A Madness in Spring by Kate Noble

Author:Kate Noble [Noble, Kate]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2016-07-21T21:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

* * *

Adam was at a complete loss when Belinda left him in the middle of the east woods that cold spring morning. He was bewildered, bewitched, and befuddled too – not to mention concerned for her. But a small part of him could not help being relieved.

He needed to be alone with his thoughts. And it was obvious that he had lost the ability to think around Belinda Leonard.

He could only assume she had the same desire for time alone, because when he made it back to Sturridge Manor – after taking a long, long walk through the grounds and finding a grim appreciation in the morning’s chill – it was to find that Belinda had already departed, leaving a concerned Francesca asking what had happened.

“Nothing,” he replied shortly. “Ah, we… we didn’t find any crocuses.”

“Then why are your trousers all wet?” she asked.

He looked down. His buff-colored trousers bore the telltale dark spots of damp at his knees.

“Because I fell,” he answered distractedly as he moved past.

“Why did Belinda leave though? What on earth did you say to her?” Francesca kept pace with him, worrying her shawl. “We are supposed to meet Georgie and I don’t know –”

“Haven’t you and Miss Gage caused enough mischief lately?” he said, more brief than he had ever been in his life. And then, without a word, he pushed past a gaping Francesca and climbed the stairs.

He spent the rest of the morning in his rooms. Although, they weren’t really his rooms. Not anymore. Although John and Francesca had both said they would always keep them just for him, he didn’t live here now. He lived in just barely not-Scotland. He thought briefly of running. Just packing up his belongs, getting on his horse and heading north. In truth, he didn’t even have to pack, he could have his things sent to him. He honestly had no business still being here, and absolutely no business kissing Belinda Leonard.

Didn’t he?

They had been tricked, that was it. Tricked into liking one another. A few days of wild fantasy, introduced by scheming matchmakers and blown far out of proportion by their own imaginations.

Which was why he’d been so eager to go on party planning trips with the ladies. Why Belinda had worn her blue dress today – because she knew she looked best in it, and wanted to appear at best advantage.

But wait… Belinda had worn that blue dress often in the months since he’d been there. Specifically, when she’d known he’d be at the house during her visits. If she truly hadn’t liked him, she wouldn’t have cared about appearing at best advantage.

And what about all the things she’d said to him in the woods. Things he’d considered a nuisance – her eagerness to help, to organize, to know how to do things right… she’d wanted to help him.

She’d wanted him to have dry socks during the war.

She’d wanted him to succeed at raising sheep.

And she tried to show him the right way to remove snow from crocuses.

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