“But your heart?” His voice was gentle.
“Untouched,” she admitted—and it was true. “Although I didn’t realize it until I was away from them.” She considered a moment. “I understand what you mean when you say you needed to leave to become a better person. Apparently I needed to do the same.” A thought struck her. “It is as if I am playing the role of Falstaff to your Hal.” She held out her arms, pretending to be a big man as she imagined Prince Hal’s companion had been.
Kit laughed. The sound filled the road. “You are a far more attractive Falstaff than Shakespeare could have envisioned.”
“What of yourself?” she asked, liking this easiness between them. “What do you value?”
He shook his head. “I don’t know. I’m not as clear about myself as you are.” There was a moment of silence, and then he said, “Looking back, rethinking, I’m beginning to believe I may not be runningfromsomething. I might be runningtowardit.”
And that is when Elise realized she’d fallen in love. She wanted to be what he was running toward. She wished to be included in his life.
The intensity of the emotion caught her off guard. It was three things at once—unexpected, unbidden, and a complete revelation.
She loved Kit Cox. She may have unknowingly been in love with him for some time, including last night when she’d been so furiously angry with him.
And he was absolutely theworstchoice for her to love. He wasn’t anyone important. He may be uncommonly handsome in spite of his roughness, but he was a ne’er-do-well by any of Society’s standards. Her sisters would be horrified. Even Tweedie might disapprove.
Except, walking by his side, she couldn’t imagine loving anyone else. He allowed her to be exactly who she was.
Those feelings she’d claimed for Michael Brogan meant nothing when compared to this mixture of loyalty, trust, and, yes, desire that she experienced right now. She was safe with him.
Suddenly, he grabbed her hand. “Come, the posting inn is ahead at the crossroads, and it appears as if the coach is there.” His simple action of drawing her with him to catch the coach only served to make her love him more because he included her. He thought of her as being with him.
They reached the inn just as the driver wasgetting ready to climb into the box. Kit called out to him. “Is this the coach to Stoke-on-Trent?”
“Aye.”
“We’ll ride on top,” Kit said. He was already helping Elise up. There were no other passengers there. “And we are taking the dog.”
“The dog can run alongside the coach. You don’t need him up there,” the driver said.
“Yes, we do,” Kit answered. “What are the fares?”
“You pay for the dog if you insist on letting it ride.”
“Done.”
Elise was settled on a seat behind the driver by the time Kit climbed up to join her. He carried a squirming Tamsyn under his arm and sat her across their laps. She calmed down, although she was still not certain of this idea of riding. Kit and Elise both removed their hats. Otherwise the wind would blow them off—and they both liked their hats.
“How long is the drive?” Kit asked the driver.
“We’ll be there in three hours,” the coachman said. He picked up his whip. The guard sitting in the back of the coach blew his horn.
Kit’s arm came around her, and Elise moved to be as close to him as she could be, completely taking advantage of the situation. She rested her hand on Tamsyn’s shoulder.
Then, with a flick of the whip and a call to the horses, they were off.
Chapter Sixteen
You've got to do your own growing, no matter how tall your father was.
Irish proverb
The time to Stoke-on-Trent flew by.
Kit purchased buns for them at the next posting inn. Other passengers joined them on the roof. One woman sniffed at seeing poor Tamsyn up there. And even though the dog would have preferred to run alongside the coach, Kit made Tamsyn stay with them. He vowed he was not going to let anything happen to her.
They had become friendly with the driver and guard. Kit had decided to play the three questions game with them. Elise wasn’t sure about the idea, but to her surprise, the two men had joined in with good humor.
