Gwendolyn resisted a laugh. “Tender gentlemanly feelings?”
“Quite” was all Walter said to that, his lips curving ever so slightly. “I braved the chance of having those feelings shredded when I then sought out Suzette, Tillie, and even Mrs. Parker.”
“That was brave of you.”
“Indeed. And before I forget, Mrs. Parker urged me to tell you if my plan fails, and miserably at that—her words, not mine—she’d be delighted if you’d forgive her for her brief lapse of sanity when she terminated your position and return to Newport to take up your role again as her assistant matchmaker. She also said, as an added incentive to have you consider her offer, she’ll elevate you toseniorassistant matchmaker come the New York Season.”
“How magnanimous of her.”
“That’s what she believes as well.” Walter leaned closer. “She said you have matchmaking in your blood, and once it’s in a person’s blood, it’s impossible to get rid of.”
“That almost makes it sound as if I’m doomed to meddle in matters of the heart forever.” Gwendolyn’s brow furrowed. “Although, since I’ve recently been wondering how Gideon Abbott feels about cats, Mrs. Parker may not be off the mark when it comes to the whole matchmaker-in-my-blood business. With that said, however, I truly think my matchmaking days are over.”
Walter’s eyes twinkled. “Probably a good decision, because Gideon is determined to remain a bachelor for the foreseeable future, so any matchmaking you may have had in mind pertaining to him would definitely ruin your run of successful matches.”
“And with the threat of imminent failure, I’ll definitely leave my matchmaking days behind me.”
“Which is wonderful to learn since...” He raked a hand through his hair. “I fear I’ve allowed the conversation to go completely off the rails and I’m in danger of making a disaster of ‘the plan’ as the children have been referring to it, or as Oscar occasionally calls it—a last-ditch effort to set matters to rights.”
She tilted her head. “You composed this planwiththe children?”
“They insisted on being involved, probably because Oscarwas worried, if I went about it on my own, I’d make a muck of it.”
“I don’t imagine you make mucks often,” she finally said when she realized Walter was looking at her rather expectantly, as if this was a point in the conversation where she needed to respond.
“True, but you seem to be the exception to muck-ness in general.” He drew in a breath and released it. “So... with all that out of the way, I should probably just delve right into it and hope for the best.”
She refused a smile when he took to looking at the sky before he nodded just once and caught her eye.
“I find you to be more than pleasant,” he said.
Her heart began beating a rapid tattoo. “Do you?”
He cleared his throat. “Indeed, although I think that was out of order. I believe everyone thought I should tell you something else first.”
“Which was... ?” she prompted when he began perusing the sky again.
He abandoned the perusing and caught her eye. “You were right once again, about everything.”
She blinked. “Everything?”
He took a single step closer to her. “That will take some time to explain, so before I launch into a long list of matters you were right about, is there somewhere we could go where we won’t be interrupted? It’ll be easier on me if I can get everything out without losing my train of thought.”
“You’ve never struck me as a gentleman who suffers from losing your thoughts.”
He smiled. “Oh, I’m not, generally, but you have the uncanny ability to make me lose my train of thought often.”
She couldn’t resist returning his smile. “The barn has some hay bales we could use. We’ll be uninterrupted because the staff are in the fields with the sheep.”
“That sounds perfect.”
After taking his arm, Gwendolyn walked with Walter toward the barn, her pulse skittering every which way, especially when he kept glancing at her with something warm in his eyes.
What the warmth meant remained to be seen, but it was lending her a sense of anticipation, which was completely unexpected given she’d convinced herself Walter was not meant to ever be a part of her life.
She steered Walter toward the hay bale she’d recently abandoned, and after they got settled her pulse hitched up another notch when he took hold of her hand.
“Where was I?”
