Eventually, she said, “I realize Peter might prefer playing with Heidi, but she also needs to go for walks. I take her every morning after breaking my fast. You’re welcome to join me if you like.”
“Peter and I would love that,” Callum said as he expelled his breath.
“Let’s meet at the Hyde Park entrance tomorrow morning then. Will ten o’clock suit?”
“Perfectly so. Thank you.”
“Hopefully, with a bit of common sense and caution, you and I can prevent another accident from occurring.”
“I shall certainly do my best to keep you out of harm’s way,” he promised.
“Thank you, Your Grace.”
He glanced at the two remaining rhubarb tarts. They were awfully good, but since he sensed their conversation was at an end, he abandoned the idea of having another and stood. “Until tomorrow, my lady.”
She bid him farewell and he left with a smile. He was not only pleased with the progress he’d made for Peter’s sake, but for his own as well. Lady Emily, as it turned out, was not only pretty. She was also a lovely person whose company he’d enjoyed a lot more than he had expected. His heart thumped with the excitement of seeing her again soon.
He only hoped he wouldn’t ruin what had the potential of turning into a marvelous friendship.
5
Even though she’d told herself repeatedly not to get excited over the idea of seeing Stratton again, Emily’s heart still skipped a beat when she saw him the following morning. Handsomely dressed in a dark-blue jacket, fawn-colored breeches, and black boots, he cast an imposing figure as she made her approach. They would not be alone of course. Peter was with him and she’d brought Georgina as well, but they would still talk and interact.
Their meeting yesterday had been full of surprises. She’d not expected to enjoy Stratton’s company quite as much as she had. He’d proven himself a fun and interesting conversationalist. There was no denying it had stung when she’d realized he’d not asked to see her for her sake alone.
But she’d forgiven the slight in a heartbeat. How could she not when the man was attempting to make his ward happy? Him reaching out to her, a woman he’d feared might reject the olive branch he tried to offer, proved he was kind, selfless, and brave.
Considerate too, she reflected, recalling the bouquet he’d brought her. He’d not only done as she’d asked and forgone the traditional bouquet of roses, he’d also pleased her with the vibrant and cheerful collection of flowers he’d offered in its place.
All in all, sitting down with him over tea had been a pleasant affair. Nothing disastrous had happened. He’d seemed a bit tense at first but then he’d relaxed and the afternoon together had progressed without any issue.
This gave her hope. It also made her wonder about things she probably ought not be wondering about. Like why she’d felt a spark of awareness when she touched his hand, or if he’d felt it too. Such questions could only lead to trouble, so she did her best to push them aside and to focus on her purpose. Today was about Peter.
“Good morning,” she said once she reached the pair. “I hope you’re ready for a long walk. Heidi enjoys her exercise.”
Peter had already dropped to a crouch so he could pet Heidi. He grinned when she licked at his chin with her tongue.
“Thank you.” Stratton mouthed the words when Emily’s gaze caught his. The smile that followed was filled with so much gratitude, her heart immediately tripled in size.
She gave a quick nod for the sake of maintaining her composure. Apparently, the duke could be rather charming when he wasn’t tripping her up. “I thought you might like to hold the leash, Peter.”
The boy instantly stood, his eyes bright with near disbelief. “May I?”
“Of course.” Emily handed the leash to Peter and showed him how to hold it. “Don’t lengthen it too much or you run the risk of its getting tangled.”
They entered the park and proceeded along the main path. Peter walked slightly ahead of Emily and Stratton, who strolled side by side while Georgina followed behind at a distance.
“Thank you again for doing this,” Stratton said after a while. He kept his voice low, so Peter wouldn’t hear, but added a sense of intimacy to his tone. The effect was rather potent. It warmed her cheeks and made her feel slightly breathless.
Pretending to admire the landscape so he wouldn’t notice, she said, “I’m happy to help.”
He said nothing else for a while afterward and that, she decided, wasn’t bad either. She didn’t feel a pressing need to fill the silence as she sometimes did with other people. With Stratton, she realized she found it rather pleasant, as though them simply being there together, was enough.
It was most peculiar and very unexpected.
“Shall we purchase some treats?” Stratton asked when a vendor came into view.
Peter glanced back at him with a happy nod. “Yes, please.”
