“Not that part. Although it does surprise me that we both got so comfortable that we were able to fall asleep next to one another! Had you asked me even a few days ago, I would have said I would never feel so at ease in your presence. I liked you, I wanted you to like me, butcomforthas always eluded us until now.”
Their voices now, intruding on their conversation, echoing up from below. Levi frowned in consternation at being interrupted. “Are you hearing this?”
“Yes,” she said. “Someone is speaking…and in that cadence, I would almost say they must be reading poetry.”
“Who would do that at this hour?”
“I don’t know, but it can’t be Bridget,” Caroline said. “That’s a man’s voice. I’m sure of it.”
She was right. Levi got out of bed and straightened his clothes, hoping they didn’t look too slept in. “Wait here,” he instructed her. “I’ll deal with this.”
Of course, she didn’t do as he had asked. He wasn’t even surprised when she got to her feet and followed him from the room. Of course she would. He had never been able to impact her actions, and it was foolish to think she would obey him even now.
He hurried to stay ahead of her, hoping to confront whatever was going on before she could get close to it, just in case it was some kind of threat.
But when he reached the foyer, he stopped, startled by what he saw.
Baron Highgate stood there, a book in his hands. It washewho was reciting poetry at this early hour of the morning. Levi could hardly believe what he was seeing.
He turned to his butler. “I thought I told you,” he said, his voice dark, “that this man was not to be allowed on the property again. Was I unclear in some way?”
“Forgive me, Your Grace,” the butler said. “But the lady asked for him to be admitted. He was standing out on the street at sunrise, you see, and begged us to carry a message to her letting her know of his presence. We did so, and after some thought, she asked us to bring him in.”
“And you listened to her instructions over mine?”
“No, Your Grace, but when we told her it was against your orders, she said she would go out to him.” The butler squared his shoulders. “Forgive me, but I couldn’t allow it. I know they are husband and wife, but I also know that she fled his home. I didn’t know what might happen. Better for it—whatever it might be—to happen in here, where we could ensure her safety.” He lifted his chin. “I hope you can understand, Your Grace, but evenif you can’t…I stand by my decision. I wasn’t going to let her go out to him alone, so I agreed to let him in.”
“No, you did right,” Levi was forced to agree. He made his way over to Lady Highgate. “Is everything all right?” he asked her, surprised she had tears in her eyes.
“That’s my favorite book of poetry,” she said. “So many different authors have contributed to it, and he’s reading all my favorites. I never would have guessed that he would know them. I can’t believe I ever left him. I made a terrible mistake.”
“You had to protect Prudence, Mama,” Caroline said. She had appeared behind them. Now that Levi knew there was no danger, he was happy enough to see her and stepped back to allow her to take the lead in speaking to her mother.
“He has said that Prudence may sit out the remainder of the season, and that he won’t force her into a match she doesn’t want,” Lady Highgate said. “He’s given his word. And I believe it. I think he means to honor what he says to us.”
“Prudence?” Caroline turned to her sister. “Do you believe it?”
“I do,” Prudence said. “And he knows that I won’t marry anyone I don’t wish to, I think. He knows what will happen if he tries to make me.”
Levi stifled a laugh. He would never have believed they’d reach this point, but suddenly, the whole thing seemed very funny.Prudence running out on their marriage, hiding from her family for months…of course, she’d do it again if they tried to force her hand. She was so willful.
He was glad that Caroline wasn’tthatwillful. He admired her spirit, but he also knew she would always give him a conversation rather than run out on him. She would never disappear just because he had asked her for something she didn’t like.
The family left quickly after that, to return to their home, and before he knew it, Levi was alone with his wife once more. He longed to take her right back to his bed, to pull her into an embrace and fall asleep with her in his arms once more. That had been so lovely.
But there were other things that needed to be tended to, much as he wanted to turn his back on them.
“I need to speak to you about something, Caroline,” he said quietly, drawing her into the sitting room and leading her to a seat.
She frowned. “This isn’t to do with…with last night, is it?”
“No, nothing like that,” he assured her. “I feel the same way now as I told you I did upstairs. Last night was lovely. But the rumors do continue to circulate about the two of us. You have been plagued by them. And I can’t have that.”
“Is this about Modesty’s ball? We’re still planning to attend, right? Surely that will help to quiet some of the rumors.”
“Yes, we are. But I also know that someone has been spreading these rumors on purpose, Caroline.”
She paled. “Who would do such a thing? Well, I suppose Modesty might—she loves the idea of cruel gossip being spread about me…”
