Surrender by Carole Mortimer

Author:Carole Mortimer
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 8

“Ezra?” Clara voiced her uncertainty at his continued silence, unsure of what he was suggesting. Or why.

They had talked and made the choice of a friendship only between them on the afternoon of the baptism, and nothing had happened since that time. None of their conversations had given her the hope Ezra would ever change his mind and want more from her.

Was he doing so now?

Clara was afraid to hope that might be the case. “How much time?” she prompted huskily.

“I—I will have to go away for several weeks or possibly months.”

“Months?” she repeated incredulously.

“I have some business I need to deal with before I can, with a clear conscience, explain my situation to you in more depth.” He looked pained. “Even then I cannot be sure I will return with good news. Only that I must try.”

“You will not leave the area without saying goodbye first?”

His expression softened. “I promise I will not leave without saying goodbye to you.”

“I believe I prefer ‘until we meet again.’ It is far less final than goodbye,” she explained at his questioning glance.

He nodded. “Then I shall say until we meet again.”

“What will happen to your estate and the stud while you are away?”

He shrugged. “In the short time he has been here, Mr. Long has shown himself more than capable of dealing with both enterprises for the time I shall be away. My grooms and the household staff respect him and his authority.”

Clara gazed at Ezra wistfully. “I still do not understand why it is necessary for you to go away at all.”

“I will discuss everything with you upon my return.”

“But—”

“Clara.” Ezra’s hand cupped her cheek, and he lifted her face until she was looking directly at him. “Can you not trust me a little longer? Can it not be enough for now that I am going to try to remove the obstacles standing between us?”

Was that what he was doing? If so, Clara did not understand why it was necessary for Ezra to go away in order to do so.

She had believed that, with her mother’s help, she had unearthed the scandal from Ezra’s past, and he had confirmed the affair. But if that was the case, why did he need to go away at all? Ezra claimed the affair had been of short duration, with no love involved on his part or the lady’s, and if that was so, it was surely a past indiscretion better left undisturbed.

Even if, for some reason, Ezra felt the need to belatedly “confess all” to Lord Fairhurst, the Fairhurst estate was in Gloucestershire, only a day’s ride on horseback from here. No doubt Lord and Lady Fairhurst were spending the winter months there with their two children.

Clara winced. “Do you think it wise to rake up an old scandal? I do not mean to cast any aspersions upon your feelings or those of Lady Fairhurst, but surely after all this time, it is something best forgotten.”

Ezra scowled. “My affair with Anna Fairhurst lasted only a few weeks and was so long ago, I assure you I have forgotten it.

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