“Yes,” she said quietly, and wiped her eyes again with her damp handkerchief.
“About me and Lady Adele?”
“No. Farley.”
“Oh. The duke doesn’t trust him.”
“Farley doesn’t trust the duke, either.”
“What about you? Do you trust the duke?”
“Yes.” The answer wasn’t quite as simple as the softly spoken word, but she didn’t want to say more.
They were silent once more for a few minutes when Paxton suddenly said, “She really does talk too much.”
Loretta looked at Paxton. Was that a serious expression on his face? Did he not realize that he talked as much as Lady Adele? That, when the two of them were together, there was no room for anyone else in the conversation and it seemed as if they could talk each other into oblivion?
Suddenly Loretta started laughing. She laughed so hard, and for so long, her side was beginning to hurt. It felt good to release the tension that Farley and Hawk had caused to knot inside her.
“Thank you, Paxton. I needed a reason to laugh so badly.”
“That’s good for you, but what am I to think when I poured my heart out to you and you start laughing?”
She stared more closely at Paxton. Hewasbeing serious. “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t realize. I’m afraid I was being selfish and thinking only about what I needed. What do you mean by pouring your heart out?”
“Nothing really.” He shook his head as if to dismiss his comment.
“No, you meant something. Tell me so that I don’t feeltotally wretched for ignoring your feelings in favor of my own.”
He pushed his cloak away from his shoulders, propped one foot on his other knee, and answered, “I got on very well with Lady Adele. To be the daughter and sister of a duke, she really wants nothing more than a simple life.”
“I realized that, too,” she said cautiously.
“She’s quite fetching, vivacious, and clever as the day is long. And terribly spoiled. Her cousin does her every bidding, as does everyone else in the house, except for her brother, of course. Yet Lady Adele wasn’t snappish, demanding, or rude. She was polite in every way. Always saying please and thank you to everyone, even though she’s treated like a princess.”
“I found all that to be true about her as well.”
“So you liked her, too?” he asked.
“I did.” Loretta paused. “But what do you feel for her?”
“I feel that I’d be perfect for her.” There was no guile, nor even a hint of arrogance in his tone. He then added, “But—”
“But what?” she asked, realizing Paxton was unusually somber.
“There is an important matter the duke and I must settle before discussions of marriage can go forward.”
“I’m glad you’re taking your time to think this through and I assume Lady Adele is, too. I’m sorry I haven’t been a very good sister to you on this trip. Is there any way I can help with this important matter?”
“No, no.” He shook his head. “I know what needs to be done and how to settle it. I think I’ll rest, if you don’t mind.”
“Not at all. I’ll probably lay my head back for a few minutes as well.”
Loretta watched Paxton snuggle into his cloak and fithis hat over his face, and a fierce sadness gripped her. She would not back down from wanting Paxton to marry Lady Adele only if he loved her, but the sad truth was that if Paxton didn’t marry Adele, Loretta would never have a reason to see the duke again. And that thought filled her with grief.
Dear Readers:
The Duke of Hawksthorn has been in London most of the winter, and I have it on good authority that his sister, Lady Adele, has arrived to join him. She was sighted coming out of a well-known modiste shop with her cousin and chaperone, Mrs. Philbert. No doubt they were making sure the last bead has been sewn, the last bow has been tied, and the last feather has been glued in their final preparations of her gowns for the Season. And one can’t help but wonder if the duke is making final preparations, as well, to ensure that Lady Adele isn’t beset by a mischief-maker in her quest to find the perfect gentleman and make a match.
