An Unkissed Lady: A Historical Regency Romance (The Evesham Series) by Audrey Ashwood

Author:Audrey Ashwood [Ashwood, Audrey]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Published: 2020-08-31T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

Lady Rose was uncharacteristically quiet when he accompanied her home, and Gabriel did not feel like talking. Usually, he was not the kind to be bothered by silence, but he did not like seeing her this dispirited. “Tell me what is on your mind.” It was probably not the most skilful opening to a conversation, but he did not want to keep reassuring her again and again that he intended to bear most of her parental wrath or that Oberon would recover.

She snuggled deeper into the blankets which he had spread around her and the silent Mrs Prisson, and sighed. They had taken the open carriage, as the inside of his covered carriage still bore the traces of transporting the injured dog. An eternity seemed to pass before she finally opened her eyes and looked at him. Her gaze never failed to touch him, whether he wanted to grab her and shake her, or kiss her, but that moment was … different. For a moment, he longed to take his words back and ask her to close her eyes again, just so he would not have to drown in the blue sea – but it was too late. The distance between them, which he had carefully adhered to, shrank, although neither Gabriel nor Lady Rose had moved. The wall between them turned to dust until they were just a man and a woman who had together been pushed to their limits this very day.

“Nothing really.” Her voice was little more than a whisper that almost perished in the clatter of hooves and the shouts of the boys commending the evening newspaper editions.

“You are lying.” The words left Gabriel’s mouth before he had even thought about how rude it was to accuse a lady of an obvious lie. “Tell me what is troubling you. Please,” he added, lest it sounded too much like an order.

“Can we not just leave it by saying that it was a gruelling day, and I did just about everything wrong that I could possibly have done wrong?” She turned her head to one side, just a little and not enough to hide her welling tears from him.

He felt the chastising stare of the chaperone and relented. “Of course, if that is what you wish.” He paused, forcing his fingers to remain still, instead of taking her face in both hands and turning it towards him. “I know you are worried about what your parents are going to say, but …” Gabriel was searching for the right words to give her at least a little comfort. His heart was pounding fast, just like that day when he had first walked onto the battlefield. “But you should not be too hard on yourself, Lady Rose. You followed your heart, and there is nothing wrong with that.”

“I cannot believe that you are the one saying that. This morning, when I turned up at Battersea Fields and this afternoon, you seemed anything but enthusiastic about my presence.”

“Nothing has changed. What I mean to say is that I admire your desire to help your betrothed, as well as your loyalty.

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