Elise had known in the back of her mind that he would be leaving soon, but her heart ached at the thought that he would be away for an unknown length of time. “Why don’t you go settle yourself in front of the fire,” she said, motioning toward the study. “I’ll just put your coat in the kitchen to dry and ask Evie to make some tea.” Elise took the moment away from him to breathe deeply and settle her heartrate, which had increased upon seeing him and not let up since. Reaching the kitchen, she draped his wet coat across a chair in front of the fire and began adding tea leaves to the pot before Evie walked in.
“Who was at the door? I can’t imagine anyone being out on such a day,” Evie said with a shiver.
“It’s Lord Weston,” Elise replied. “Can you please finish preparing tea and bring it to the study along with some of the ginger scones and raspberry preserves?”
“Of course,” Evie said with a quizzical look on her face. “Is this the type of visit where you would like me to interrupt with an excuse as to why you are needed in fifteen minutes, or is it the kind where I should leave you alone and ignore any sounds I may hear coming from the study?”
Elise let out a laugh at the unexpected question. “Somewhere in between?” she hedged. “There’s no need to interrupt, but I doubt anything will happen that will require your discretion or intentional absence. He came to say goodbye—he’s headed to London for the Parliamentary session.”
“Then you had best scoot on back to him,” Evie told her with a playful swat to her behind. “I’ll be along shortly with the goods, so do try and restrain yourself until then.”Good lord,Elise thought, Evie was determined to make her blush! The desire to avoid looking like a tomato when she rejoined Reid was the prompt she needed to turn away and leave Evie to entertain herself with her clever quips.
Elise found him standing in front of the fire upon her return, reminding her of the morning they discussed her rental agreement only two months before. It was amazing how much had changed since then. She had hardly known him at that point and was still worried he might upset her peaceful existence. Now she knew him reasonably well, and he had still upended her life, but in an entirely different way that she was not necessarily ungrateful for.
The one thing that had remained consistent was her attraction to him, and she took a moment before he noticed her presence to soak in the sight of him before he left for what could be months. Her eyes drank in his broad shoulders, the powerful stance he held even as he leaned slightly to the right in order to lessen the pressure on his injured leg, and the way the firelight made his silver temples gleam.
It hit her all at once that she was wasting time. Elise could be with him if she wasn’t allowing her fears to dictate her actions. Hadn’t he told her that they could belong to one another? If she had his love and support, couldn’t that be enough? Moving among thetonfrom time to time would not be the most enjoyable, but she would have Reid beside her. Would that be enough to make enduring looks of disgust worth it? She thought it might be, and that she would be a fool to not at least try.
Walking up behind him, Elise gently placed her hand on Reid’s back. “Has the fire thawed you out?” she asked, easing into conversation.
“I’m feeling much more myself now,” he said with a half-smile.
“Good, I am glad to hear it. Tea will be here momentarily, which should be the final thing needed to bring you fully back to rights.” He was so familiar, so comfortable, but because of her need to push him away before, the conversation felt awkward and stilted. She hated that she had put this wedge between them. Thankfully, Evie appeared, and the moment it took her to settle the tray and for Reid and Elise to take their seats broke the tension. She distracted herself further by pouring out and adding nothing to the tea, handing it to him black, just as she knew he preferred.
Reid gave her a full smile as he took the cup from her, his eyes lighting up when he spotted the scones.
“Are these the ginger scones?” he asked.
“Yes, I remember you liked them.” What she didn’t tell him is that she had been baking them all week because they were a reminder of him.
“Thank you,” he said appreciatively. Reid’s warm coffee eyes looked into her own intently. “I’ve missed you.” And just like that awkwardness fell away.
“I’ve missed you too,” Elise said with relief. “I’m sorry I let things get so complicated, it wasn’t my intention. I was just overwhelmed.”
“I know, I was the same. And you have nothing to apologize for. But I want to apologize for leaving things the way I did. It was selfish of me to ask you for space. I just don’t know how to be around you if we can’t be together. I do miss spending time with you, though, even as just my friend.” Reid looked sad as he spoke, and it made her chest ach in the way only he seemed to initiate.
“It wasn’t selfish,” Elise said. “You were asking for what you needed. I could hardly argue with it as I did the same, telling you we could only be friends. It was selfish of me to give into my own desires and confuse you by breaking my own guidelines.”
Reid reached out his hand. “We’ve both made mistakes, but I don’t regret anything that has passed between us.”
“Neither do I,” Elise affirmed, taking the hand he offered.
“I’m sorry I have to leave for London, but maybe space apart will be good for us.” Elise could tell Reid was putting on a brave face. Before she could tell him that she was starting to see things differently after her conversation with Henry, he continued. “I’ll be able to focus on uniting the Whigs in a common message so we can try and prevent the restrictions the Tories are proposing. And you’ll be able to keep doing your work here in the community without needing to think even once about anyone you don’t wish to mix with in polite society.”
“Yes . . . I was thinking, though, that returning to thetonmight not be so terrible if I were to face them with you,” Elise said tentatively, examining Reid’s face for a reaction.
“Do you really mean that?”
“I do,” she said while squeezing his hand. “I’m not ready to make any firm decisions yet, but just as you told me it would mean more to share a life together than to gain victory in Parliament, I’m starting to believe that I could tolerate polite society if I had you beside me.”
Jumping at a crash of thunder rather ruined what Elise had hoped would be a sweet moment. Looking out the window she realized it had become dark outside as they talked, and she feared her time with him was almost over.
“I should probably go before it gets much worse,” Reid said reluctantly. “I need to leave first thing in the morning, and who knows what condition the roads will be in.”
With mention of the roads, Elise panicked at the thought of him navigating in such conditions. She had to find a way to make him stay. The only way for him to get back to Cliff House from here was the road that bordered the cliff edge; the very road that had taken Nora and Jed’s life. He could cut across the pastures, but they would be mud pits, and his horse could easily break a leg. She knew he would take the road to protect his mount, but with the cover of night and the rain, it was much too dangerous.
“You can’t leave,” she blurted.
“What?” Reid asked, confused. “You know I must go to London.”
