Freedom • Lord Tewksbury

SEVEN

Catherine smiled to herself as she walked amongst the many booths at the Covent Garden Market. She wore the same purple dress from the day before, now freshly cleaned.

Enola had sent Catherine on ahead of her, saying something about her being the best person to find Tewksbury. Catherine found her cousin's reasoning a bit strange, but nevertheless, there she was searching for the Viscount.

The variety of flowers made Catherine smile as she briefly paused to look at a selection of particularly beautiful poppies. Poppies had always been her favorite, although she didn't know why. She was just drawn to them.

She continued on her walk to find the Viscount, turning a corner to see just the boy she was searching for.

"I shall like four red flowers, please. Poppies if you have them, but really any breed will do," Catherine requested. Tewksbury turned around, and a smile lit up his face, as well as Catherine's.

"What are you doing here?" Tewksbury asked.

"Why, if you're passionate about flowers, would you come to London?" Catherine asked, glancing around at the market they were stood in.

"Because I can be lost here," he answered.

"And yet, I found you," Catherine remarked, a twinkle in her eye as the two smiled at each other.

"And why have you done so?" Tewksbury asked, walking a bit closer to her. Then his smile fell. "You're here for the money. They've offered a reward."

"Have they? Well then I supposed the only thing left to do is turn you in and claim it," Catherine teased, grabbing the boys collar abruptly. She saw genuine fear flash through the Viscount's eyes and she sighed. "Oh please my dear Tewksbury, don't be so ridiculous. I've come because, well, I've grown to like you more in your absence, and because it's been made very evident that your life is still in danger."

Tewksbury smiled and reached back to grab something, as Catherine admired him silently. He looked handsome in the grey coat he was wearing, and she couldn't help but admire the haircut she had given him.

"What's made you like me more?" He asked, grabbing a light blue flower from his stand.

"Are you serious? That is the question that you ask, instead of perhaps, 'Who is trying to kill me?'" Catherine asked.

Tewksbury approached her, and held out the blue flower.

"I apologize, I don't have any poppies, but this flower is my favorite color. It's the most beautiful shade of blue," Tewksbury commented, as Catherine accepted the flower, a smile on her face. "And it ever so coincidentally matches your eyes perfectly."

"Are you saying my eyes are beautiful, Tewksbury?"

"Why yes I am Catherine Scott." Catherine smiled at his response, and opened her mouth to say something else, when suddenly she was interrupted by Enola.

"There you are, come on lovebirds. His life is still in danger you know," Enola reminded them. Catherine nodded and the two followed after Enola, the blood rushing into Catherine's cheeks, making them burn with embarrassment at her cousin's statement.

Lovebirds? Hardly. Although, now that she thought about it, Catherine couldn't say that she was opposed.

"I found your flower pressings," Catherine told Tewksbury as they hurried after Enola. "They were quite beautiful."

"Very beautiful," Enola added. "I don't give a fig about flowers of course."

"That's because your ignorant," Tewksbury told her, and Catherine smirked at this, a small laugh escaping her lips.