“How wonderful to see you again so soon,” said Mrs. Goddard. “I hadn’t dared to hope for such a pleasure.”
Malcolm forced a smile (or as much of one as he could manage), though it strained when she continued.
“Was that Miss Leigh you were speaking to?” asked Mrs. Goddard. “She did look rather displeased.”
No doubt the lady thought her jab was aimed at Miss Leigh, but Malcolm felt a pang of it echo in his heart, for Mrs. Goddard was quite correct in her statement.
“It is such a shame she has been unable to find a husband,” she added with a disingenuous shake of her head. “But then, that is to be expected with her family’s financial situation. I couldn’t imagine having to find my daughters husbands if my husband had planned so poorly for their futures. My dear Mr. Goddard was quite thorough in saving for our daughters’ dowries.”
Malcolm refused to react to that bit of news. Not that he was surprised to hear of the Leighs’ finances, for he was quite aware of the rumors circulating, since everyone seemed keen to spread that tidbit to him.
As though a lack of dowry or her parents’ foolishness would scare him away. It wasn’t as though anyone in Greater Edgerton boasted a dowry of note. What was a few thousand pounds to a man whose annual income was many times that?
But he supposed he was grateful for their poisoned tongues, for it made it far easier to sort the wheat from the tares.
“I am pleased for you and your daughters,” he said in an empty tone, inviting no further comment. Then, touching the brim of his hat, he said, “Please excuse me.”
Mrs. Goddard attempted to stop him once more, but Malcolm pulled out his pocket watch and gave her a firm nod of the head.
“I do apologize, but I am late and mustn’t tarry,” he said, sidestepping when one of the Miss Goddards stepped in front of him.
“We are at home to visitors on Tuesdays, Mr. Tate,” called Mrs. Goddard. “We do hope you will do us the honor.”
But Malcolm had put enough distance between them that he needn’t answer unless he wished to bellow like a fishmonger’s wife (as Mrs. Goddard insisted on doing). Drawing in a deep breath, he tried to shake off the darkness in his heart, but without the Goddards distracting him, his mind returned once more to Miss Leigh.
Blast it.
***
Miss Leigh’s words haunted Malcolm’s mind in the days that followed. At times, he was distracted enough for her to drift into the background, but she never left him. And when darkness descended, and he sank into his bed, sleep fled from him as he recalled every nuance of their conversation and everything that had led to that moment.
It was ridiculous. Every time he attempted to banish her from his mind, she merely disappeared into the dark recesses, ready to emerge when the world was silent once more. And walking about in a daydream was hardly helping matters.
Unfortunately, he was trapped—now in a literal sense as well as a figurative one, for he was locked away in a carriage with Sidney and his wife seated across, staring at him.
“I am about ready to give up on you altogether,” said Sidney with a huffing laugh.
Crossing his arms, Malcolm settled into the squabs and refused to look at his so-called friend.
“Are you still sulking?” said Sidney.
“I am not sulking,” replied Malcolm, though even he could admit that his tone was far too petulant to support his statement. With a sigh, he shook his head. “So what if I am? The past sennight has been wretched.”
“Give it time. Miss Leigh will come around. The ladies enjoy making their gentlemen languish in the desolate wastelands for a few days or weeks before they finally welcome them home.”
Molly stiffened, leaning away from her husband. “Is that so?”
Taking his wife’s hand, Sidney lifted it to his lips. “Not you, of course. You are a paragon among women.”
Giving him a vague sound that was neither agreement nor disagreement, Molly settled back into her husband’s side. The moment her gaze was pointed elsewhere, Sidney met Malcolm’s gaze and widened his eyes, shaking his head with a grimace, but a well-placed elbow into her husband’s side attested that Molly saw all.
“The truth is that it will take time before you can heal the breach you’ve caused,” she said. “You lied, and you need to gain her trust again.”
Malcolm gave his friend a gimlet eye. “Have you told her everything?”
If he had anticipated Sidney showing the least amount of chagrin, Malcolm was sorely mistaken. His friend merely shrugged.
“Unlike some gentlemen, I keep nothing from my lady.”
