“Lord Summerlin?” Marguerite jumped up from her chair and then sat down again, only to jump up once more as Lindsay rose, too, and spun in place, her hand to her mouth. Only when Marguerite made to flee—the garden, her bedchamber, anywhere!—did Lindsay catch her by the upper arms and face her, both of them trembling, they were so stunned.
“Marguerite, I swear to you, Walker is no rogue. You must trust me in this! Jared believes he’s not the right man for you—that he could never be true as a husband to whomever he might marry, but I don’t agree, no, not at all. Walker has always been kind to me, honest, forthright, why, he even helped Jared to save my life when I jumped from his ship into the sea! He just hasn’t found the woman of his dreams, well, until now—”
“Lindsay, he’s waiting in the drawing room!” Marguerite broke in, her heart beating like a fierce drum in her ears. “He might even be able to hear you! Why are you telling me all of this? He’s probably come to call on your husband or Lord Donovan, not for any other reason, truly! He cannot know they’ve all left London. Now please, let me go. I don’t want to see him. I’ll wait in the garden until he’s gone—”
“Yes, yes, the rose garden, that’s perfect!” Lindsay had released her and was already hurrying to the door, where the poor footman had already fled at Marguerite’s outburst.
Marguerite, however, now stood rooted to the floor.
Walker was here! In the drawing room at the front of the town house. Surely he hadn’t heard everything Lindsay had said to her. She would be mortified! She would be—
“Marguerite, go!” Lindsay had rushed back into the dining room and gestured for Marguerite to move. “The garden! Please don’t go anywhere else, promise me. I must know where to find you. Now go!”
Marguerite did, fleeing in a flutter of pink dotted muslin with her heart in her throat.
***
“Walker, I’m so glad you’re here!”
At the sound of Lindsay’s voice, Walker turned from the lace-curtained window just in time for Lindsay to rush forward to embrace him.
He wasn’t shocked at all by her warm hug; Lindsay, ever impulsive, her emotions worn on her sleeve, had always been one to shower affection upon her nearest and dearest.
That’s why he cared for her so, like an indulgent brother for his younger sister.
Had rooted for her even at Jared’s darkest moments when his best friend had tried to push her away, his tortured soul not allowing him to believe that Lindsay’s love could save him.
But it had saved Jared…and in a way, had saved Walker, too. Made him believe deep down that one day he might allow himself to love as well, for a lifetime.
In truth, he had never loved any woman before. How could he permit himself to when life had always seemed so cruel and uncertain? Yet now he hugged Lindsay right back, eager to share his decision with her. Eager to speak to Donovan and Corie and yes, Jared, to assure all of them that he only had Marguerite’s best interests at heart.
“Oh, Walker, you look wonderful!” Lindsay enthused, stepping back to sweep her approving gaze over him from head to toe. “Like a true English lord born to the ducal manor.”
“After a few twists and turns of fate,” he said with a wry smile, glancing at the doorway. “Is Jared here? Lord Donovan? All of you left so abruptly last night…” He didn’t finish, the light fading from Lindsay’s face as she sighed heavily.
“Oh, Walker, it’s terrible news, really. A mine accident in Porthleven. Donovan received word right there at Almack’s, the messenger sent over after he first came here to find we weren’t at home. Donovan and Corie left last night with their family—”
“Oh, I see.” His disappointment so keen he could taste it, Walker ventured, “All of them? Marguerite, too?”
If she’d appeared downcast a moment ago, Lindsay now stared at him with a look of such evident delight that Walker could but regard her with amazement.
He realized then like a jolt that she must have divined the reason for his visit though he hadn’t yet said a word…but of course the most romantic-minded young woman he’d ever known would have guessed the import of his query.
“I’d hoped to speak with her, is all—”
“All? Of course you must speak with her!” Lindsay’s eyes danced with excitement. “She’s in the rose garden—oh, but Walker, she’s a bit out of sorts about last night. Said she never wants to see you again. Called you a rogue, actually—”
“A rogue.” Instead of feeling upset by such news, Walker found himself pleased more than he could say. “Lady Belinda?”
Lindsay nodded, though suddenly she sobered. “You must promise me that you’ll not break Marguerite’s heart, Walker. If Jared were here—”
“He’s gone, too?”
“Yes, early this morning. There’s so much to be done to the manor house before the babe arrives. He told me last night that because you’ve never settled before upon one woman—”
