Audience Participation - Opening Scene

I'm looking for a little help here. I have two versions of an opening scene, but I've been knee deep in them for so long, I've lost my perspective. If you are so inclined, give these a read and tell me which one works better for you.

This is the opening scene for a historical romance set in approximately 1890 in New England.

Thanks for your help!

Version I
Sixteen year-old Bethany Spencer’s world just tilted on its axis.

She could not catch her breath. She felt dizzy, off balance. She floated several inches above the ground. Birds were singing. The sun was shining. In fact, Bethany would not have been surprised if a choir of heavenly hosts began to sing. Not a single rational thought existed in her muddled brain.

Her first kiss was everything she ever dreamed of and more. Of course, in the hands of Tyler St. James, there was no doubt in her mind it would be anything less than wonderful.

She finished her morning ride and stopped at the pond that bordered the lands between her home and Tyler’s. As she stood along the railing in the gazebo that overlooked the water, Tyler appeared. This in itself was not that uncommon as the gazebo was shared by both their families and she and Tyler frequently met here when they rode together, although not as much of late. With the young ladies of town falling under the spell of dark hair and mesmerizing green eyes, Tyler and his twin brother Derrick were well on their way to becoming an out and out scoundrels. Lately Tyler spent most of his time chasing one skirt or another while ignoring the skirt of the girl had known nearly his entire life. That is, until this very moment.

It was several moments after he set her back on her feet that her senses returned. She blinked her adoring eyes several times up at his, finally focusing on the rather smug look on his handsome face.

“Surprised you, didn’t I?” he said, extraordinarily full of himself.

She barely trusted herself to speak, so she kept her words simple. “Why?”

“Why did I kiss you? I don’t know, really. It just seemed like the thing to do.”

He just kissed her and he didn’t know why. Some of her elation began to dissipate. Not that she expected a declaration of undying love or anything, but something would have been nice.

“Like the thing to do?” she repeated.

“Yes. It is a wonderful day. A wonderful day and I’ve received wonderful news.” He was in constant motion around her, unable to constrain his enthusiasm.

“What good news?” she asked, suddenly wary.

“You may be the first to congratulate me, Beth. I am officially engaged to be married.”

She stilled. Her breath lodged itself within her throat and there seemed to be a rather real pain in her heart from the metaphorical knife stabbing her there.

“Married,” she managed to croak. This was not news she expected to hear. After all, she rather planned to marry him herself, eventually. Of course, he did not seem to know this.

“Yes! I am engaged to the most beautiful girl in all the world.”

Lovely. The knife in her heart began to twist. “Who … who is the lucky lady?”

“Miss Julia Dobbs.”

And the knife stabbed home for the killing blow.

“Julia Dobbs. Blond haired, blue-eyed Julia Dobbs?” Viper-tongued, evil eyed, don’t-trust-her-as-far-as-you-can-throw-her Julia Dobbs? She began to see him in shades of red. And scarlett. And crimson.

His grin went ear to ear. “That’s the one.”

To her utter amazement, her voice showed no reflection of the upheaval she felt erupting inside. “So, you asked her to marry you, she accepted, and you celebrate by giving me a kiss.”

Something in her tone pierced through his euphoric haze. He sat upon the railing, pushing his dark hair away from his eyes as he had let it grow unfashionably long. Again. “You are happy for me, aren’t you, Beth?”

“Words cannot describe it. I can think of only one thing that could possibly top my day.”

He smiled. “What is that?” he asked.

She marched right up to him and swung her fist, connecting solidly with his nose, exactly how he taught her. He fell backwards over the railing and into the flowerbed.

She then promptly yanked her skirts out of the way, turned on her heel, and marched back to her house. All in all, she thought she showed admirable restraint considering he just ruined her first kiss.

And their lifelong friendship pretty much went to hell in a handbasket after that.

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Version II

Sixteen year-old Bethany Spencer’s world just tilted on its axis.

She could not catch her breath. She felt dizzy, off balance. Not a single rational thought existed in her muddled brain.

Her throbbing hand finally gathered her attention, as did the colorful bout of swearing coming from the other side of the gazebo railing, most likely from bushes. She shook her hand in the air, hoping the tingling would stop soon. Apparently today was going to be marked as a series of firsts for her. It was the first time she had been kissed. It was also the first time she ever hit someone in the nose.

Her first kiss was everything she ever dreamed of and more. Of course, in the hands of Tyler St. James, there was little doubt in her mind it would be nothing short of wonderful. She was still undecided on the hitting part.

Tyler was a scoundrel, as was his twin brother Derrick. That particular fact never bothered her until now.

“What the devil has gotten into you?” she heard Tyler demand from somewhere within the bushes.

Honestly, she could not say. All her life she strived to be the perfect daughter, the perfect image of respectability. However, when your hell-raising neighbors nickname you “Perfect” and torment you constantly, it gets to be somewhat tiresome. At some point, something would have to give.

She did not plan to fall in love with Tyler. It just happened. He was perfect (well, except for the scoundrel part) and completely the opposite of his annoying brother Derrick. She refused to do anything that let Tyler know her feelings, of course. She rather hoped that one day he would figure it out for himself, he would shed his scandalous ways, and they would marry, living in perfect harmony.

Then he went and ruined it all by announcing he was going to marry. And not just anyone either. He was going to marry Julia Dobbs, the bane of her existence.

“Bethany! Blast it, I think you broke my nose!”

Unbeknownst to either of their fathers, Bethany blackmailed Tyler into some less than proper lessons. He taught her how to shoot a pistol and how to throw a knife. She was an excellent horsewoman and rode nearly as well as he did. He even taught her how to defend herself in case she would ever be accosted. As if that would ever happen in their sleepy little town of Fairlane. It was all a part of her plan for him to fall in love with her.

What he didn’t realize was that she was studying him for more than lessons. She watched him flirt and cajole his way through the female population of Fairlane. She learned all the tells of a scoundrel in the making and committed them to memory. She knew if he preferred blondes or brunettes (blondes). She knew his favorite color (blue). She even knew the name of each and every girl he ever kissed (too many to mention – the cad!). Still it came as a complete surprise when he strode up to her this afternoon, pulling her into his arms, and kissed her.

And then told her he was getting married. To her.

She stepped right up to him and swung her fist, connecting solidly with his nose, exactly how he taught her. He fell backwards over the railing and into the flowerbed.

In fact, he was still sitting in the flower bed holding his nose. She felt a moment’s remorse for hitting him, but then she remembered why she had done so.

The scoundrel.

She yanked her skirts out of the way, turned on her heel, and marched back to her house. All in all, she thought she showed admirable restraint considering he just ruined her first kiss.

And their friendship pretty much went to hell in a handbasket after that.