Page 21 of The Dream of Love
Lady Monkton rose and walked to Adam’s side, stroking his arm. “Our dear Lady Remington will not be here by the end of the week. We all know her situation. Her father will either disown her or cart her off to some impoverished nobleman to marry.”
“Indeed,” Emily said, coming to his side as well. “Vicar, I’ll work closely with you on this matter. How can you think to ask Lady Remington? You’ll be left with shambles when she suddenly disappears.”
Mrs. Dowd also crowded around him. “My Emily is more than capable. We don’t need Lady Remington.”
Adam’s committee members were quick to vote her out. Remi was heartbroken but refused to allow her disappointment to show. Adam had stood up for her. It was enough. Since everyone was already on their feet, huddling around him, she rose as well. “Thank you for inviting me, Vicar. I shall be going now.”
She heard him call out to her. “Lady Remi, please.”
“I must go.” She refused to look back, afraid he would realize how upset she was. Nor did she wish the others to see her devastation.
But where was she to go?
She was too overset to return to Sherbourne Manor just yet. The day was nice enough. She decided to sit by the river, but this time keeping her shoes and stockings on, and not wading in.
Why had she thought anything would be different? Her father had poisoned everyone in Wellesford against her. They considered her a laughingstock and always would.
She plunked herself down on the bench and stared at the swiftly moving river current, wishing it would simply wash her away. She was not yet composed when Adam came upon her. “Thought I’d find you here,” he muttered.
She kept her gaze on the water. “I’m sorry if I spoiled your meeting.”
The bench groaned as he set his large frame beside her. “You were the only bright spot in that meeting. Your ideas were perfect. The children would have loved everything you suggested.”
“But…”
He shrugged. “They don’t know what will happen to you after the Sherbourne party, and it worries them.”
“And you?” Her hands began to shake. “You must realize that what happens to me is completely in your control. I’ve made my feelings known to you. Indeed, I’ve bared my heart to you. Need I humiliate myself more?”
“Remi, you are worked up right now.”
“If you accuse me of being hysterical, I will hit you. Do you not like me? Because that kiss we shared gave quite the opposite impression. But you are so caught up piling those stones around your heart, defending your fortress so no one ever gets in, that you are willing to let me go.”
She rose, preparing to walk away because it was simply too painful to be close to him. “I’ve read the book Poppy gave me. I believe in the magic of love. I just don’t know how to make you believe in it.”
“Remi, wait. Don’t go.”
“Give me a reason to stay.”
He placed a gentle hand on her arm. “You want to know more about me, don’t you? Sit down and I’ll tell you.”
Chapter Ten
Remi shook herhead.
Dear heaven, had she heard right?
Was Adam really going to tell her about himself? She offered no resistance when he took her hand and led her back to the bench beside the river, keeping hold of her hand even after they sat. “I told you I had four older brothers,” he said, his eyes taking on a distant look. “Two of them died in the war. One early in the Peninsular War and the other about a year before Waterloo.”
She held her breath.
“We were five brothers in all. One the heir, the other the spare. The third for the military. He was the one who died early on in Spain. The fourth was meant for the Church. Then there was me, meant for nothing. So, I went against my father’s wishes and joined the military, never realizing that brother number four felt the need to protect me. Instead of becoming a priest, he joined the Scots Greys shortly after I did. Callum wasn’t a soldier. He was a gentle soul. That last battle…we were ambushed by the French. By the time I could fight my way to him, he’d taken a mortal blow.” He buried his head in his hands, propping his bent elbows on his thighs. “I couldn’t protect him. He died in my arms.”
“Oh, Adam.” Remi’s breaths turned ragged. She fought to keep tears from streaming down her face, but his revelation had left her shattered. “I’m so sorry. You must have loved him very much.”
He nodded. “I’d gone against my father’s wishes, and my brother died because of it. How could I return to Inverness? Me alive and Callum gone. I did not know how else to honor him, so I joined the Church as he was always meant to do.”
“Why the Church of England?”
