But then he glanced down at the book in his hand and read the title.
Damn. After reading the letter from Dr. Frederickson today, he’d imagined that all hope was lost, that he would be forced to send his father intothat nightmare ofa hospital that many referred to as Bedlam, rather than Bethlem. But it appeared Alyssa had plans of her own.
She intended to cure Lord Trenton of his ills.
In that moment,Travell realized he would be a fool not to marry her the momenthe convinced her tosayyes.
And he would do whatever it took to make that day happen.
He walked inside and headed for the conservatory where Alyssa was fussing with her roses. If he didn’t appreciate her dedication to helping his father, he might have shook his head at the way she touched their delicate blooms and cooed to them as if they were small children in need of coddling.
Instead, he asked, “I assume there are more flowers that need to be brought in?”
The smile she shot himsignificantly brightenedthe dimly lit room withallthe brilliance of the sun. “Of course.”
“Indeed.” Travell left before he did something stupid, like take her into his arms and kiss her senseless.In the end, between him, the coachman, andAlyssa’s maid, they managed to bring in all the plants and place them about the conservatory where she directed. He had no idea why it mattered if one specific flower was placed next to another, but since itdidto her, he would have rearranged the entire manor to suit her preference.
When they were through, she set her hands on her hips and gave a satisfied nod. “That should do it for tonight. I’ll return in the morning and do some more cleaning up.”
Travell had already ordered the windows washed and the debris swept away in preparation for her arrival, but if Alyssa needed to come by every day just so he could see her, then that was fine with him.
“Goodnight, Lord Curdiff.” She finally turned to him and since he couldn’t resist touching her, he reached out and grasped her hand, bringing her bare hand to his lips where he bestowed a light kiss on her bent knuckles.
“Goodnight, Lady Alyssa.”
Long after he’d released her, the gentle feel of her smooth skin in his haunted his dreams until the early morning hours.
Chapter Six
Even though it had been late when Alyssa retired, she was up by seven the following morning, eager to return to Rosewood where she might check on her Blue Ladies.She admitted thatsome of her enthusiasm might also bedue to seeing Travell again, butthose were dangerous waters to tread. He might have asked her to marry him, but she knew it had been impulsive and forall the wrong reasons. If she wereforced togive up her independence and marry, then it wouldn’t be for anything less than love. And while she had been in love with Travell for years, she wasn’t sure he truly understood the meaning of the word.
It wasn’t as though he wasn’t a gentleman, for hemost certainly was. Any peccadilloes he might have partaken of in the pastwerekept very discreet for she’d never heard anything unsavory about his character. And when it came to Travell, she’d been interested in anything that was discussed.
If there was any hope that their relationship might progress further, Alyssa had to figure out a way to ensure that he was interested in her as a woman, and not the girl next door who had been like another sister to him. But after several years of trying to gain his attention, she feared it was a lost cause.
At least she could help him with his father before she left for America and leave the yearnings of her heart behind in England.
She’d read through much of the treatise on her bedside table the night before, but sleep had finally intruded. Until she had time toperuse itfurther, she wouldusewhat she hadobtainedinto practice this morning. A quick glance outside showed that it was starting out to be another lovelymorning, so she rang for Daisy. OnceAlyssawas dressed in another black gown, she headed downstairs to partake of some breakfast before she headed out for the remainder of the day. The less time she spent at Breyton Hall, the better.
WhileneitherCaroline,nor her husband,ever rose much earlier than noon, this morning appeared to be the exception. Lady Lockley was seated at the table when Alyssa entered, delicately munching on some toasted bread.
Alyssagreeted herwith a murmur and went over to the sideboard, filling her plate with ham and eggs, as well as enjoying a cup of hot tea. She sat down and before she could even take her first bite, her companion said, “You got home rather late last night.”
“Yes,” Alyssa murmured. “I fear the roads were worse than we imagined.” Of course she wasn’t about to explain the reason for her delay. Travell didn’t want it bandied about that his father was mad, and she certainly wasn’t going to give Caroline the satisfaction of gaining such information to use againsteither one of themlater. While she’d never known the woman to be blatantly cruel, she also knew that Caroline was selfish enough to dowhatever it took to make herself happy.
She sniffed. “I suppose you are heading to Rosewood this morning?”
Since there was no point in denying it, she said, “I am. My roses are in need of constant care.”
“As ifthatis your only motivation for visiting thehandsomeviscount.”
Alyssa didn’t like where this conversation was heading. “There’s no need to worry that anything untoward will happen.Besides, Daisy will be there.”
“Oh?” Caroline’s blond brows lifted. “And will she be attending you the entire time?”
“Actually, yes,” Alyssa returned. If it were true or not, she wasn’t about to let her cousin’s wife turn her visits to see Travell into something sordid. “I will need assistance tending the rest of my flowers. Some will need to be repotted and pruned—”
Caroline waved her hand. “Spare me the details. I daresay playing in the dirt is something that Ineverdid as a child and have no interest is doing as a properly married woman.”
