“Quite.”
“I hope so.” She gave him a most intense look. “Because if you’re wrong, trying to force them apart could ruin your relationship with him forever.”
“What would you know of such things?” James asked, his anger toward her rising once more on account of the worry he’d felt since learning of Michael’s elopement.
“Enough to tell you that young love can be stronger than you think and that trying to quash it can wreck more than one life.”
He stared at her. She spoke as if from experience, and to James’s shock, he envied the man to whom she’d given her heart. Rattled by the jealous spike he’d felt in response to her words, he asked, “Is that why you did it?”
She did not pretend to misunderstand his meaning. “My marriage was one of convenience, Mr. Dale. That is all I will say on the matter.”
When she closed her eyes to block him out, James knit his brow and gave his attention back to the view. Her contradiction of character perplexed him. Something about the facts he’d been given during her divorce hearings did not square with the woman who’d entertained him in a chilly parlor or faced him while covered in dirt. He could not put his finger on where the misalignment was, but it was there – he could sense it – and he would not be satisfied until he found it.
He was not her friend and he did not want her advice. In spite of Wilhelmina’s initial sense that Mr. Dale might desire to strike up a conversation for no other purpose than to pass the time, this notion had swiftly crumbled the moment he’d asked her to explain her unfaithfulness. What he wanted was to pry, possibly even to accuse, and if she were to stop him from learning the truth, she’d do well to avoid the subject entirely.
So she watched the fields slide by as they raced after Cynthia and Michael while doing her best not to let the monotony bore her. She thought of George and Fiona who would be trying to figure out where exactly to settle by now and wondered if she would ever see either of them again. Probably not.
The depressing thought caused her eyes to sting. Thus far, she’d been too busy to sit and think – to allow the full weight of her sacrifice to weigh on her heart. Now, with nothing to do besides ponder the events that had led her to this very moment, her mind became overcrowded with memories of her childhood, of how she and George used to swim in the village pond with all the other children, how they’d skate on the ice during winter and climb the cherry trees every spring. A smile tugged at her lips. Later in the year they’d sit in the trees and stuff their faces with those sweet berries until their bellies ached.
When he’d been admitted to Eton, she’d been there to share in his celebration. They’d written each other weekly, and when he’d been denied the woman he loved on account of the Marquess of Ottersburg not finding George good enough for his daughter, Wilhelmina had comforted her friend as best as she could. She was probably the only person in the world who knew he’d never fully recovered from the heartache he’d suffered. He’d only just turned eighteen when he’d made his intentions known. When Lady Katherine had become engaged to the Earl of Merriweather shortly after, George had been crushed.
Three months later, Wilhelmina’s life had been turned upside down, and George, confident he would never again find the kind of love he’d harbored for Lady Katherine, had saved her. In hindsight, she shouldn’t have let him do it. They’d both been too young to understand the ramifications of their decision to wed. Not that she regretted one moment of her marriage. She’d had her best friend by her side, and Cynthia had been awarded the legitimacy Wilhelmina so dearly wanted for her.
The carriage slowed and drew to a halt, offering Wilhelmina a welcome reprieve from her reminiscing, even as it forced her to face a different kind of torture. With a sigh, she gave her attention to Mr. Dale, who was already in the process of climbing out. He stepped onto the ground, then turned to meet her gaze with directness. His hand came into view as he raised it toward her.
“Allow me to help you alight.” His voice was firm yet soft, completely devoid of judgment or displeasure though it did contain a hint of impatience.
Wilhelmina’s heart gave an unsteady thump. She scooted along the bench toward the door. Leaning forward, she gripped the opening with one hand and placed the other in his. Strong fingers curled around hers, lending support as she climbed down. Her unsteady heartbeats leapt into a faster rhythm, and to her dismay, she struggled to catch her breath until he released her.
The effect was not dissimilar to the one he’d had on her two years earlier, but it was somehow more unexpected in light of all that had happened since. It also felt stronger – as if her body recognized what she’d been missing, and rejoiced over merely a touch.
“I’m going to inquire after our children.” Mr. Dale hesitated briefly as if unsure as to whether or not he ought to say something more. Eventually he asked, “Are you hungry?”
They’d only been on the road for two hours and this was their first stop of many throughout the day.
“Not especially,” Wilhelmina said, though she probably would be in a while. She considered Mr. Dale. “You?”
He shrugged in a manner suggesting he might be starving but refused to be the sole cause for delay. “I’ll manage.”
“We could purchase some bread, ham, and cheese to take along,” Wilhelmina suggested once she’d wrestled the smile that threatened due to his grumpy tone back under control.
His features relaxed. “Excellent idea, Mrs. Lawson. I’ll be back within a few minutes.”
“Make sure to order something for your coachman as well.”
Mr. Dale gave her an odd look. “Of course.”
As soon as he’d gone inside the inn, Wilhelmina walked around the side of the building and made use of the necessary she found there. She washed her hands at the nearby pump and returned to the front. Mr. Dale arrived soon after with three separate bundles wrapped in cheesecloth. He handed one to the coachman.
“According to the innkeeper, our children stopped for a bite to eat here some five hours ago,” Mr. Dale said while sending his coachman an expectant look.
“Seeing as they’re on horseback, they’ll be tough to catch,” the coachman informed them. “It’s not impossible though if we make the most of each day and the weather holds.”
“Then let us be off,” Mr. Dale said. He lent Wilhelmina his hand and helped her back into the carriage before climbing in behind her. The door slammed shut and the vehicle lurched into motion.
Once back on the road, Mr. Dale gave Wilhelmina one of the bundles. “Exactly what you suggested.”
“Thank you.” She accepted the offering and retrieved her reticule. “How much do I owe you?”
