Nicholas could not prevent his mind from tumbling over Amelia’s words again and again. Well, A. Hardwick’s words. He smiled to himself and climbed over the sty that dissected his land from the farming land around the estate. If he had not noticed what he’d seen in her recently, he would never have imagined Amelia could conjure up such stories. Her witty take on the ton and society in general--along with some quite salacious tidbits—made for compelling reading.

It had confirmed many things for him, but there were some things still unconfirmed. Did she regret their kiss in the library, for example? Did she wish to see him again? Did he fill her every waking thought and a few of her sleeping ones too?

He needed to know all this and more, which was why he was inviting himself for tea at their house. The Chadwick girls would likely be home at this hour and even if he could not get her alone, he hoped she would give him some indication as to what she was feeling.

The carefully tended field gave way to grass land. The wild grasses swished against his feet. Yellow dandelions mingled amongst the green and straw-coloured stems. A forest broke up the horizon, the trees an ancient barrier between his and the land of another estate. A few lone trees rebelliously stood out on their own, standing like guards protecting an army.

Nicholas paused and squinted at one of these lone soldiers. A flash of blue winked at him from between the branches. A piece of scarf perhaps or a lady’s bonnet, he concluded. It must have blown into the tree. Bonnet or not, he could not help but go and investigate.

As he neared, a grin broke across his face. This was no errant bonnet or scarf. This was a woman. A very specific woman indeed.

He stopped at the base of the tree and craned his neck upward. “Amelia?”

She was crouched, straddling two branches, and looking awkward indeed. He could not quite fathom how she had gained such height as there were only a few branches lower down. Regardless, there was no chance she could get down with ease.

She peered down at him. “N-Nicholas?” The tremble in her voice told him she was well-aware of the pickle she was in.

“Whatever are you doing?”

“I found an egg.”

“An egg?”

“Yes. On the floor.” Her foot slipped a little, sending his heart jarring against his chest. She squeaked and repositioned herself, gripping tight to the branches around her. “There’s a nest here. I wanted to put it back,” she explained.

“Ah.” He eyed the branches and spotted the nest some three branches higher, nestled carefully amongst the leaves. “Did you get it back in?”

“Yes. But now...”

“Now you cannot get down.”

She nodded frantically. “I made it some way down but...”

Nicholas eyed the tree. She could slip a foot farther down perhaps but what would she grip onto then? The chances were she would go skidding down the tree and break an ankle. And that was if she was lucky. She might do even more damage.

“Hmm.” Nicholas pulled off his hat and began unbuttoning his jacket.

“What are you doing?”

“Not quite sure yet.” He folded his jacket and put it next to the hat then unpopped the buttons of his waistcoat and added it to the pile.

Taking a step back, he studied the tree again.

“Nicholas?”

He held up a hand. ”Just a moment.” Nodding to himself, he settled on his plan. If he could make it someway up there, he could help her more easily. If she made it up there, he could too, surely? He was taller and stronger than her too so it would be easier for him to get down.

Making a grab for the first branch, he hooked one foot on a notch and dragged himself up. He made a grab for the second branch and pressed his other foot flat against the bark.

“How the bloody hell did she do this?” he muttered through gritty teeth.

“Put your foot there,” she said. “There’s a hole.”

He glanced down and shoved his foot into the gap that was too tight for his big foot really. He grunted with effort and pulled himself higher. With some difficulty, he wrenched his boot from the hole and climbed until his face was level with Amelia’s ankle

“Good afternoon,” he said, trying not to look at the revealed stocking and petticoats.

Amelia laughed. “Good afternoon, Nicholas.” She glanced down at his position. “Now what?”

He kept one leg on the branch below and clung onto the one that her left foot rested on. “Use me to climb down.”

“Goodness no.” She shook her head vigorously.

“You do not have much choice, Amelia.”

“I shall take you down with me.”

“I’m strong enough. Put your foot onto my shoulder then slide down me. You can grip onto my waist and lower yourself down onto that branch.” He nodded his head down toward the branch in question.

“Could you not have just caught me?”

“I’m strong, Amelia, but not that strong.” His arms trembled from the effort of keeping his weight off the branch below him. It didn’t feel strong enough to hold his weight. A cracking sound told him he did not have long. “Make haste, Amelia, or we’ll end up trapped here forever.”

“I--” She glanced at his expression and must have seen the sweat beading on his forehead to know he was deadly serious about her hurrying up. “Very well, but do not blame me if this all goes wrong.”

“I take full responsibility. Now hurry.”

