Page 12 of The Dream of Love
“That is all the answer you are going to get from me. You are the one with the problem, and I am the worst source to offer help. Talk to Poppy.”
“I will talk to Poppy after I read her book. If she thinks it is magical, then it must be so. I have no intention of staying ignorant about love.”
“We are in agreement on that, so why are you frowning at me?”
“Because I am one of your flock, and you are passing me off on Poppy. Fine, ignore me. Do not feel obliged to lift a finger on my behalf. I’m obviously not all that important to you.”
“Blast it, R-r-remi.”
Oh, he was rolling his r’s again, his heart-melting brogue once again pronounced.
“Indeed, I must be completely insignificant to you. Truly, do not concern yourself. This is my struggle. I must be the one to help myself out of a difficult situation that may impact my happiness for the rest of my life.”
He sighed and dropped his hands to his sides. “Lord help us all,” he muttered. “Do not look to me to teach you about love. You have no idea what you are asking. I cannot do it, and I will not get involved. Just don’t do anything stupid.”
“Now you think I am an idiot?”
He groaned. “No, but you are being incredibly pigheaded. Promise me you will come to me before you run off to Gretna Green with some pimple-faced nitwit you hardly know. And promise you will come to me if your father acts on his threat. I won’t turn you away. You know that. I will never turn you away.”
He gripped her shoulders and stared at her intently. “Are we clear on this? I will not turn you away.”
She nodded. “Got it. You won’t help me find love, but you will protect me if my father tries to force a man on me.”
She felt ashamed for arguing with him. She knew he would continue to press her father, to talk to him and convince him of the right path to take. In the meanwhile, she needed to take her own path, no matter how desperate or foolish he believed her to be for wanting to learn more about this magical book. At worst, she would simply be reading a book. At best, she might miraculously find true love. “Adam, don’t be angry.”
A deep and aching groan tore from his throat. “I’m not. Just don’t go around kissing men becauseThe Book of Loveencourages it.”
She smiled. “I won’t kiss just any man. I’ll come to you first, as you suggested. You are safe to kiss, aren’t you?”
Chapter Six
Safe to kiss?
Had Remi lost her senses?
Adam ran a hand across the nape of his neck, wondering how their discussion had led the girl to this conclusion. He was the last man she ought to be kissing. He wasn’t nearly as resistant to her charms as she believed.
All the more reason to keep his distance. “Well, I had better be on my way. I’ll ride over to your father’s place again tomorrow. Perhaps he will have calmed down by then.”
She nodded. “I am being ungracious. I truly thank you for all you are doing. We both know this will not have a happy outcome unless I crawl back to him on bended knee. It will destroy a piece of my soul to do it, but I may have no other choice. I cannot remain a burden to Poppy and Nathaniel for much longer. Nor will I agree to spend my life going from friend to friend, living off their largesse.”
She shook her head and laughed. “I only have three I would consider friends, Poppy, Olivia, and Penelope. I did not see them often enough to really become close, so how can I impose on them when they hardly know me?”
He caressed her cheek, a mistake for certain. But the sun was shining down on the beautiful girl, catching the fiery auburn highlights of her hair. Her eyes were glistening with unshed tears, and he could not bear for her to cry.
Remi had spirit, but her father was doing his best to pound it out of her.
“Count me as a friend, as well,” he said, unable to tear his gaze away from her expressive eyes. He’d never seen eyes quite that golden brown, the gold in them making them appear luminescent.
She emitted a shaky laugh. “Well, in that case…friend. Would you care to stay for lunch? Poppy and Lavinia will be back shortly. I expect Nathaniel will return as well. He took his young ward, Pip, along with him on his inspection of the storm damage. I doubt they’ll stay out all day.”
“Another time.” Because he was going to kiss her if he stayed in her company any longer.
She did not hide her disappointment. “Of course. I understand.”
They walked back to the house, and she accompanied him to the front door. They were standing on the steps waiting for the Sherbourne groom to bring Alcazar around when she noticed a wagon coming up the drive. “That’s Mr. Langley, one of my father’s retainers. Do you think he’s been sent to bring me home?”
Adam put a hand around her waist and drew her close, an instinctively protective response. The girl wore her heart on her sleeve, wanting so badly for her father to love her. Adam dreaded what would come next, for this man driving the Hartfield wagon looked grim.
