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The drive back includes calling in at two other gardens, both private homes of people he knows. Both, again, totally jaw dropping. The courtyard garden at one is so gorgeous, I sit there for a full hour, not-so-jokingly asking the owner if I could move into it. After requesting permission to take pictures, we talk about my thoughts on my indoor/outdoor yard and the building it’s in. The owner, Jean, lived in London for a number of years and we discuss different types of wood and stone that might work there and not in a hot part of France. Through it all, Kellen stays close, but not hovering. But always watching me.
As Kell opens the car door for me, I touch his arm. It's the first time I’ve touched him all day. He looks at my hand and up into my face, and smiles.
“I know, Kitten, you don’t have to say. It's written all over your face. I have too.” He bends his head and kisses my cheek. “Let’s go home, baby,” he murmurs in my ear before shutting the door behind me.
Saying a quick goodbye to Jean and Mary, he jumps into the driving seat and we set off for his chateau.
The day has flown by, and it’s around 5:30 p.m. when we arrive back. In the time we’ve been gone, tents have been erected off some of the outbuildings and catering and other services have all decamped items there. I’m still on a high from the day, so don’t consider things too closely.
“I’ve booked us into a restaurant in the village down the road for around 8:30 p.m. Hope that’s ok. Not too late? The French know how to feed you, and I thought we mightn’t be too hungry too early having been at friends’ houses. You can’t get away without some sort of cheese being pushed on you. They’re the ultimate cheese pushers.”
He stops to watch a group of men carry a load of huge black velvet settees across the lawns towards the ginormous black tent. “What has he planned now?” He looks at them, shaking his head, turns to me and says, “Do you want to do the grand tour of the house now or later? We can wait if you want to chill a bit. You’ve been on the go since you got here.”
“I’ll take the tour if that’s okay. It’d be good to see the whole house whilst there’s not too many people in it.”
“Okay, we’ll do the house. There’s a lot to see, and I can leave you to do the outbuildings at your leisure.”
The next two hours flash by in a daze. We start at the bottom, wine cellar, basements—stone, stone, stone, everywhere. My head is spinning. We move from one room to the next, all immaculately decorated theme rooms, from library, music, studies… You name it, it has it. My legs ache from all the climbing up and downstairs.
As we slowly wind our way up one of the towers to where he said my room is, we stop on the level below it. He opens a door to a cinema room. It has tall windows dressed with blackout blinds, but the view is spectacular. The blinds will shut out the evening sun, and a screen is pulled down waiting for entertainment to be played on it.
My brain goes straight away to the gift I have for him, and I start to think about what to do. It’s bugging the hell out of me. I’m not one hundred percent certain of his reaction.
“What’s wrong? Don’t you like the room?”
Of course he misses nothing. “No, no it’s amazing,” I smile tentatively at him, considering all the things he might not like about this gift.
He crosses over to me, putting a couple of fingers under my chin, and pulls my face upwards. ”Say that again, and no lies this time.”
I grin at him again. “Okay.” I take a deep breath but don’t say anything. I’m trying to think how to broach the concept of the present.
“Evie, spit it out. You’re freaking me out.” He’s still got a hold of my chin and is staring into my eyes, a very worried look filling his.
“It’s nothing to worry about.” I touch his biceps and feel the heat coming from him. Moving my fingers infinitesimally, delicately on his skin, I feel him shiver as his pupils start to dilate. I need to get a grip on this situation quickly. “It’s about your present for your birthday,” I blurt out.
“My present?”
“Do you mind if we don’t go out tonight,” I rush on. “I’ve got you a gift, and I’d like to show it to you, but I’m… Well, I’m a bit worried about it. And I don’t want anyone to pass comments, so I would rather show it to you on our own. Tonight.” Phew, there, I got it out.
“Sure, anything you want. Should I be worried?” He quirks a brow at me.
It hits me again how gorgeous he is. It’s not too difficult to see the metamorphosis from the young guy I knew to the ridiculously handsome Greek god-like man in front of me. I practically stutter out, “No, I’m probably worrying over nothing. Can we do it in here? I’ll fetch my laptop, and we could have a picnic type of thing…” I peter off.
“We can do anything you want, Kitten.” He smirks, “I know the owner.”
I smile at that and ask, “Is my stuff in my room?”
“Yeah, I’ll show you. There are not many rooms up here, only the two upstairs. Two semicircles, as we’re in the round tower.” He puts out his hand for me to take. “You had me worried, then. I thought you didn’t like the house.”
“You know I love it. You’ve done an amazing job, Kell. Maybe I should employ you to help me.”
“No chance. It nearly killed me. Too many decisions.” He chuckles as he pulls me through the door and up some more stairs.
Standing between the two doors on this floor, my anticipation about what’s behind them grows. If they’re the size of the cinema room, I know they are massive.
He pushes open the door to my room and I gasp in delight. It’s like the woods around Eastwood have been brought to life in this room. Beautiful shades of green I've only ever seen in Yorkshire, with luxurious fabrics and heavy brocade wallpaper that looks handmade. The bed is huge and looks bigger than an extra king.
I stand there and look around trying to take it all in. “Kellen,” I sigh out, and move out of his hand hold, touching fabrics and any furniture as I go. I move towards the windows and look out. You can see for miles and miles across the beautiful French countryside. I am mesmerised.
