“Tamsyn and I went in search of you. We caught sight of you just as you were climbing into the cart.”
“Why didn’t you call out?”
“How did I know you weren’t trying to escape me? You were highly upset upon seeing me in my altogether.”
She had seen him naked.“I’d forgotten. In all that happened, I put it out of my mind.”
“Glad I was memorable,” he said dryly. “When I saw you take the ride, I assumed you were leaving on your own. Although Tamsyn and I did trail behind. We kept to the tree line in case you didn’t want to have anything to do with us.”
“Am I that ferocious?”
“Yes,” came his quick reply. “You are lucky oxen don’t travel fast. When the driver turned off the road, I started to have doubts about him.”
“And so you followed?” She was fortunate he had.
“Wedid. Tamsyn was upset from the moment you climbed into the hay cart.” Hearing her name, the dog moved even closer as if wanting to be a part of their huddle.
“The driver seemed kind. He reminded me of my father,” she admitted. “Which is silly because Simon looks nothing like him. Well, his eyes reminded me of Father.” Or so she had told herself. Now she realized how foolish she’d been. “I suppose I was tired and not thinking clearly.”
“It has been a rough adventure.”
She appreciated that there was no censure in his tone.
His stomach rumbled. She lifted her head and made as if to move. “You haven’t eaten all day.”
He gently pressed her back against him. “I found some berries while following you to Simon’s. Besides, this isn’t the first time I’ve had to wait for a meal.”
“We should have been at the next posting house by now.”
“But we aren’t.”
No, they weren’t... and it was fine to be right here, stretched alongside him in the haven of the oak—
“Tell me about your father.”
His request surprised her. “I don’t talk about him.” He was hard to explain. Instead, she changed the subject. “After removing all that scruffiness, you actually appear honest.”
He winced. “Your flattery knows no bounds, Elise. I smell. You don’t want to see menaked. I was adishonestruffian.”
There was no heat in his words. Just openness. And acceptance.
Dara had harped on numerous rules about what one should say and not say around the opposite sex. But from the beginning, perhaps because of the trauma of the accident, Elise had never been anything but herself around Kit. It was a radical thought—and she realized she’dnot even been her complete self around Michael, and she’d wanted to marry him. She’d always been trying to impress him with her political opinions... something she admitted few men valued. They would rather look at her instead of listen to her.
In the end, Michael had been pretending interest in Elise to annoy Dara.
And suddenly, for the first time, that thought failed to bother her. The feelings of humiliation or resentment that had been her constant companions of late had vanished. She seemed free of them.Because of a good cry?
Elise started to laugh in surprise. It was what she’d wanted, why she’d run away—
“And now you are laughing at me?” Kit noted—withmockhurt.
She smiled. Who was this man who could be so confident in his own person that he didn’t fear ridicule or criticism? Who seemed to understandher? Or at least, let her be?
He’d certainly proven to be a friend. He had witnessed her lose all sense and control, and he’d acted as if everything was as it should be. He’d even apologized for his own poor behavior.
Had a man ever apologized to her before? She thought not.
“Thank you.” The words flowed out of her.
