Page 6 of Stay Here Forever

Luke could hardly believe the sight of her sitting on the bench. It was as if he’d conjured her out of thin air, with long-buried memories resurfacing for the first time in years. He was rather concerned for her well-being. She’d appeared shaken, though he had no idea what occurred to make her so. He hoped she’d be steadier today, no longer troubled.

Finally completing a presentable knot, Luke quickly donned his jacket and made his way out the door. Miss Jacobs had sent a note earlier that morning indicating she’d meet him at Gunter’s rather than await his carriage, so he decided to walk and enjoy the air and exercise. But he was now in danger of arriving late.

Rushing through the door thirty minutes later, Luke breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Miss Jacobs was just being ushered to a table. Striding forward, he nimbly swooped in and intercepted the server, taking hold of the chairback and smiling down at Audrey as she tipped her face up to greet him.

“Thank you, but you don’t need to rush.”

Pulling out his own seat after circling the table, Luke smirked. “Of course I do, I was almost late for our engagement. Most ungentlemanly of me.”

“I won’t tell if you don’t. I’m just enjoying being out again, and I appreciate the gesture.” She blushed slightly at the last admission, causing Luke to frown. Why did someone taking the time to pull out a chair for her feel novel? It was the least amount of care a man could provide in a social situation. He didn’t like the implications of such attention being foreign to her.

“You mentioned craving a brown bread ice, are there other treats you’ve missed while away?” Audrey asked while looking over a list of offerings. “Rufus always loved—” She snapped her mouth shut before finishing her thought. Odd, but Luke didn’t want the moment to become awkward and moved the conversation along.

“Honestly, I don’t have the largest sweet tooth. I’ll be more than happy with anything you’d like to order. A man can’t go wrong with a proper English tea.”

“Well, then that is exactly what you should have,” she answered with resolve, moving past the moment as well. “And then you should tell me about where you’ve been and the kinds of treats you’ve enjoyed while away.” Her eyes sparked with excitement over the top of her menu as she mentioned his travels. Did Audrey long to visit new places herself?

Luke had endless questions about how Miss Jacobs had spent her past ten years, but after placing an order for tea and assorted treats, she initiated her own line of inquiry regarding his intervening years.

“I can’t even begin to imagine all that you must have seen and experienced. Where have you been, and what brings you back at this time?” She was looking at him with genuine interest, and Luke had the urge to tell her everything—and he was not one to open up easily. But where to begin? He felt like an entirely different man than the one who ventured out so long ago.

And there was much Luke had witnessed that shouldn’t be shared with a lady of gentle upbringing. He closed his eyes briefly as images of battlefields strewn with bodies assaulted him. He swallowed hard before reopening them, focusing on Miss Jacobs’s beauty while searching for a suitable answer to her questions.

“You look concerned. Have I overstepped again? I don’t mean to pry, truly. I’m just so curious, as life here seems ever so much the same.”

Audrey appeared smaller as she spoke, and Luke realized his hesitation had made her insecure. “You’ve not overstepped at all,” he said, rushing to reassure her. “There is just so much that has happened, and I’m not quite sure where to start.”

A small smile returned to her face, relieving Luke. He just needed to keep talking and make sure her vibrancy remained. He cleared his throat that was parched from his memories.

“As you know, your father helped me secure a position with the foreign service before he passed. I left in early 1805 and traveled to Spain with one of the Crown’s main dignitaries. Napoleon was causing a fuss, and our small coalition was meant to represent Great Britain’s interests in the region—Portugal having been a large trading partner. Not long after, I was sent to Portugal proper as fighting shifted to the peninsula. I spent most of my remaining time there until . . . until this past year.”

He faltered slightly when mentioning what had recently passed, events still too fresh to dwell on, but Miss Jacobs didn’t seem to notice.

“Portugal,” Miss Jacobs exclaimed with wide eyes and a soft flush. “How exciting! That explains the color to your complexion.” Luke felt his cheeks grow warm while he looked away from her soft scrutiny. He knew his tanned skin was not fashionable, and he hated how it made him stand out.

“Oh, now I’ve embarrassed you! Please don’t mind my comment, it’s just that I noted it as it’s so becoming.” Luke looked up sharply at her admission, but she continued talking as if she’d not said anything profound. “If you remained in Portugal all that time, even through the endless conflict, you must have been of some importance. What was your role once you left Spain?”

Luke cleared his throat before answering, unsure how to explain without seeming boastful. “For several years, I served as the Crown’s ambassador to the country.” He watched as her eyes widened comprehending that he’d been the top-ranking diplomat in a strategic country.

“Though it sounds important, it was a time of war and many of us ascended through the ranks out of necessity,” he said, omitting that he begrudgingly assumed the position of diplomat when his superior was killed in an accident in 1807 while attempting to flee alongside the Portuguese king from the French invasion of Lisbon. It had been a scandal Luke felt obligated to keep quiet, and his discretion was rewarded with promotion to the position of Ambassador.

“I read about the occupation. It lasted so long. Was it dreadful?” Audrey appeared both concerned and intrigued as a small line formed above the bridge of her nose.

Luke cleared his throat again, unsure how to explain the years of occupation and all the lives lost without becoming too maudlin. “Conditions in the country were difficult, and ordinary workers suffered behind the blockade with so many men off to fight.” Luke began to fidget, plucking his napkin before admitting the rest. “I was mainly cushioned from hardship, as I lived under the Crown’s protection in the home of Senhor Ronaldo, a top adviser for the Portuguese king.”

“What kinds of work were you doing? Negotiating with the French?” Miss Jacobs’s full attention was trained on Luke. She hardly blinked as their tea service was laid out on the table. Once the teapot was placed in front of her, she shook her head as if to bring herself back to the moment before picking up the pot and expertly pouring while asking him how he took his tea.

There was such an elegance to her movements; Luke had always thought so. He took the brief reprieve from her questions to really take in her appearance. He was relieved to see that Audrey appeared more in control of herself today. Whatever had been troubling her was hopefully now a moment in the past.

Light from the window fell across her face, revealing the contrast between her ivory skin and silky mahogany hair. She was so lovely. Guilt washed over Luke at the thought, a sour feeling settling in his stomach. He’d been a widower less than a year. He had no business admiring another woman when Inez still felt so present. Determined to keep his mind only to thoughts of friendship, he refocused on her hands as she finished the tea preparations and extended a cup his way.

Taking the cup from her with a quick nod, Luke sipped the tea and almost groaned in bliss. She prepared it perfectly. As much as he’d loved Inez, she could never make a great cup of tea, either oversteeping the brew or leaving it too weak in fear of making it bitter once again. Of course Audrey would make an exceptional cup of tea just as he had resolved not to think of her over fondly. But everyone knew proper tea was the way to a man’s heart.

“I’m sorry, where were we?” Audrey pursed her lips as she tried to recall the thread of their conversation. Luke caught his gaze wandering toward her mouth and forced himself to look away, instead focusing on layering cream onto his scone. “Oh, yes. You mentioned living with a Portuguese adviser. Was that a common arrangement?”

“Not really, but it was a time of war, and he is also my father-in-law.”

A gasp escaped Audrey at his admission. “You’re married? I hadn’t thought . . . but of course you would be.” Slight color was rising in her cheeks, but after a quick pause, she rallied herself. “Please tell me about your wife, I’d love to meet her.”