Josiah’s lips flickered into a smile.
“At last!”
“At last, what?”
“Are you going to admit now that you and Lady Ridlington share something?”
“Josiah, please be quiet,” Francis said, turning his attention back to the closed door.
“You were tortuous when I started courting Diana. Can I expect a courtship between you and Lady Ridlington soon?”
“She’s married!”
“I mean after she obtains her divorce.”
“And how is that ever to happen?” Francis said, feeling a darkness swelling in his chest with his own words. “You heard what Mr Preston said in our last meeting. Without Louisa’s testimony, Phoebe stands little chance of having her divorce. What fool would I be to hope that it could happen?”
Josiah offered a sad sort of smile as he released Francis’ arm and clapped him on the shoulder in comfort.
“Stranger things have happened.”
“Are you trying to console me? Because there doesn’t seem much room for hope right now,” Francis said, his whisper growing more and more agitated.
“No? You called her Phoebe. Not Lady Ridlington, but Phoebe.” Josiah’s words made Francis stiffen, not having realized he had done it in front of his brother-in-law. “I know you quite well by now, Francis. I don’t think you are going to let that woman slip away from you very easily.”
Josiah reached for the door, showing the conversation was at an end and swung it open to reveal Diana and Phoebe walking around the table, about to take their places for dinner. When Francis’ eyes settled on Phoebe, he realized how right his brother-in-law was.
I do not want to let her go.
That same sense of love swelled within him again. He did love her. Dearly and hopelessly. That thought made another take hold of him.
I have to tell her I love her.
Chapter 24
When the shot went off, it echoed around the trees, making Phoebe jump away and cover her ears.
“My Lady, something tells me you are not suited for shooting,” Louisa said with a laugh as she reset the pistol.
“I do not like them at all,” Phoebe said with feeling. “I’d much rather return to the fencing.” She turned her eyes back to the house with longing, craving that Francis would be well enough to teach her some more. As it was, though he had managed to rouse himself for dinner the night before, the physician had arrived that morning to warn him against too much exertion, and he was forced to spend most of the day sitting, much to his irritation.
“Has my brother taught you to fence too?” Lady Dodge said from where she was sitting nearby on a low-lying wall that surrounded the section of garden where they were standing.
“He has,” Phoebe said, walking away from Louisa and moving toward her friend to sit beside her on the wall. “He thought it would be good that I have a way to defend myself, and I quite agreed. Thoughthis…” Phoebe paused and gestured to Louisa who was finishing reloading the pistol. “It is something I cannot take to.”
“I can,” Louisa said with a smile as she lifted the pistol another time and aimed at the target, firing. The sound made both Phoebe and Lady Dodge jump, though Louisa jumped for joy when she hit the center of the target.
“I have said it before and I will say it again, I admire you greatly, Louisa,” Lady Dodge said with a chuckle. “I wish I had the strength of character to wield a weapon like that.”
“Do you?” Phoebe asked, looking at her friend with curiosity.
“I imagine a feeling of safety comes with it,” Lady Dodge said smiling before turning her gaze on Phoebe. “I will admit that when your husband came storming into my house, I would have been quite glad to have found a weapon close to hand.”
“I know what you mean,” Phoebe said with a sigh, thinking back to all his rages and every time he had hurt her. She found her fingers tarrying around her neck where he had left his last bruise, that had now completely healed, with not a trace of purplish skin left. “When your brother first gave me a rapier to carry, I felt rather ridiculous. Then after a while, it was as though it had become an extension of me, a way in which to defend myself from the unknown. I’d much rather be doing that than shooting.” There was a difference to her between the weapons. A sword was stopping a blow, but to fire a gunshot could end up being lethal!
“I’ll stick to this,” Louisa said again and reloaded the weapon. “Come now, my Lady. It is your turn.”
“What? Oh no, I do not need to do any more.”
