Falling for Mr. Townsbridge by Sophie Barnes

Author:Sophie Barnes
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2020-07-21T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Four

The carriage Eloise managed to hire once she reached Cabourg was significantly less comfortable than the one belonging to the Townsbridges. Not that it mattered. The only thing that signified was that she would reach home soon. She prayed she wouldn’t be late and that she would be allowed some final moments with her grandfather.

Leaning into the corner of the cabin as the carriage left town, her thoughts invariably drifted to William. He’d been so wonderfully kind and helpful. The pouch he’d given her contained more money than she was able to make in a year. She could easily choose to keep it and not return. But that hadn’t been his concern. His only worry, as far as she could tell, had been to offer assistance.

A soft smile pulled at the edge of her mouth. Since meeting him three weeks earlier, she’d done her best to keep him at arm’s length, to prevent herself from liking him, and later from letting her increasing fondness for him evolve into more. But he’d been determined to tear down the boundaries between them and reach for more.

Her heart trembled against her breast. The peril it faced on account of William Townsbridge was unmistakable. She already feared she was half in love with him, and yet, to hope for a shared future would be the utmost of foolishness on her part. Because she would never be any man’s mistress, not even his. And that would most likely mean some tough decisions loomed ahead.

She sighed and felt the air burn in her throat. For now, she had more important matters to focus on. Losing Victor would be a severe blow to her, but to her father, it would be devastating.

Eloise glanced out the window, across the wide expanse of farmland followed by forest and meadows. A sharp turn jostled the carriage as it rolled onto a narrower road. Ten minutes later, it came to a rocking halt in front of a beige stone cottage with gray slate tiles and dark brown shutters.

The front door opened and Eloise’s mother, Collette, came to greet her. She was followed by Eloise’s older siblings, her brother, François, and her sister, Marie.

“Ma cherie,” Eloise’s mother exclaimed, wrapping her arms around Eloise the moment she stepped down onto the ground. “Thank God you’re here.”

“I’m not too late then?” Eloise asked while hugging her mother back.

“Non. There is still time, though I fear not too much.”

Eloise pulled back with some small amount of relief and greeted François and Marie. Both lived within a half hour’s ride, so she wasn’t surprised by their presence and glad for the chance to see them as well, though she wished it could have been under different circumstances.

“Come.” Eloise’s mother linked her arm with Eloise’s once the coachman had been paid. She led her toward the cottage while François saw to Eloise’s bags. “I’ll take you straight up to Vincent’s bedchamber so you may visit with him, and then we shall have some crêpes.”

“I can help you make them,” Eloise offered.

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