He gave her a heart-tugging smile before turning and opening the coach’s door. Relief swept over her. She was glad they could return to their normal lives. With any luck, he would leave the manor soon so that she didn’t have to daydream about him any longer.
Chapter Nine
Gavin made surePriscilla was taken to her room first before he searched for his grandmother. She waited for him in her favorite spot—the music room. Although her fingers were curled with age, he knew she still wished she could play the pianoforte the way she used to when she was younger.
As he walked inside, her eyes grew wide. “Oh, bless the Lord. You are back safe.”
“Indeed, and no worse for wear.” He brushed a hand along his wrinkled clothes. “I know I should have changed before coming to see you, but I didn’t want you to worry any more than you have.”
“Where is Miss Priscilla? Was she with you?”
Here was the moment he had to confess, but he wouldn’t tell his grandmothereverythingthat had happened. He promised Priscilla he wouldn’t ruin her reputation, and he was a man of his word. Well, at least he was now that he had taken over the responsibilities of a duke.
“Miss Priscilla was thrown from the horse just as the storm started. Her ankle is badly sprained.”
“Oh no.” The dowager’s hand flew to her throat. “That poor dear. Were you with her when that happened?”
“No. I had been riding, but I heard a scream, so I went in search of whoever had been hurt.”
He carefully explained how he found Priscilla, and she reluctantly agreed to let him take her back to the manor, but because of the severe storm, he knew he was putting her at risk of catching pneumonia.
The more he told her about what happened, the wider his grandmother’s eyes grew. It was clear by her distressed expression that she was thinking the worst. He couldn’t allow that. Priscilla didn’t deserve to be punished just because she was thrown from a horse.
“The stubborn woman wanted to walk back to the manor on an injured foot,” he continued. “I couldn’t let her risk the journey.” He paused. “Please, do not judge her or find fault with her in any way. She is not the blame in any of this.”
When he finished, he waited for his grandmother to say something, but the seconds ticked by without a word from her. That only meant one thing. She was trying to find logic in it all and would certainly think the worst. If that happened, he needed to put his charming skills to work and convince her otherwise.
She expelled a breath. “My dear boy, do you know what this means?”
Gavin stared at his grandmother as his throat tightened, threatening to choke the life right out of him, he was certain.
“Gavin, think about this clearly.” The older woman’s face was laced with sympathy as her gaze silently pleaded for him to understand. “You were with an unmarried woman, alone, for several hours. Although nothing happened between you inthatmanner, the point still remains—you were alone with her. If my servants start any rumors, her name will be ruined, and I won’t be able to keep her as a companion. And Gavin, if you don’t marry her, the good name you have been trying to build for your family will be all for naught. Society will say you are just like your father, only caring about yourself and your own pleasures.”
Grumbling, he turned away from his grandparent and marched to the window. Instead of gazing across the wet land, he closed his eyes and pressed his head against the windowpane.Marriage?No, it was impossible. He wasn’t ready for that, and Priscilladefinitelywasn’t ready. He was just barely getting her to like him again. If he proposed marriage now, she would hate him… even if her kiss had told him differently. But she had been dreaming, so it hadn’t been real to her.
“Please, Grams. Don’t force Priscilla to do something she is strongly against. None of this was her fault.”
“I know, Gavin.” The dowager frowned. “It wasn’t your fault either, but situations like this will only ruin those involved. Because you are a duke, it won’t affect you much, but our dear, poor Miss Priscilla—it will indeed ruin both her and her family. She has two younger sisters that might never marry just because of what happened with the two of you today at the cottage.”
This wasn’t going well at all. And why couldn’t he think of the words to change her mind? It was as if a fog had covered his thoughts.
He pushed his fingers through his messy hair as he turned and paced the floor. “Miss Priscilla is a complicated woman. We… had a past that you don’t know about, and I hurt her terribly. She doesn’t trust me.” He sighed and looked at the older woman sitting in her rollerchair close to the fireplace. “What if I can pay off your servants to stop them from gossiping?”
She smirked. “You must be joking. You know as well as I do how quick they are to spread rumors. Besides, making things right with Miss Priscilla is thegentlemanlything to do, and although you may not have been a gentleman before, it is time you start.”
He rubbed at his forehead, which had started to pound. “I know, I know.”
Gavin took deep breaths in an attempt to clear his head and think of a better solution. Sadly enough, he still couldn’t think straight. He worried about how Priscilla was going to react, but he also didn’t know if bringing her into his complicated life was a good idea, as Grams seemed to believe. What if he couldn’t support a wife? And there would definitely be children eventually. It was bad enough that he was being forced to sell the other estates and townhouses. Marriage was not the correct choice at the moment.
“Grams, you don’t understand. My life… circumstances going on currently…” He stopped, not knowing how to explain the complications to his grandmother. He didn’t want her to panic because they were running out of money.
“My dear boy,” his grandmother said in a calmer voice, “you need to remember, this isn’t just about you. Miss Priscilla’s future is at stake as well.”
“I understand, I assure you, but I just don’t know…” He inhaled slower, trying to gain control over the fear rushing through him. He must be strong. There was a way out of this mess—he just had to find it.
“What if I court Priscilla first to show Society that I’m interested in her, but then, as they will suspect from my past, I don’t offer marriage and move on to my next conquest?”
Grandmother arched an eyebrow at him. “Gavin Wayne Worthington! Stop this nonsense now. You are not a simpleton. Unlike your father,youhave a backbone and a conscience. You will do the right thing.”
