“I’m going to tell him that you are coming to London with us when we go.”
Loretta’s stomach jumped at the thought she might see the duke again so soon. That wonderful feeling of butterflies fluttering in her chest started again. “I don’t know that the earl will be as generous with you as he was with the duke about my traveling. The duke could offer him a favor in return. You cannot.”
“Oh, but I can and he knows what it is. As soon as Lady Adele and I are married, I am accepting responsibility for you. The dowry from Lady Adele will ensure you will no longer be under his guardianship or a resident of Mammoth House. You will be with me.”
Just the thought of not being under her uncle’s command filled her with such relief. “I never dared to hope that might be possible for either of us.”
The wagon stopped at the top of the lane. Though it was a fair distance away, Loretta could hear Farley coughing. She turned to Paxton. “I will go to London with you on one condition.”
He quirked his head and laughed. “You amaze me, Loretta. You haven’t been to London in almost three years and you’re going to put conditions on going with me?”
“Yes. I want to take Farley with me. I want to find the best physician, apothecary, or whomever. I just want him to see the best London has. I want to know if Farley has a lingering cough from being so ill, or if he has developed consumption.”
“Dear sister.” Paxton shook his head slightly. “I believe I can talk the earl into allowing you to go to London for the reasons I just stated, but you have to know getting the boy there will not be as easy. There is simply no reason for him to go. The town house is small. I’m not sure therewould room for him. As much as I’d like to do this for you, I don’t think I can help you with this.”
“You must do it for me,” she argued. Hawk was already lost to her. She was losing Paxton to Lady Adele. If she lost Farley, too, she’d have no one to offer her love, her help. “He can stay with your valet and you can say that he is being trained.”
“He’s so young, I really don’t see Uncle agreeing to that.”
Loretta reached over and placed her hand on Paxton’s cheek. “You know I’ve seldom asked anything of you.” She didn’t like pleading but in this she had no choice. “Please try to do this for me. I need to know if there’s a reasonable chance Farley can completely recover, or if it’s too late for that.”
Paxton gave her a sympathetic smile. “I’ll see that it’s done.”
Chapter 22
A gentleman who wants to woo a lady should never call on her without a bouquet of flowers in his hand.
APROPERGENTLEMAN’SGUIDETOWOOINGTHEPERFECTLADY
SIRVINCENTTYBALTVALENTINE
Loretta had gotten up early after little sleep. She’d forgotten how busy and noisy London streets were even in the middle of quiet Mayfair where her uncle’s town house was located. Throughout the night she’d heard the sounds of carriage wheels squeaking, horses’ hooves on packed ground, shouts from the drivers, and even the baying of hounds. None of those things were ever heard during the night at Mammoth House, and seldom were any of them heard during the day, either.
Thankfully she wouldn’t have many more days to spend in the old hunting lodge. To her surprise, the earl had welcomed the idea of Paxton taking over responsibility for her welfare. A young lady’s guardianship usually fell the closest male in the family anyway. Paxton had been far too young for that when their mother died, and then when hecame of age the problem was that his allowance came from the earl. He didn’t give Paxton enough money to care for the both of them. And besides, Loretta was supposed to marry and have a husband to care for her. Now, after Paxton married Lady Adele, there would be more than enough for her to leave her uncle’s care.
There were other reasons she hadn’t slept well, she thought, as she looked out the drawing room window at the rainy street before her. She saw her reflection in the pane. Her brow was furrowed, and her lips firmly set. She appeared and felt anxious. Loretta wondered if there would be an opportunity for her to see Hawk. Would he bring the contracts to her uncle’s house? Would the earl and Paxton go to the duke’s home? They might even go to the solicitor’s office to handle them. She hadn’t wanted to ask. She’d rather have hope than disappointment.
She wanted to see Hawk, of course, even though she knew it would be best if she didn’t. Nothing could change between them, but seeing him always made her feel good. It warmed her, and though just seeing him would never satisfy her longing to be in his arms again, it might ease a little of the heartbreak and longing.
But now she had Farley to contend with and help fill her time. She was relieved his cough had improved and that Paxton had convinced her uncle he could come with them to assist his valet. In fact, ever since the earl had heard that the duke wanted Paxton to marry Lady Adele, her uncle had been amiable to everything Paxton had asked. No doubt, he was eager to have them both be someone else’s responsibility, but mostly Loretta knew it was because of the clout having a duke in the family would give him with other peers.
Paxton had gone out some time ago to see if he could find the name of a person in town that she could take Farley to. She’d brought all of her pin money with her, which wasn’t much, but she hoped would be enough to pay for the man’s services. Paxton had added what he could to help her with the expense, too.
Loretta leaned in a little closer to the window when a carriage stopped in front of her uncle’s house. Her stomach quickened. She wiped the foggy pane with her hand. Was that the duke’s crest on the shiny black door? Her breath caught in her throat and held until she saw him alight from the coach and head for the house.
“He’s come to see me,” she whispered aloud to herself. But immediately she shook her head. What was she thinking? He’d come to see Paxton and her uncle. She had rebuffed him and he’d accepted that.
Paxton had said he was going to send a message to Hawk that they’d arrived in London. But her brother had gone out and hadn’t returned. Her uncle was still in his chambers. Hawk would be sent away. She rushed from the drawing room to the front of the house, where the maid was standing in the open doorway.
She saw Hawk across the threshold. He saw her, too. Her heart started pounding so hard she heard it in her ears.
“I’ll just come in and wait for him,” Hawk said, not waiting for the maid to respond. He took off his hat, cloak, and gloves and handed them to the woman.
“Good morning, Miss Quick.”
“Your Grace,” she said and curtsied.
“You don’t think the earl will mind if I wait for him in the drawing room, do you?” he asked.
