Page 31 of In Want of a Wife
It took another four hours to reach their inn for the evening.
Rafe found a table and attempted to have her order dinner, andthough she was hungry, she didn’t have an appetite. She didn’t wish to be in his company any longer and excused herself, asking for the innkeeper to arrange for her to have a bath in her room.
It was a small luxury after a day such as she’d had. Would this be what the remainder of her journey would be like? The same sharp-tongued banter in a rocking carriage as the world spun slowly around the sun, wondering if her new husband would like her because his brother clearly did not.
Not that it mattered.
She only wished they could be civil with one another.
Perhaps enjoy a bit of the trip if possible. She had never traveled beyond London. And someday, she wished to see Venice.
She stepped out of the bath and dressed, then paused as a knock rapped at the door.
Her heart hammered in her chest. She didn’t wish to see Rafe, didn’t wish to speak to him. If she could only have the night to place all that armor back on and pretend to be brave. She wouldn’t fall apart because of a man again and certainly not fall to pieces in front of one.
She opened the door to a warm meal at the foot of the door with a simple note.Sorry.
Lily glanced up and down the small, dim hallway but didn’t see anyone. She picked up her food tray and ate a quiet dinner by herself before crawling into bed alone with her astronomy book until sleep was too much to fight and she drifted off. One day closer to meeting her new husband on the Isle of Wight.
It wasn’t asif Rafe had to marry Lily.
He had taken it upon himself to escort her home to Henry, still fully believing she would be an agreeable match. His brother needed a wife, whether he admitted it or not, to help rebuild the crumbling ancestral seat.
When Henry inherited the title unexpectedly, and they both agreed to leave their lives in London, Rafe was charged with assistingin the management of the tenants while Henry tackled the poorly kept ledgers. But the house itself was in disrepair, and they needed more help.
Not to mention, a bride might be just what Henry needed to stop his constant grump terror campaign.
None of that accounted for why Rafe was a cad to her yesterday.
Eating dinner alone in a stuffy tavern room was bad enough. But then he found himself missing her witty retorts and that crooked smirk of hers when she bested him.
Because that was the most annoying thing of all—the bride he had chosen for his brother was beautiful and smart, and everything…
Well, once he had wished to marry, and she would have been perfect.
But he couldn’t count on himself for much, so why would he ever marry? He was a large enough disappointment to Henry. And besides, though their time together had been brief so far, it was clear Miss Abrams did not enjoy him or his company.
“You can pack two extra tarts, please?” he asked the barmaid in the tavern, peeking out the window as his luggage was packed onto the carriage.
“Of course, sir.”
He slid the coin over the worn bar top, then glanced over his shoulder, catching Lily coming downstairs in a blue traveling dress and bonnet. Their eyes met, and he swallowed, his mouth suddenly dry as he turned back to grab the tarts.
Miss Abrams nodded hello, walking through the tavern room as if she were holding court. By God, she was a thing of beauty. He wished to possess whatever power she held that propelled her through the world with such certainty.
“Good morning,” he called out, following her to the carriage. She flashed a quick, polite smile, turning back to watch as the rest of her luggage was secured onto the roof.
“It appears we have everything,” she concluded, spinning to face him.
He wanted none of her politeness. Nor did he deserve it.
Still, he was stuck with her standing before him in blue on a beautiful June morning. She appeared radiant and well rested. Her hair was so beautifully deep brown. He loved how her curls danced around the full apples of her cheeks.
He hadn’t slept. He had spent most of the night tossing and turning, then wishing the kitchen was still open because he hadn’t eaten enough dinner after Lily cried off early.
“Yes,” he said rather stupidly, “it does appear so.”
She clasped her hands, then laughed nervously. “Yes, well… should we start our day?”
