Aurora had sunk down in her seat, expression somber as she allowed Elmore to work. She didn't appear to be in pain, at least, but she wasn't happy either.
“It's nature,” Elmore replied, perhaps harsher than intended. “It's beautiful, but cruel. Besides, it's only a defense mechanism, the bee can't help it; what you need to focus on is healing.”
“You make it sound so serious,” she quipped, “as I said before, I've had worse. I hardly even feel it.”
That was probably because the lambs-ear was doing its job of soothing the sting, but Elmore declined to comment. She was clearly frustrated, and for the first time he wondered if their early conversation wasn't as pleasant as he had first thought. Was Aurora annoyed with him?
Under normal circumstances, he might have asked; instead, he simply sat back to admire his work. With nothing to tie the leaves together, he had wound them together and tucked the hanging ends underneath her sleeve. It was messy work, but did what it needed to.
“There,” he announced, hoping to lighten the mood, “does that feel better? It should start to work immediately, and I can always add another leaf if needs be.”
Aurora touched her wrist briefly, and a smile of relief crept onto her features. “It's better, thank you,” she replied. Then, “I wouldn't have thought to use lamb's ear for a sting — I know it can be used to dress wounds, but not a bee sting.”
“It has a lot of uses, if you're willing to get inventive,” Elmore quipped, “give it an hour or so, and you'll forget the sting is even there.”
“I can feel it working already,” Aurora admitted with a smile.
It was small and hesitant, hardly a smile at all, but it still made Elmore's chest bloom with warmth. She was truly beautiful, perhaps the most beautiful woman he knew — Mr. Washam had often mentioned his daughter, but Elmore hadn't imagined she would be so perfectly lovely.
Her next words distracted him though, as she straightened her back. “Thank you for helping me, and I'm sorry if I appeared rude...I don't think I got your name?”
“Lord Winters of Glouchestershire. Your father was a tutor of mine many years ago, when I first discovered my love for botany.”
She blinked slowly, apparently surprised — perhaps she hadn't expected him to be a Lord. Or, more likely, Mr. Washam had mentioned him before and she was having a moment of revelation.
“I saw your name on one of the invitations,” she said softly, “for Father's meeting next week. You didn't send a reply.”
She hadn't asked a question, exactly, but her expectant green eyes said it all. Aurora was waiting for him to reply. It made him wonder just how much she knew; not just about the botanist meeting, but about everything. She had to have known at least a little of plants and wildlife, to live with one of the best botanists Elmore knew.
It only made him even more intrigued about the beautiful Aurora Washam.
Realizing that he still hadn't answered, Elmore felt heat creep onto his face. "I wanted to see Mr. Washam in person," he admitted with a nod, "it seemed more appropriate than a letter, given how close we used to be."
Aurora looked up at him with wide, confused eyes. She looked a little like a lost puppy, he thought, exceptfarmore beautiful.
"He used to tutor me, a long time ago when I was still a boy. My parents didn't approve of my interest in nature, so I sought out my knowledge in secret."
Nowshewas blushing, head ducked low so that her long hair draped across her heart-shaped face.
"I'm afraid to say so, but Father... he never mentioned you, Lord Winters."
"Well, that's because I asked him not to."
Her head snapped to him, mouth agape. "Whatever for?"
"Well, my parents’ judgement for one." He shrugged as if it were no issue, but the truth was that it hadhurt,his parents’ dismissal of his interests. Oh well, it was years ago now. "And secondly, I didn't want to cause a fuss. If knowledge got out that I, an Earl, was spending time with common folk and going against my family's wishes..."
"It could hurt your reputation," Aurora finished. There was a flash of hurt in her eyes, perhaps at being calledcommon folk,but it passed as quickly as it appeared. Then she flattened a hand against her lamb's ear bandage to make sure it was secure, and turned to the house. "He's inside, if you want to see him now. My Lord."
That last sentence was tagged on almost as an afterthought, but Elmore didn't even mind. She could have insulted him straight to his face, and Elmore would have put up with it just to hear more of her radiant voice.
"It reallyisstrange that I didn't recognize you," Aurora said then, "I've attended some of the yearly meetings too."
Something clicked in Elmore's mind. The image of a young woman, acting as her father's shadow. She always kept her head down, listening intently, but never offered any words of her own during the entire three-hour conference.
"There are plenty of us men that look alike," Elmore noted, "and I haven't been toeverymeeting. Perhaps you haven't noticed me before, because you always stared at the table."
Aurora huffed, hands balling into the fabric of her skirts. "Well," she stated sourly, "I had to fight to even be allowed in, excuse me for not wanting to risk expulsion, and staying quiet for my own sake!"