CHAPTER 15
“Now, Sprightly, do not be stubborn,” Anna chided, her voice laced with barely concealed amusement. “I have told you already; you cannot go and meet the horses. They will scare you, and then I shall have to cuddle you for an hour to soothe you.”
The sweet baby goat had been happily trotting along at Anna’s side, attached to a long piece of rope she had loosely looped around his neck. But now, he suddenly decided to strain toward the paddock where Jeremy kept his horse: a fine and formidable stallion, the color of winter light in the trees reflecting on fresh snow. Dappled gray and white. Possibly one of the most beautiful horses Anna had ever seen.
“You are not a horse, Sprightly,” she half-laughed. “That is not your mother, nor your father.”
The goat bleated in protest, pulling once more to get to the paddock. Behind the fence, the stallion flicked his ears, snorting his disapproval at the little creature’s admiration.
“You see? He does not want to be friends with you.” Anna crouched down, and the small goat reluctantly wandered over to her, giving up his dream of being introduced to the noble steed.
He seemed to feel the exhaustion of the morning in his unsteady little twig legs as he flopped down on the grass and put his head across Anna’s feet.
“Yes, some rest is a rather wise idea,” she told him, as she rocked backward until her buttocks landed on the dew-soaked grass.
Sprightly hopped into her lap instead, where he curled up happily as she stroked her hand down the faint gray cross that followed the line of his spine and shoulders. A blessed creature, for sure.
Grateful for the peace and quiet, Anna closed her eyes and lifted her face to the glorious morning sunshine. There was hardly a cloud in the sky, yet the air still held the refreshing coolness of spring: a perfect day after a foggy night.
“But how can I leave, Sprightly?” she murmured. “What will happen to all of you if I move elsewhere?”
The goat said nothing, snuffling in his sleep.
“Then again, how can I stay?” she sighed. “The moment his family arrives, it will not be my home anymore. I will not be able to remain here, residing in the same house as his wife. The shame would kill me. And what if he has children?”
She grimaced, her mind exhausted from all the back-and-forth she had been experiencing since her quiet return to Stonebridge last night. Jeremy had not mentioned children, but he had not talked about a family until he had already stolen her first kiss. And her attempts to get more of his history out of him last night had not led to the answers that could have eased her worries.
Oh, what a scoundrel I am. I should never have followed him out into the gardens. What was I thinking?Even if she had not kissed him, enjoyed him, longed for more of the pleasure he had spoken of, she would still have been risking her reputation and honor by being alone with him out there. Yet, she had hurried out without a thought.
Just then, Sprightly raised his head, his ears flicking. Alerting to something.
“What is it, dear one?” she asked, shielding her eyes against the glare of the sun as she looked out across the grounds.
Seated on the front lawn, she had a clear view of everything: the manor, the orchards, the rolling hills in the distance, the woods, and the meadows. It was the perfect spot for a quick escape if she happened to see someone she did not want to face.
Please, do not let it be him.
She had successfully managed to avoid Jeremy all morning and had no desire to fail now.
A somewhat old-fashioned landau carriage, pulled by two enormous black-and-white horses, was just arriving through the gates. The crest painted on the side of the carriage was one she did not recognize, which instantly made her nervous.
Hoping that her seated position on the lawn made her small enough to avoid notice, Anna watched the carriage trundle down the driveway. It had not even come to a full standstill before the door flew open and a small child of perhaps five-years-old exploded from inside.
At the same moment, a figure came running out of the manor. The young girl let out a shriek of delight and stretched out her arms, running even faster to throw herself into Jeremy’s waiting embrace.
He swept her into his arms and spun her around and around, his face illuminated with a smile Anna had never seen before—a smile she never thought he was capable of forming.
“Do not be jealous, Sprightly,” Anna whispered. “I am certain he will not forget his affection for you.”
She felt that same, strange fluttering in her chest as she observed Jeremy and the little girl. Clearly, he adored her, for she was babbling away, and he was nodding along with that broad grin upon his face. For a moment, she was convinced she even heard him laugh.
But then, a woman stepped out of the carriage... and the butterflies fluttering in Anna’s chest turned to lead, dropping into her stomach.
The woman was one of the most beautiful women Anna had ever seen, with long, raven-black hair that flowed behind her as the spring breeze caught the shiny locks. She was tall and willowy, her skin as pale as moonlight, dressed in a dark gown that somehow made her even more mesmerizing to behold.
Jeremy’s smile softened when he saw the woman, and as she approached the steps to greet him, Anna’s stomach lurched. Jeremy extended his arm and pulled the woman into a tight embrace, his cheek pressed against her silky hair. Meanwhile, the little girl was squeezed between them, laughing loudly.
His wife and his daughter.
