Page 83 of The Viscount's Unwanted Bride
CHAPTER 26
“Are you sure about this?”
Kate glanced at Theo as he wrapped his arm around her back as if completely prepared to catch her if she were to swoon.
While that was sweet, he’d been much the same for the past two and a half weeks since they’d learned of the pregnancy, and between that and being confined to the house, she was at her wit’s end.
As gently as she could, she smiled up at him and said, “If I don’t see a little of the countryside soon, there’s every possibility I might lose my mind. I’ve been cooped up for too long. I need fresh air and new sights.”
His expression grew pained. “I know. I just worry.”
She stretched up onto her toes and kissed his cheek, enjoying the faint flush that rose on it. “We’ll be careful.”
She had to admit, she liked him fussing over her… to an extent. It was nice to know he cared. After weeks of keeping a cool distance from her, his attitude had completely changed, almost as if one of his fears coming true was enough to bust through the emotional barrier he’d been trying to construct between them.
That said, she hated that his attention came from a place of fear.
Yes, she’d been unwell. Honestly, it was awful. She’d barely managed to keep any food down, and she ached constantly. But she didn’t feel as if she was on the precipice of death, and he was treating her as if one misstep could be her last.
She wished she could prove him wrong but had quickly realized that the only thing that would erase his fear was delivering their child safely. Hopefully after that, he’d see that history wasn’t going to repeat, and he’d allow himself to loosen his grip a little.
Theo helped her down the steps and across the graveled ground to the carriage. It had rained two nights ago and washed away the snow, clearing the road for the journey into South Wye. A small step was positioned in front of the carriage, and he assisted her inside. Her eyebrows rose at the sight of a cushion positioned on the bench beside the window on the far side of the carriage.
“I thought you might need extra padding in case we go over any bumps,” Theo said as he climbed in behind her and ushered her to the cushion.
She sat on it and nodded approvingly. It was comfortable. “Thank you.”
He sat beside her but left a disappointingly large space between them. “I’ve told the driver to go slowly.”
One side of her mouth hitched up, and she looked out the window at the sky beyond so as not to let him see how endearing she found him. There was a cold breeze, and the clouds hadn’t abated after the downpour, but she was grateful to be out of the house regardless.
The carriage began to roll over the gravel and toward the road leading away from Blackwell Hall. She rested against the wall to steady herself. The cushion made the seat softer, but italso rendered her less stable and therefore more prone to travel-induced sickness rather than the pregnancy-related nausea that had been her unwelcome companion.
As they trundled along the road toward the township of South Wye, she fixed her gaze on the horizon out the window and breathed slowly and deeply, doing her best not to show how badly her stomach was rolling. If she let on that she was unwell, Theo would have her tucked safely inside Blackwell Hall with all due haste.
Sheneededthis outing.
She could sense Theo watching her out of the corner of her eye as they traveled. Eventually, she gave up pretending not to notice and took his hand, hoping that the physical contact would reassure him.
His palm was warm against hers. His knuckles were slightly scarred but didn’t have any bruises like the ones she’d once seen, and she wondered what had caused that. Would he ever tell her?
During her exploration of Blackwell Hall, she’d been looking for spare thread when she stumbled into a room with a strange leather bag hanging from the ceiling. She’d never seen anything like it. Were the two somehow related?
She shook her head to clear her vision and blinked in surprise at the sight of a beautiful bare-branched tree set against the rolling fields. There was something about its gnarled branches and the way the shadows fell across it that would make it an excellent subject to paint. She’d have to return with supplies.
A while later, they arrived in South Wye. The town was small but not tiny. There were several shops on the high street, one of which belonged to the local seamstress. They’d visited the seamstress’s shop when she and Margaret came to town, but the seamstress herself had been home unwell, leaving her daughter to manage the shop in her absence.
Kate had purchased a few ribbons and a bonnet, as much to endear herself to the local community than anything else, and had also dropped by the bakery, where she’d bought treats for herself and Theo.
She’d tried to make an appearance in every shop where she’d be welcome as a woman so the town locals would know who she was. She’d been especially thrilled when she’d visited the small bookstore attached to the post office and discovered a copy of Amelia’s novel.
Today, they were primarily in South Wye to order new dresses from the seamstress.
The carriage came to a halt outside the seamstress’s shop, and Theo disembarked and hovered at the door to help her down. She dragged in a lungful of fresh country air and studied the window display. There were perhaps two or three dozen bolts of fabric—not much compared to the offerings in London, but better than she’d expected to find in a town of this size.
“Shall I wait outside?” Theo asked, the purse of his mouth and the furrow of his brow making it clear that he’d rather keep close to her.
She looked up at the sky. There was a certain chill to the air that threatened snow, although they should have plenty of time to return home before it started. “You’d best come in. I’m sure she won’t mind if you wait near the door.” Most likely the woman would be thrilled by the local lord’s presence.
