You're My Best Friend

Chapter 15

"You'd still have me if I am to be more bold?" she asked him.

"Caroline, nothing you could do would ever make me not want you" he said, caressing her cheek.

"If you get any more bold," Caroline heard Robert say to Amelia, "I would assume you had become a gentleman"

"This isn't about us" Amelia hissed back, "Let them have their moment"

"I've spoken to your father. He says that if it is alright with you, that we may begin formally seeing each other as soon as you come home." Geoffrey said.

The thought excited Caroline, and she wished she could leave for home now. "My sister did suggest I head home tomorrow morning. I could be home by eight in the morning,"

Geoffrey cocked a smile, "Then I will be there by 8:01."

"But isn't your carriage broken out front?" Robert asked, interrupting the two clearly in the earliest moments of love.

"Oh yes" Geoffrey replied, not fully listening to what Robert was saying.

"I'll just have someone look at that for you, you seem preoccupied>" Robert answered himself. The next morning, he was true to his word. Caroline was only arriving home herself when she saw Geoffrey making his way towards the front door of her home.

"You're early" She said

Geoffrey stopped and pulled out his watch, "No. You're late. Only by a minute, though."

Caroline hurried up the staircase to meet him by the door, "Have you always been this punctual?"

"It's a family curse," he said, taking her hand and kissing it, "perfect punctuality."

"I suppose there are worse family curses." she delicately knocked on the front door.

After putting her things away, Caroline joined Geoffrey in the family garden. Her mother and father sat within chaperoning range,

"I suppose we have gotten past the most awkward parts of a relationship," Geoffrey said, greeting her again.

"And what is that?'" she asked him

"You didn't have to show me around your family home." he laughed.

"If I reason correctly," Caroline said, pointing outwards, "You nearly broke your arm falling out of that tree when you were twelve."

"And if I may add on to that," Geoffrey said, pointing his own finger just left of the tree, "Your sister threw a rock at me right there on that very day."

Caroline giggled, "That sounds about right,"

"But you", he put his hand on her cheek, "Sat right here quietly reading a book."

Caroline looked up to him, into his deep brown eyes. He seemed to be looking into her soul and studying her. "I never was as chaotic as my two sisters. People always tell me that,"

"I can't understand that. Anytime I mention you to someone, which I will say is quite a lot recently. People always seem to say something along the lines of 'oh Amelia and Belinda's sister?' And it feels wrong to hear them say that. You are more than your sisters. Not to devalue them of course- but I can only imagine how it makes you feel."

She was taken aback, "That's very considerate of you" she squeaked.

"We can't just dwell on our childhoods" Geoffrey said, attempting to change the conversation, "But what do you like to do as an adult,"

Caroline racked her brains to think of what she had enjoyed recently. She had been blinded by the romance of the season and really hadn't had much time to reflect on herself. Surely she had hobbies up to this point, but being in Geoffrey's presence had her in such a drunken state. "I suppose-I've been working on a needlepoint of some flowers"

Caroline watched Geoffrey perk up at her words, "Would you show me?" She had surely not expected him to be this interested in what was a trivial hobby. But Caroline was quickly learning that he cared for everything about her.

"It's up in my bedroom" Caroline said standing up.

"Do you need something, dear?" her mother intercepted her.

"I was going to get my needlepoint to show Geoffrey." Caroline started walking towards the house, but her mother seemed intent on stopping her. "You stay here. I can get it for you. You two keep talking."

"Oh, alrighty" Caroline still was puzzled by her mother's readiness. But she wouldn't pass up an opportunity to spend more time with Geoffrey.

"My mother went to get it for me." Caroline said, sitting down next to him again, "Which gives us more time to be together"

"Well what shall we talk about in the time being" Geoffrey answered. Caroline watched him reach for his cravat.

"You seem to do that a lot," She said

"Do what?" he asked

"Play with your cravat. It's very endearing." she smiled

"I've been doing this for as long as I can remember. Usually when I am nervous." Geoffrey confessed.

"Do I make you nervous?" she asked

"Not in a bad way." he shook his head.

Caroline took her hand and put it on top of his hand that was ringing his cravat. Such a simple gesture felt so explicit. She wondered if he felt the same way at that moment. "I want nothing more than to make you happy" the words seemed to slide off of her tongue.

At this moment the rest of the world stopped existing around her. It was just she and him, and she wanted to be one with him forever. All of her dreams of the mysteriously faceless man had been answered. The one she was meant to be with was him. She felt the hairs stand up on the back of her neck. She was being blissfully taken away. Slowly, she leaned in to kiss him.

"I've brought down your needlepoint." her sensual moment was broken by her mother's sudden reappearance, "Oh have I interrupted something?"

. In a ladylike manner, she tried to adjust herself. It felt sinful to continue with her actions with her mother there.

"Thank you mother" Caroline said, taking it from her mother.