Four days had passed since she’d seen him.
He wouldn’t break his word—hisword mattered to him.
When she rolled onto her side, a tear slid down her face and dropped onto the pillow. She belonged with him. In his bed.
This wasn’t fair. So much wasn’t fair!
Father would think it was fair.As would Walter. They would believe she’d brought all of this onto herself.
She had ached for Luke for months, knowing he’d been in danger and hundreds of miles away, and now that he was here, he might as well be on the other side of the world. She hadn’t been able to hold him or kiss him or even touch him.
Her body craved the satisfaction only he could bring, but she would be just as happy totalkwith him. She wanted to tell him all about how Amelia thought she could crawl but then flopped onto her belly. She wanted to tell him about an interesting book she’d found in the Tempest library. She wanted to ask what he was feeling, what he was thinking. He’d been so closed off the other day. She wanted to be with him.
How long could she endure the emptiness of their separation? Could their love survive it?
She lay in bed trying to imagine some scenario where they could be together now. She refused to allow herself to hope for Arthur’s death.
She and Luke could run away together, but that would eliminate any chance for her to reconcile with her sister and her mother. They had loved her for all of her life. Surely, they hadn’t stopped loving her because of one mistake? She hadn’t lost hope.
Running away would also result in Amelia not knowing her grandmother, Lady Tempest. And what of Lucinda and Lydia if she took Luke away?
No. They needed to wait.
After what felt like hardly a few minutes after she finally dozed off, the nurse knocked on her door and brought Amelia in for her breakfast.
Naomi must think of her daughter first. She tucked Amelia beside her and then simply lay watching those precious little cheeks work. When Amelia paused to simply stare up at Naomi, awe reminded her of life and hope. Motherhood was a miracle. Mama and baby stared back at one another in a magical moment of trust and love.
This baby.
Naomi would do whatever she needed to for this precious little life.
When the feeding was over, Nurse returned and whisked Amelia back to the nursery so Naomi could dress and break her own fast.
Downstairs, she drank her coffee and ate her toast alone. Her time here had been peaceful, but in the absence of Lucinda and Lydia’s visits, Naomi found herself feeling lonely.
She had Amelia to keep her occupied, but if she was to remain at Galewick Manor much longer, she needed something else to do. Good heavens, she actually missed the chores she’d done with Ester. She missed discovering new repairs that needed fixing and solving the simplest of problems that arose each day when managing her own household.
Lady Tempest had the management of Galewick well in hand.
Naomi pondered on how she’d entertained herself when she’d lived in her father’s home. She’d assisted her mother. She’d spent time with Theodosia. She’d worked in the garden some, but she’d mostly been… silly.
She supposed she was grown up now.
With her coffee and toast finished, Naomi fetched a floppy bonnet from her chamber and changed out of her slippers into a pair of half-boots. She would seek out the Tempest gardener. Surely, he could suggest some way that she could be useful. She had planted late last year and managed to grow a few useful herbs and vegetables.
And flowers.
She’d planted flowers in between the rows. They seemed frivolous but they had warded off some of the insects that would have otherwise attacked her plants. Just as a person needed beauty in the midst of trial, the useful plants needed the help of flowers.
When she stepped outside, a cool breeze floated over the lawn and had her gown swirling around her ankles.
She could also just walk.
Discarding her initial plan, and without any particular destination, she found herself marching along a path that led to the edge of Tempest land where a rushing creek separated it from Crescent Park. It was partially worn, she knew, as Lucinda and Lydia had admitted to walking over on a few occasions.
What would be the outcome if Naomi kept right on marching, across the bridge and up to the door, demanding to see him?
She had half a mind to do just that, but it was a considerable distance and she’d need to feed Amelia in an hour or so.
