“Lista, please listen to me,” she said. “I have a feeling that Louis will try to make his interest known now that Julian has fled. Will you please resist him? At least until I can speak with Julian. Please do not break my brother’s heart more than it already is. He has made a mistake. Should he not have the chance to redeem himself?”
“Why?” Lista said. “Because he gave me a chance to redeemmyselfin his eyes. Nay, Addie. He believes I lied to him. He did not even give me the chance to defend myself.”
“And you do not have the capacity to forgive him?”
Lista looked at her, her eyes flashing. “Do not act as if all of this is my fault,” she said. “I have done nothing wrong, Lady Addington. If Julian must protect his heart, then so must I. You cannot expect me to do less.”
Addington was feeling horrible about the situation. A misunderstanding and Julian was going to ruin his entire life. She could see, in Lista’s eyes, that Julian was ruining her life, too. There was more than interest and affection there.
She could see the adoration.
Lista had been falling in love with Julian.
“All I am asking is that you not do anything rashly,” Addington said. “Do not do anything that you may regret later.”
Lista wiped at her eyes and looked away. “While I am very glad to have had your company, my lady, I think it is time for you to go,” she said, sniffling. “Thank you for the conversation and the laughter. I shall remember it always. But you will go home now.”
She was essentially cutting Addington off. Addington knew it wouldn’t be any use to argue with her, especially with such emotions involved. Perhaps Lista had known Julian just a few days, but those had been magical days. Sometimes one didn’t need weeks or months to make up one’s mind about someone.
One simply knew.
Lista and Julian had a connection not often found and to see it broken was a genuine tragedy. Addington turned and left the chamber, leaving Lista crushed and weeping. She couldn’t do anything about Lista any longer, but she could do something about Julian.
She had to find Ashton.
“Lady Felkington, mayI speak with you?”
Meadow was shocked to find Louis standing at her door. She was in the tower room with Flora because they’d found a stash of hemp leaf they’d forgotten about, so the sickly sweet smoke was beginning to fill the chamber again. That delirious wave of bluesmoke was about to carry them away again. Before she could answer, however, Flora came up behind her.
“Sir Louis,” Flora said. “We thought you were leaving.”
Louis glanced at her. “I was, my lady,” he said before returning his attention to Meadow. “However, I have decided to remain for a day or two, with your permission.”
Meadow was surprised by the request but she nodded when Flora elbowed her in the back. “Of course, my lord,” she said. “You are welcome at Felkington.”
“Fuckington,” Flora muttered, snorting at her usual vulgar joke.
Louis heard the crack but he ignored it. “Thank you, my lady,” he said. “I will come right to the point of my request to remain. I would ask permission to speak to Lady Lista with the intention of courting her.”
Flora stopped snorting, looking at Louis in delight and surprise, as Meadow’s eyes widened. “You… you would like to court my daughter?” she asked in awe.
“Only if she is agreeable, my lady.”
Meadow’s mouth had popped open into a shocked “O” and she looked at Flora, who was nodding emphatically. Meadow had to take a breath and drink it all in even though they’d manipulated the situation for this very reason. The triangle between Lista and Julian and Louis had just come to its hoped-for conclusion and they could not be more thrilled. At least, Flora was thrilled. Meadow stood there in stunned silence as Flora pulled Louis into the chamber.
“Please, Sir Louis,” she said. “Please come in and sit. It seems that your interest in Lista has come rather suddenly, but it is not unwelcome. We did not even know of you before the Scots’ raid.”
Louis allowed himself to be pulled into the strange-smelling, cluttered chamber. There was a chair, only one chair, and Floradirected him into it. He sat, but the chair was old and decrepit and groaned under his weight, so he wisely stood up again.
“I realize this seems sudden, my lady,” he said. “Mayhap it is even rash, but I assure you, I am not a reckless man. I am sure you would agree that Lady Lista is an eligible young woman of unique talent and charm. Frankly, I am surprised that she is not married already.”
Flora was looking at him eagerly. “She’s simply not found the right man,” she said. “Mayhap that is you, Sir Louis. We would be glad to know what you have to offer her, as a husband. Sunderland is quite wealthy and prestigious.”
Louis thought the woman looked much like a predator and he wasn’t sure he liked it. Certainly, he’d gathered that the pair of women were strange during the time he’d spent at Felkington, but Lady d’Orbec was looking at him… hungrily.
He’d seen that look before.
“I am the second eldest son of the earl, my father,” he said evenly. “My brother will inherit the title but I will be his heir unless he has male children. Even so, my father has gifted me with lands and a title that is within his power to grant. I am Lord Penshaw and I have a small outpost not far from my father’s seat of Herrington Castle. As my father believes that all of his male children must have a source of income, and work for it, I have two villages and several farms on my lands. I am fair in the taxes I impose. In fact, more than half of my income is derived from my herds of sheep. I export wool at a profit.”
