The Lady of the Manor

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

I woke up the morning after mine and Ben's date in my own bed. I had wanted to stay over but I didn't have anything to sleep in and no toothbrush or hairbrush. Besides, me and Ben were just starting out, there would be plenty of time to scare him away with my horrible birds nest of morning hair.

So he had walked me back up to the house that evening, planting a kiss on my lips that I won't soon forget and then left. I watched him go until he was a tiny speck in the trees before going back into the kitchen and squealing with joy. I had danced around the kitchen, glad, for the moment, that the house was empty.

I stretched in bed, remembering the feel of Ben, his fingers running over my body. Nothing could ruin this morning. I quickly showered and dressed. I nearly put on jeans and a nice top but then remembered that Ben had seen me in my scruffy work clothes before. Besides, I had a mile long list to complete. I skipped down into the kitchen to find Ben already there, a mug of coffee in his hand and the smell of toast drifting through the room.

"Good morning." I rounded the table and snaked my arms round Ben's shoulders.

He put the mug down and encircled me in his big strong arms, kissing me lightly on the lips. "Good morning."

I kissed him back, this time deepening his brief kiss into something that made me pulse with desire.

I pulled back, sighing. "This isn't going to work, you know."

Ben looked horrified. "What!"

I grinned up at him. "We're going to get absolutely no work done if you keep kissing me like that."

He pouted. "You're the boss. And I do believe that it was you who was doing the kissing." He kept his arms round me though, pulling me closer, his actions contradicting his teasing words. I could feel the strains of his semi through his work jeans.

I glanced behind me to the sturdy oak table dominating the kitchen. How many times had I wanted to pull Ben down on top of me and test the strength of that table. Ben saw my glance and chuckled. His lips started kissing a trial up my neck and across my jaw before finally landing on my lips again. I leaned into the kiss, letting all thoughts of lists and houses empty from my mind.

Ben pulled back this time. "I do actually have a few errands to run in town. That's why I came in here so early. I wanted to see you before I went."

My heart melted a little more. With Oliver, I just received a text saying where he was. Nothing so romantic as to waiting around to see me before he left. I smiled at Ben.

"What do you have to do?"

"There's a few items from the garden centre to pick up, as well as the hardware store. And a few other bits and bobs. Do you need anything while I'm there?"

I shook my head. "All I need right now, is right in front of me." I ran my eyes up Ben's chest and lingered on his lips before meeting his gaze.

"You really don't want this hotel to be open anytime soon, do you? Keep looking at me like that and this place will never be open for paying guests."

"That doesn't sound awful. We could do it in every room of the house."

Ben laughed, his chest rumbling against mine. I leaned into the sound, liking how it made me feel.

"I will see you when I get back. I'll text you when I'm leaving."

"Okay." I kissed him quickly. "Tell your parents that dinner yesterday was amazing."

"It was supposed to be lunch!" Ben grumbled as he went into the boot room to put his shoes on.

"I didn't hear you complaining yesterday." I said, picking up Ben's unfinished coffee and sipping it.

Ben's head poked round the door frame. He winked at me and then blew me a kiss. I listened to the sound of the outer door shutting gently and then smiled to myself. I ate the toast Ben had forgotten about and drank his coffee before rinsing the plate and mug and heading up to start my huge list.

No sooner had I reached the top of the servants stairs, someone knocked on the front doors. Ben was going to install a bell, one that could be heard from my bedroom and the kitchen, but he hadn't got round to it yet. It wasn't necessary until we had paying guests staying.

I opened one door and squinted out into the bright sunshine. "Oliver!"

"Darling. How are you? The house is looking amazing." He had in his arms a huge bouquet of flowers, five times bigger than anything he had brought me in the past. He breezed into the house, even though I hadn't invited him in, dumping the flowers in my arms as he came in.

"What the hell are you doing here? I thought I made myself clear, I don't want to hear from you ever again." I glared at him, putting all my best fire into the look, hoping he would crumble into a pile of ashes.

"I've missed you. Every night, I lay awake thinking of you. I come to realise that what we had was the best thing to ever happen to me. So..." He shuffled around, dropping to one knee and holding a little velvet box in both hands.

"Um... Oliver..." Anything else I wanted to say got cut off by my ex-boyfriend continuing his monologue.

"Ella, would you do me the honour of becoming my wife?" With a flourish, he opened the ring box revealing a huge diamond.

How he could afford a jewel of that size, I don't know. I didn't even like it, it was too garish, too bright. Oliver was beaming up at me, still on one knee, holding a ring that could feed a small country.

"No. Are you out of your mind? Get up of the floor. We broke up because you never put me first, you never asked about my day, you never cared enough about me."

"But darling, we are meant to be together."

"Oliver, I..."

Oliver interrupted saying, "Tell you what, I know this is sudden and a lot to take in, so I'll leave this here and let you think it over. Call me tonight okay darling."

With that he gently placed the ring on the small table and backed out of the door. I followed him, wanting to close the door immediately behind him but he mistook my intentions and kissed me. His lips felt stiff and weird over mine, nothing at all like Ben's. What's more, his kiss didn't elicit anything from me apart from disgust. I pushed him away, through the door and slammed it closed after him. I glared at the ring on the table, wishing it could burst into flames.

I carried it through to the kitchen, planning on keeping it safe in here so that I could give it back to Oliver as soon as possible. Why now, why this moment to propose, especially after we had broken up?