Could I be Enough? *Thomas Jefferson Fanfic*

Ch 31.) A garden walk

Dinner went as well as expected and we seemed to get along well. Adrienne kept sneaking sly looks at me whenever she caught me staring too long at Thomas.

"Would you care for a tour of the gardens Thomas?" Adrienne asked.

"I would like that" Thomas smiled at her.

"Perhaps Giovanna should give the tour Mon Amour, I know she has quite an extensive knowledge of plants and flowers," Laff smiled, tugging Adrienne to his side.

I rolled my eyes and smiled fondly. Thomas turned to me and extended his hand to me.

"May I have the pleasure," He flirted shamelessly.

I curtsied and gave a slight smirk.

"The pleasure will be all yours," I said, I brushed past him ignoring his extended hand and lead the way to the gardens.

Thomas fell into step with me, an awkward silence. I took solace in the gardens. The flowers reminding me of a few gardens in Nevis. I paused under the Paulownia Blossom tree and watched as Thomas looked around the gardens. The wind blew slightly and shook the tree above. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath as I felt the petals of the tree fall into my hair. I reopened my eyes to see Thomas admiring the tree.

"Paulowniaceae," I said softly.

My voice seemed to knock him out of his reprieve.

"What?"

"This tree. Its better known as the Princess Tree. It was named after the daughter of Tsar Paul of Russia, Princess Anna Paulowna." I explained, taking a full flower out of my hair and handing it to him.

He inspected the flower with a soft look.

"Its beautiful," He said looking back at me.

"Yeah," I smiled brightly.

I leaned forward and gripped his hand dragging him to my favorite place in the gardens.

"Where are we going?" He asked a laugh in his voice.

I turned to him and smiled. Angelica would love this man.

"I'm about to change your life," I said, stopping at a plant with little brown flowers.

"Cosmos atrosanguineus," I said proudly.

"They don't even look real," Thomas said in disbelief.

I gently plucked one of the flowers and handed it him, smiling at his skeptical look.

"Smell it,"

A look of bewilderment crossed his face and I couldn't help but let out a loud laugh

"That's impossible!" He exclaimed.

"Cosmos Atrosanguineus, the chocolate flower." I laughed, smiling brightly taking the flower back from him and tucking it into my hair.

We continued our walk in a comfortable silence the sun beginning to set in the distant sky.

"How do you know so much about the flowers Ms.Hamilton?" Thomas asked.

"My mother...It was one of the few, lady like things I was willing to learn when I was younger," I said, huffing out a laugh. "I was a rebel child sir. More interested in books, politics, and women's rights than home making, manners, and child care." I admitted.

"Sounds like she had a hard time with you as a child," Thomas said with a smile.

"Unfortunately not, she passed away when I was fourteen."

"I am so sorry," Thomas said stopping me and taking my hand.

"It's alright. It was quite a long time ago. I had my time to be sad. Now is the time to make her proud of the woman I am and will become," I said withdrawing my hand from his.

"So, enough about me. What about you? I see the tan mark from a wedding ring? Your wife must be awful lonely in the states waiting for you,"

He cleared his throat nervously and averted his eyes from mine.

"Martha...My wife...She passed away the year before I came to France," He said quietly. "She and my daughter," He whispered.

I tried to hold back the tears in my eyes. How could something so awful happen to such a nice man who walked as if he held the world on a string?

"I apologize, my brain and my mouth never work on the same frequency, My friend Hercules often tells me I have no filter. I never mean to cause you the pain of accessing that memory," I apologies.

"Nor I with your mother," Thomas said with a slight smile.

I laughed quietly and shook my head down, covering my embarrassed blush with my hair.

"Giovanna, Mon bourdon!" I hard Lafayette called.

"Over here Laf!" I called, delighted for the distraction.

"A letter came for you from Angelica," He smiled, waving it in my direction.

I smiled and ran it him trying to snatch it from his grasp, getting annoyed when he held it over my head.

"Come on you french Baguette! Gimme the letter!" I laughed at him.

"French Baguette!?! How rude of you to say that to your host!" Laf mocked. "Now I refuse to hand this over,"

"Come on You know I can't jump in a dress!"

"Non!"

"If I were in my uniform I could kick your ass," I growled under my breath.

I smirked as an idea popped into my head, I stuck out my bottom lip and widened my eyes, allowing the tears to brim in them.

"Non, do not do that Mon Bourdon. s'il vous plaît," he begged.

I began to sniffle until he groaned and handed me the letter. I barked out a laugh and snatched it quickly turning to Thomas to brandish my victory. Just to find him laughing at the pair of us.

"I apologize, but this is an important letter I have been waiting on, If you gentlemen will excuse me?" I smiled, turning to take my leave.

"Wait! Ms. Hamilton," Thomas called.

I paused and turned to him cocking my head to the side. He seemed to have a light blush coloring his cheeks as he stared at me.

"Would....Would you care to accompany me out to dinner tomorrow evening...I'd like to get to know you better."

I looked at him shocked, my mouth agape slightly.

"wha-....I mean... Um, well...I wou-" I stuttered uselessly.

"She means yes!" Lafayette exclaimed excitedly.

"Yeah...I mean yes," I said embarrassed.

"Great...I mean, thank you," Thomas said with a small smile.

I nodded still shocked and turned to go back to the house and read the letter my Angelica had written me and boy was she going to get one heck of a letter back.