She took an audible breath and moved her foot from its position on the tree, to his shoulder. He clenched his jaw and braced for the extra weight. She was a delicate thing but the branch on which he stood was not intended to be clambered upon by two humans.

Her other leg dangled in front of his face and he received a face full of skirts. If he was not so fearful of them both falling to their doom, he might have enjoyed the feel of her body sliding down his.

“Oh.” She squealed as another cracking sound tore through the tree. He banded his fingers tighter around the branch above and his arms trembled. Sweat made his shirt stick to his back.

Briefly, she came face to face with him. He saw it again. That flash of excitement. It was gone the next second. Her foot dug into his thigh and he winced. Regret took its place and she mouthed a sorry before making her way farther down his body.

“Almost there,” she said. “Almost—”

It happened in a blur of splintered wood and Amelia’s cry in his ears. His body felt the fall before his brain understood what had happened. Wood grazed his palms. His shin bashed against the trunk. He saw Amelia’s panicked face. Pain speared through his rear and back as he landed, kicking up a cloud of dry dirt.

With a groan, he pushed himself up from the ground. He might have taken more time to analyse where he’d hurt himself had he not seen Amelia in a crumpled ball at the base of the tree. The branch must have cracked and he’d taken Amelia down with him. Stupid fool.

He pushed up quickly, aware of a slight pang in his ankle, and hastened over to her side. “Amelia?”

She lifted her head slowly, her face pained. “Ouch.”

“Where does it hurt?” He scanned her person for obvious signs of damage. There was no blood but her skirts were torn and dirty.

“My bottom mostly.” She laughed and winced. “My leg too I think.” She lifted an arm and peered at her elbow. A bloody graze marred her skin.

“Nothing too serious?” He did not let himself breathe a sigh of relief until she shook her head.

Couching in front of her, he pressed his shirt sleeve to her elbow and wiped away the worst of the blood.

She sucked in a sharp breath. “Why do scrapes hurt so much more than anything else?”

“Perhaps so we can learn from them. It’s a good way for our body to tell us not to do foolish things without damaging it too much.” He pulled his shirt sleeve away from the cut and put a hand to her dress. “May I?”

Amelia nodded. “My left calf.”

He lifted her skirt with care and grimaced at the sight of torn stockings and a sizeable cut down the front of her calf. “You will need to go home and have that cleaned.” He reached for his jacket and retrieved a handkerchief. “It is not too serious but it’s bleeding fairly rapidly.”

She leaned over to eye it. It brought her face that much closer to his. She glanced up and met his gaze. Her green eyes darted to his and that tell-tale color rose in her cheeks. Nicholas glanced at her lips, admiring the petal pink color and recalling how soft and pliant they had been.

Amelia’s lips parted. He forgot the handkerchief and the pain in his body. He forgot falling from trees and reading books and visiting sisters. He leaned forward and touched his lips to hers.

A startled but pleased sound escaped Amelia. He gripped her face in both hands and moved his mouth more forcefully over hers. Her hands came to his shoulders and dug into his shirt. When her tongue met his, hot desire spiked through him. He kissed her hard and fast and hungrily, feeling as though he had been stranded in that tree for weeks and she was his first taste of food.

A pang in his body reminded him she was hurt and this was not how to tend to an injured woman. When he broke away, they were both panting. He smiled apologetically and took the two torn sides of her stockings in both hands. He ripped them asunder, making Amelia gasp. Once he had the handkerchief pressed against the cut, he untied his cravat and used it to bind the fabric to her leg.

“Can you stand?” he asked.

“I think so.”

Nicholas came to his feet and aided her up. He had to force himself to let go of her. He might not have had the opportunity to speak with her but coming upon her like this had told him everything he needed to know. There were no more questions in his mind.

“I had better return home,” she said, clasping her hands in front of her and twining her fingers together.

“I should walk you home,” he offered.

“No!” She paused and smiled. “I mean, I do not think that’s a good idea. After all, I have torn skirts and stockings. It would look awfully scandalous if anyone caught us.”

He gave a reluctant nod. “You are right, of course.” But he still wanted to spend more time with her. Still, if he could, he was going to ensure they spent a lot more time together in future. “I hope you have learned your lesson, Amelia.”

“And what is that?”

“No more climbing trees.”

She pursed her lips and thought for a moment. “Where’s the fun in that?”

He chuckled and watched her pivot away to the direction of her house. She stopped as though she wanted to say something but instead gave him a little wave and hastened off into the field.

Nicholas winced when he put weight on his ankle. He was likely bruised in several places and would be feeling the after-effects of this adventure for days, but it was utterly worth it. In that one sentence, Amelia had confirmed all his suspicions.

She was the woman for him.