“You were thinking the same thing?”
“I was thinking earlier that if I started kissing you tonight, I would never want to stop. After seeing your beautiful long hair flowing around your shoulders, I realized how I want you just like this, next to me and cuddling so personally.” He leaned closer and rubbed his cheek against hers.
Happiness swelled in her chest. She’d waited to feel this way for so long. Unfortunately, as most of the events in her life, falling in love with Tristan wasn’t right yet. There were too many barriers keeping them apart. Especially now.
“Tristan, whatever shall we do? We cannot see each other until they find the guilty person, yet staying away from you would be impossible.”
“I agree.” He kissed her lips again briefly before pulling back. “But I do have a solution.”
“Please tell. I’m all out of ideas.”
“I propose we return to your grandmother’s cottage. I shall tell my family I’m traveling abroad, and you could tell your staff that you have sick family and you will be gone for a long time.” He grinned. “Nobody would know we were together.”
She sighed and rested her head on his chest, sliding her arms around his middle. “That does sound Heavenly.”
“Then do you agree that’s our only choice?”
“Yes, I do. But I still fear someone will find out, and if there is another murder, the magistrate will continue to suspect us.”
“We won’t let that happen. We shall be very careful.”
Diana lifted her head and looked into his eyes. “You are serious about this, aren’t you?”
“Extremely.” He cupped the side of her face. “We have been apart for too long. I refuse to let anyone—or anything—keep us from being together.”
Her heart melted. How could it not from his sweet words? “Then when should we start planning our little holiday?”
“The sooner the better.” He winked. “Actually I was thinking in a few days. You can leave first then I shall leave three days later. That way people won’t suspect we have left together.”
She nodded as calmness settled in her heart. She prayed he was correct that nobody would find out. Still, she must do something to try and discover who was really committing these murders. There was no way she wanted to keep her feelings from Tristan and everyone else.
For once in her life, she could see the end of a dreary tunnel, and she couldn’t wait to get there.
*
The plan wassimple. All Tabitha had to do was take a few of Diana’s trunks to the cottage, check on Sally, then return. Yet complications arose and by the time Tabitha was having the last trunk loaded, she was ready to scream with frustration. If it wasn’t one of the horses losing a shoe, it was the footman dropping one of the trunks and breaking it beyond repair.
She’d wanted to leave early enough in the day so that she could return to the manor by nightfall, but now she would have to stay the night. Being by herself wasn’t terribly boring, but conversing with Diana would definitely make time pass quicker.
Tabitha tightened the ribbons of her bonnet under her chin, and climbed into the carriage. Just as she settled herself on the seat, the vehicle jerked into motion. She’d brought a few books to read for her journey, but at the moment, she was too mentally exhausted to think about absorbing anything in the leather-bound novels.
Resting her head back against the seat, she closed her eyes, wanting nothing more to do right now but dream of her future. Or at least imagine what her future could be. Unfortunately, just as she was picturing a different world—one with happiness and solace—a man’s charming smile and intense eyes popped into her head.
Never had she seen a more handsome man before—wide shoulders and chest, muscular legs, and blue-gray eyes that could melt a witch’s heart. Not only that, but his husky laugh had made her heart skip a beat.
She growled and snapped open her eyes. Why was she thinking abouthim? The scoundrel shouldn’t even be worth her time or worth daydreaming about. Men like him didn’t have hearts.
From outside the carriage, someone whistled and the vehicle slowed. Mumbling voices were heard. Someone was talking to Mr. Coggins, the driver. Seconds later, the door opened and in jumped a man. She gasped and braced herself on the seat. In a split second, he had closed the door and sat next to her as the vehicle picked up speed. Familiar blue-gray eyes twinkled when he smiled.
“Where are we going, my lovely?”
When it finally sank in her head that Lord Hawthorne had invaded her space and privacy, anger overrode the shock pumping through her. She bunched her hand into a fist and punched his arm. “You cannot be serious. What in Heaven’s name are you doing here?”
“I’m riding with you.” He motioned his head toward the front of the carriage where the driver was. “Did you not hear me asking the driver if I could get in?”
“Of course not. If I had, I would have blocked the door to keep you away from me.”
Sitting back in the seat, he stretched his long legs in front of him as he raked his fingers through his wind-blown hair. “You didn’t answer me, my lovely. Where are we going?”
