She placed her hand into his and allowed him to haul her upward, his strength almost shocking as he swung her into the saddle. Georgianna’s gasp turned into laughter.
“Good,” he murmured at her ear. “Now split your legs and sit astride.”
Her heart thumping, she complied, aware of the scandalous way her dress rode up to her stocking-clad knees. She held onto the bridle when he surged the stallion forward. It felt like Georgianna chased the wind, and she relaxed against him as they rode for endless minutes, running toward the lowering sun.
“Isn’t it glorious?” she cried, staring at the vermilion-hued sky.
Daniel tugged on the reins when they approached the small cliff abutting their woodlands estate, the wild ocean crashing against the cliffside below them.
“It has been an age since I’ve been out here,” she said softly, lifting her face to the wind and inhaling the crisp air into her lungs.
They stayed like that atop the horse, staring out at the abyss.
“I am thinking of venturing to London soon.”
Her belly tightened, and she wordlessly nodded.
“Do you not question my reasons, wife?”
“I know it must be in pursuit of your missing memories,” she said in a quiet tone. “You’ve been in Crandell almost three weeks. It would be foolish to not expect your heart to restlessly wonder about your background and identity.”
He made a soft noise, then fell into a striking silence.
“The manor will not fall apart without me taking care of the most difficult chores.” He nudged the horse closer to the cliff’s edge. “The lad I hired will arrive tomorrow. The local baker recommended him, and he is reported to be a steady man of all works.”
She lowered her gaze to the hand wrapped around her middle. Her skin beaded with awareness, and Georgianna ran her fingers over his scarred knuckles before taking his hand into hers. How his hands had changed; now the tips of his fingers had rough callouses and red abrasions. Her throat ached, and she looked away into the sun sinking behind bloated clouds. “Thank you for all the work you’ve done around the manor, Daniel.”
He nudged the side of her neck, the move sensual yet playful.
“There is no need to thank me. It is my duty. I also travel to London to seek investment and work opportunities.”
Her heart jolted. “Work?”
“Hmm, I must think ahead of how to provide beyond a year for our family. I searched my memories until my head damn well ached, but I cannot recall if I have monies in any bank, real estate holdings, or investment. Yet I am a learned man, at odd times knowledge raking at me without any true understanding of where it originated from. Perhaps in visiting a few places in town I might jar my memories and a clearer understanding of who I am. The greater opportunity would be to seek chances to improve our lot. The manor is crumbling and is in desperate need of an injection of money.”
Tears burned behind her throat. No triumph burned inside of Georgianna, yet this was what she had wanted. For him to repair all the harm denying her the job had done, yet this was certainly too much, and it would now be her in the earl’s debt. A thing she suspected would be a most merciless place to be, especially when the earl’s memories returned.
They might never do, the selfish, desperate heart of her whispered. “I have tried to procure loans to aid in fixing the manor, but I was denied, though I presented credible projections on repayment,” she said, leaning her head back against his chest, a keen regret alive upon her heart. “Had I been born a man, I could have gotten a loan with less to recommend me. Isn’t it outrageous?”
“It is,” he said. “I’ve known many men who had access to thousands of pounds on the basis of a name and title alone.”
Daniel stiffened, and she turned her gaze to meet his. Something stark and raw flared in his eyes. She used the tip of her finger to smooth the savage frown from his brow. Georgianna’s heart beat a furious rhythm, and she parted her lips to inform him that he was an earl. Yet the words stuck in her throat and terrible fright swept over her body, leaving her chilled. It was difficult to admit she felt scared that he might not remember his life and past, yet she was just as scared that hewouldremember.
How do I tell you…but how do I also continue keeping your identity from you?
In good conscience, she had to tell him. “Daniel,” she whispered, her throat closing over the words trembling to escape.
One day, I’ll merely be a passerby in your memory.
A frown cut into his brow, and he placed a finger under her chin, lifting her face. “I hate seeing this fear in your eyes. It makes me want to kill whoever put it there.”
A shaky laugh escaped her. “It is not fear I feel.”
His gaze flashed with emotions she was not able to understand. “Then what?” he all but growled.
“Have you ever wanted something so much it hurt to want it, and you also feel incredibly foolish because you know it is not yours to have and it will never be?”
The lines of his face sharpened as he leaned in closer. “Tell me what it is you want, wife, and I will give it to you,” he vowed, his gaze steady on hers.
