Page 70 of Tall, Dark & Wicked
Petra gently pushed her mother into the Marsh coach. “I love him, Mother.”
“How can you after what he did?” Her mother wept, refusing to shut the coach door.
How could she not, after what she suspected Brendan had done for her? And she knew now the depth of his feeling for her.
“Goodbye, Mother.” Petra pushed the coach door closed.
Mother’s tear-stained face watched Petra from the window of the coach as Jenkins drove the Marsh coach away, back toward London where Petra’s father would have to endure Mother’s anguish and disappointment over their daughter.
As the groom assisted her into the smaller coach with Tessie, who’d opted to stay with her, Petra felt a huge weight lift from her shoulders. Freedom was a heady feeling.
The light was fading as they drew closer to Somerton, and Petra found herself tapping a foot impatiently. Finally, the coach pulled up the long drive. She looked out at the pile of stone covered with unruly vines and knew she was where she belonged. Home.
The coach had barely slowed before Petra jumped out. “Tessie,” she instructed her maid, “inform Lady Cupps-Foster we’ve arrived. I feel certain she has been expecting us.”
“Yes, my lady.” Tessie reached out and took Petra’s hand. “Good luck, my lady.”
Petra smiled, hitched up her skirts and began to run, stretching her legs as she followed the path leading through the Somerton gardens up into the tree line. There was really only one place he would be waiting for her.
A hitch started in her side just as she approached the large oak dominating the small clearing. Mam Tor loomed in the distance. The pins holding her hair had loosened, and the honey-colored mass now hung down her back. As she approached the tree she saw a shadow moving up in the canopy above.
Petra put her hands on her hips and leaned back to look upward. “Are you coming down?”
“Where have you been?” He sounded annoyed and was probably frowning at her. “I’ve been waiting for hours.”
“My goodness. I’ve run all the way from Somerton. I’m out of breath and it took some time to pack and evade my mother.”
“Good God, Lady Marsh isn’t here, is she?” A rustle of branches sounded and a shadow moved across the limbs. “I may change my mind about coming down if that’s the case.”
“No. I’ve sent her on to London, where she belongs. You’re quite safe.” She hesitated a moment. “Brendan, were you afraid I wouldn’t come?”
Dead silence, then he came into view, scuttling down the tree, his large form sure-footed and agile. He dropped to his feet in front of her, large and magnificent, the sapphire of his eyes shining in the rapidly dimming light.
“Yes.” His voice was raspy and broken. “Terrified, actually. If you hadn’t come, I would have had to go to London to retrieve you. I would have resorted to kidnapping, probably. I’m not certain. I suppose I could have courted you properly and begged your father for your hand.” He laced his fingers with hers.
“You would have retrieved me? You detest London.” Her heart thumped wildly in her chest.
“It’s true. But I would have gone to that horrible city and found you.”
“Even after you went to such great lengths to ensure I would have a choice?” She took his hand, pressing a kiss to the middle of his palm. “Oh, Brendan.”
Brendan refused to meet her eyes. “I would not have you hurt, nor made a pariah for loving me,” he said in a low raspy tone.
Petra’s entire chest expanded with the most exquisite happiness. “You threatened Simon.”
The broad shoulders shrugged as he turned to look down at her. “Threatened is a strong word. Let us say I came to anunderstandingwith Lord Pendleton and his mother that you be released from your betrothal immediately. And in addition to his continued discretion, he will have to lease the mine from me. Lady Pendleton was a bit put out, and she hatesyouby the way, but I reminded Lydia I was asking for very little in comparison to what the rumors of murder would do to her and her darling son. I’m afraid she had me escorted out of Brushbriar by pistol. I only had time to leave you a note.” He looked contrite. “Simon is very lucky he possessed something I wanted. Something more precious to me than Blue John or revenge.”
A tear ran down Petra’s cheek. “Me.”
“Yes, you. I hope to make a decent climber of you and teach you to organize my samples properly. Things a wife should know how to do.”
“Is that all?” God, she loved him. Every complicated, frustrating bit. “Are you sure, Brendan?” She knew how difficult this was for him.
“I’m in love with you, in case you haven’t noticed. Of course I’m sure,” he said, frowning down at her.
“I noticed. I love you too.”
The sapphire eyes flashed indigo. “It’s bloody frightening.”
