Francis was standing in the garden room of the house, with the walls built mostly of glass, so that he was flooded with sunlight. He was leaning one hand against the nearest window, staring out at the garden beyond. He could just see the edge of the stable yard where Lady Ridlington was standing with the groom as he prepared a horse for her to read. She was with the Andalusian again, stroking his nose softly, and clearly whispering to the horse something kind, for the horse’s nose was bent toward her.
“Are you not capable of looking away from her?” The question made Francis spin round, surprised to find Josiah in the room.
“When did you get here?” Francis asked, trying to step away from the glass toward his brother-in-law, yet finding her kept glancing back anyway out the window, toward Lady Ridlington.
“Just now. Your housekeeper let me in,” Josiah said as he held up a letter in his hands. “From Mr Preston.” He proffered it toward Francis.
“For me or Lady Ridlington?”
“For you,” Josiah said. “It is the terms of payment.”
Francis opened the letter and looked inside, finding as Josiah had described some details on the terms of payment. All looked find to Francis’ eyes. At the bottom of the letter, there were a few extra words, where Mr Preston had thanked them for bringing the letter from the Viscount to him. He was certain the letter could be used as evidence of the Viscount’s cruelty in court, if it came to it. There was a second note at the bottom of the letter.
“He still hasn’t heard back?” Francis asked, reading over this second note. “That has been a few days. The Viscount would have undoubtedly received the paperwork by now.”
“I agree with you,” Josiah said, shaking his head before taking the place Francis had just vacated by the window, looking out to where Lady Ridlington was standing with the horse, preparing for her ride. “Let us hope he replies soon. Then we can put her mind at rest.”
Francis looked past his brother-in-law, out to Lady Ridlington, feeling that same sense of longing he always had when he looked at her these days.
“Is she aware of it?” Josiah asked.
“Of what?” Francis asked, moving to stand beside Josiah.
“Of what you feel for her?” he asked. Francis said nothing for a minute in reply. He just continued to stare at Lady Ridlington, watching the gentle way she stroked the horse’s nose as she bobbed on her toes, clearly excited and impatient to be off on her ride.
“She knows I respect her and that I…” Francis trailed off, thinking of the sheer amount of flirtation that had been between them recently.
“I’m not going to ask what the latter part of that sentence was,” Josiah said with a chuckle. The words earned a harsh glare from Francis. “I just hope you know what you are doing.”
“What does that mean?” Francis asked, keeping his gaze on his friend.
“It means that after all this is done, her reputation will be damaged from it. Come on, we all know it. We may all be avoiding the conversation for we know it is not a nice topic to talk of,” Josiah said, grimacing. “But her reputation will be marred a little.”
“I know,” Francis sighed with the words. “What is your point?”
“My point is that any man who wishes to marry her will have to be prepared to take that on.”
“Marry?” Francis repeated, turning his body completely away from the window as he looked toward his friend. “Who said anything about marriage!?”
“The thought hadn’t entered your mind?” Josiah asked with one risen eyebrow.
“No…no it had not!” Francis insisted. Though his eyes turned back out the window, looking for Lady Ridlington. There was a jolt in his stomach, as he watched her with the horse, thinking of Josiah’s words.
“Then think about it,” Josiah said, clapping his shoulder. “Now my delivery duties have been done today, I’m going to return home to Diana.”
“Wait, you cannot just say something like that and leave,” Francis said, turning and following Josiah out of the room.
“Can’t I?” Josiah asked with mischief in his eyes. “I have to get home. I’ll leave your thoughts of your guest to yourself.”
“Josiah?” Francis tried to call him back, but Josiah couldn’t be stopped. He headed toward the door and with the butler standing beside it, there was no chance Francis could now speak openly about the matter at hand, not without giving away Lady Ridlington’s real identity.
“You know my thoughts on this, Francis,” Josiah said, hovering in the door. “Quite frankly, I have never understood your resolution not to marry.”
Francis said nothing, his body just stiffened.
“I could not travel so easily with a wife at my side,” he said tartly.
“Could you not?” Josiah asked. “You must simply find a wife that will like travel too. Good day, Francis.” He bent his head in parting and left through the door, leaving Francis alone to his thoughts.
