Rhys looked at Louisa whose knack for fibbing seemed to stall.
“Well, I suppose—” he tried, but she interjected.
“There was a horse that became spooked.”
“Oh?”
“Yes, and well, er…” Louisa hesitated as her gentle gray eyes pleaded with him to help.
“To be honest,” Rhys began, but seeing the panic on Louisa’s face caused him to swallow, “the horse reared up and I am ashamed to admit that I panicked. I reached for Miss Babcock, or rather, Mrs. Carlyle and pulled her out of what I believed to be harm’s way.”
“There was no actual danger then?”
“No.”
“At least, not from the horse,” Kitty murmured as Mrs. Hummel entered the room with a small tea tray.
She placed it on the table that was situated between the settees.
“Mrs. Hummel,” Uncle said as she stood up. “I think you should start packing up Louisa’s things.”
The cook arched a single brow as she glanced back and forth between her employer and his niece.
“Oh aye? And where is Miss Louisa going?”
“Evidently to her husband’s house,” the uncle said, surprising the cook. He stared at Louisa for a moment after that before turning to face Rhys. The cook was quick to leave the room, closing the doors behind her as she did.
Now they all sat in silence, waiting for someone to speak. Rhys was just about to open his mouth when Louisa’s uncle spoke.
“I’m sorry, but I’m having trouble believing this. Louisa, weren’t you just going on about that Harper fellow? What was it? John or Joseph?”
Harper? Though Rhys was sure he had read the elderly man’s lips correctly, he was convinced by the heightened color on Louisa’s cheeks. So, there was someone.
She had lied to him.
“It’s not worth discussing, Uncle.” She lifted her hand to show the gaudy ring on loan from Mrs. Dove-Lyon.
Though her uncle and sister appeared skeptical, neither had any grounds to disagree. They had been married by the Archbishop of Canterbury for goodness’ sake.
“Then I assume we should have some sort of celebration,” her uncle said slowly.
“Unfortunately, we’ve plans to return to the lieutenant’s home immediately,” Louisa stated. “Besides, given the circumstances, I think a celebration could be held off for a few months.”
“Louisa,” her uncle began. “I know it’s not been easy, since your mother’s passing, but I did promise her that I’d take care of you like you were my own.”
“And I very much appreciate that, Uncle, but I assure you, this has truly little to do with appearances. The fact is that the lieutenant’s home needs a few repairs, and he is needed back there at once. As his wife, it is my obligation to accompany him, and a dutiful wife is exactly the sort of woman everyone’s always intended for me to be, so…” She nodded.
But her uncle did not appear convinced.
“I would like to extend an invitation to the both of you to Fenwick Park this October,” Rhys said then. “And, it would be my honor to offer Miss Kitty a dowry upon her wedding day. If I may be so bold as to offer.”
That caught Malcom’s attention.
“A dowry?” he repeated. “I assure you, Lieutenant, that I am more than capable of handling my nieces’ finances—”
“Of course.”
“But I am also not so arrogant as to not accept your offer.”
