No answer was necessary, however, when a flurry of feminine steps and voices drifted from the end of the hall. “Dev!” Sophia beckoned. “Are you gentlemen finished with your cards and whatnot?” She took his arm and easily stepped into his embrace.
“Miss Goodnight and I were just about to take a turn outside in the rain. Are there any umbrellas handy?” Lord Carlisle answered with his own question.
“Oh, but that sounds like a delightful idea. We’ve been cooped up all day.” Coleus’ enthusiastic comment to invite herself along drew a scowl from Rhoda.
“You’re more than welcome to join us, Miss Coleus.” The earl responded graciously.
“I want to go too!” Hollyhock added.
“We might as well all go.” Rhoda caught Emily’s gaze with a silent apology, but then shrugged.
And then the billiard room door opened, and the remainder of the gentlemen stepped out as well. By the time the details of the outing had been decided upon, all of them were planning on joining them except for Cecily’s father, Mr. Findlay.
And Sophia’s mother-in-law, of course. The elder duchess of Prescott who’d kept herself to the dowager house since they’d arrived.
So much for Emily’s romantic stroll with Lord Blakely.
Did she just think LordBlakely? She meant LordCarlisle.Yes… her romantic stroll with Lord Carlisle. C-A-R-L-I-S-L-E.
Perhaps she could still separate Carlisle off from the others, although as everyone excused themselves to their chambers to change into boots and collect coats, she doubted her ability to finagle such a coup.
She hurried to change, nonetheless, and was the first to arrive in the meeting spot.
“Whoever thought a walk in this weather would be enjoyable ought to be shot.”
She didn’t need to see the face of the gentleman standing in the shadows to know the speaker. “No one is putting a pistol to your head,” she responded lightly as she slipped on her gloves.
Marcus stepped out of the corner into the filtered light coming in from one of the windows, looking more imposing than normal. Dressed in a great coat with numerous capes and a tall top hat, he stole her breath. Same as always.
In one hand, he held the curved handle of an umbrella. Such elegance! She couldn’t help but compare him in her mind to the man who had stolen into her chamber earlier that morning. He’d shaved recently. Yes. But he could not hide the shadows beneath his eyes. She wondered how often he thought of Meggie and the child she’d carried. She wondered if the child yet lived. What if the woman and her child now dwelled in a charming cottage tucked away in some faraway village? Or perhaps even in a village not so very far away? Her heart stopped beating. Knowing Prescott, all of these questions would be answered very soon.
“Shall we lead the way?” He jerked his head toward the door. “I’d prefer not to spend an entire afternoon waiting on others.” His manner this afternoon more irritated than normal, he winged an arm toward her and led her outside.
Although streams and puddles presented small hindrances along the walk, the rain now fell in more of a drizzle. Blakely opened the umbrella and held it so that both of them received some protection as long as Emily stayed close to him. With her hand tucked into his elbow, he took long strides toward the garden.
His gait required Emily to take two steps for every one of his. As they entered the garden path, she heard more of the party exit the manor behind them. Would they catch up?
Did she want them to?
Perhaps Lord Blakely wished to discuss his arrangements regarding Rhoda.
“May we slow down? Please?” By now, she was a little breathless.
He glanced down at her and scowled, almost as though he’d forgotten she was there.
“Your legs are much longer than mine,” she added.
“We were playing cards.” His words caught her by surprise. “But then a maid delivered a message to Prescott that the child needed her mother.”
“Ah, and Sophia had instructed the servants not to disturb her.” Yes, Emily remembered vaguely hearing Sophia make this request when they’d holed up in the drawing room. But that wasn’t the point. The two of them traveled a few more steps, shorter ones now. “And this bothered you?”
They’d reached a circle of stones, and he stopped altogether. “I’m rarely around children.”
“And thisannoyedyou?” She would have liked to slug his lordship then and there.
But then he shook his head. “No, quite the contrary, actually.”
She wished he would just say what he was thinking. “Were you losing?”
