Checkmate

10

At eleven Nathan went outside hoping he had gotten the message right that Valerie and he would be going on a buggy ride. He was pleasantly surprised to find Valerie sitting in a buggy waiting for him.

"Where are we off to?"

"Oh, it is a surprise. You do like surprises do you not?"

"I like surprises just fine especially when you are the surpriser."

As soon as he was settled in the buggy Valerie jerked the reins and they were off. They traveled for quite a while before Nathan talked.

"How much farther are we going?"

"There is a pond between our property and my uncles. It is a place we all go to ice skate. I thought we could spend the day alone skating. It is only a short hop from here."

"Does anyone know where we are going or is this a completely secret adventure?"

"I told Sarah where we were going. I am not so senseless as to go off in the winter without telling someone where I am going."

He had to laugh at her thinking was it not senseless to whisk a man off by herself to go Ice Skating. When they arrived at the pond she handed him a set of ice skates. He seemed confused.

"How do you know these are going to fit me?"

"I ask your Valet what sizes shoes you wear. We keep an assortment at the castle, so I just picked out the size and packed them away."

She held up a basket.

"Along with lunch. We can skate over to the gazebo and have a bite to eat then we can spend the day skating."

"How long have you been planning this little adventure?"

"Since the last dance. I hope you do not mind. If there is someone else, you would like to be with we can go back. I believe today's activities are poetry readings, and tonight when we get back it is a night of games."

He gave her a smile telling her something inside him had changed. She had changed they had changed together and seem comfortable to say they were now a "we".

"I can honestly say there is no place in this world that I would rather be."

His words warmed her she finished putting on her skates and waited for him, so they could skate out to the gazebo together. He took the basket from her and took her hand in his and they skated their way to the gazebo. He was surprised the gazebo seemed to have been cleared out from all the snow that seemed to be surrounding the area. As she laid out the food and drink and settled herself on the blanket he could not help thinking of what life would be like to spend the rest of his day's having fun with Valerie. She had brought something to his life he did not even know he was missing. He was lonely funny he had never noticed in all his travels he was missing something no it was someone to share his life with. In the short time he got to know her she became the most important thing in his life. She was the reason he had come home so his heart could be filled with the love of this women.

"I am curious why this place has no snow?"

She giggled. She realized he had no idea where they were or even why there was a gazebo out the middle of nowhere.

"My brothers and uncle came here last week for their yearly hunting trip."

"They hunt from a gazebo?"

Valerie was laughing so hard she could not stop to tell him about the lodge hidden up in the forest. He decided to do the only think he could think of to stop her laughing. He leaned over and kissed her. It was cold outside, but Valerie was on fire suddenly she thought she was wearing to many clothes for this outing. The kiss deepened and soon without thinking Nathan's hand slipped under her cloak finding her breast creasing them loving them as they deserved. He could tell by Valerie's intake of breath she too was enjoying the contact between them. Nothing else matter in the world they were together and full of love and hope for their future. He broke off the kiss and smiled down at her.