hyde Park is beautiful, but the eyes ..."

"I know exactly what you mean," Jem replied. Of course, he had not been subject to the stares, but his sister had, and he had seen how uneasy it had made her. He couldn't imagine what the stares and gossip would be like for a debutante like Cressie.

The moment Jem heard a drop in Cressie's tone, he knew that he needed to do something. It had been his idea already, but now was the time. He dropped Cressie arm only for a moment before collecting her hand in his. This surprised her, and she looked up at him with confusion and anticipating in her eyes, a small smile of excitement teasing at the corner of her lips.

"We do not promenade, remember?" Jem flashed her a devilish grin before he took off in another run, pulling Cressie along behind him. Jem ran as quickly as he could, feeling his boots kicking up the gravel behind him.

Cressie sprinted alongside him, using her free hand to hold onto her bonnet and their entwined hands swung in between them. For someone so considerably shorter than he was, she was a remarkable runner, and she kept up with a gleeful smile on her face.

Jem had spied it when he heard her laugh with delight. Looking to her, he saw her brown eyes were wide with delight, her smile so big it touched her eyes, and those beautiful dimples were nestled deeply in her cheeks. She was beauty's definition.

Returning his focus forward, Jem continued to run as the Diana Fountain came into full focus. Situated in the very centre of a great expanse of lawn, the enormous fountain was a serene and hypnotising finish line. The golden nymph that stood in the centre almost beckoned them. Jem slowed down as they approached the edge of the water, and Cressie nearly stumbled herself. Jem instinctively caught her, his hands releasing hers to grab a hold of her waist before he realised that holding her hand was scandalous enough.