Page 44 of Falling for a Forsaken Marquess
“I am also heavier! Let me cross this at my own pace, and stop interrupting me.”
Lavinia made a great sigh of frustration, but Agnes could tell she was merely worried. She finally reached the end and hopped onto the grass, glad to no longer be suspended above murky water. Lavinia clapped for her and asked for a pose, but Agnes had to pause their sisterly excitement when she saw the marquess running towards them as though something was wrong.
“What on earth were you ladies doing?” he demanded as he neared them.
“Crossing the bridge,” Lavinia replied, frowning at him. “Was that not obvious?”
“That bridge is an accident waiting to happen,” he explained. “Could neither of you see that it has no place to hold on to?”
“I must admit that was rather strange, but we thought it was the design of it,” said Agnes, taken aback by how annoyed he was. “We did not mean to cause you any alarm, My Lord. We took the wrong turn, and I was so worried about missing our meeting that we looked for a different way to get across the pond. Going back would have taken too long.”
Lord Hampton sighed, rubbing his temples. “I thought my heart would give out when I saw you both crossing the bridge. Did you not hear me call out to you?”
Agnes looked at her sister and shrugged. “No, My Lord. Perhaps we were talking and laughing too loudly to hear.”
“What about this old, dangerous bridge was amusing?” the marquess asked.
“Aggie and I can make fun out of anything, My Lord,” Lavinia informed him. “It is part of our charm as sisters.”
The man shook his head. “I must have aged by five years, if not ten. Come away from the pond,” he ordered.
They walked up a slight hill before reaching a flat area of trees and wildflowers.
“Flowers!” Lavinia exclaimed.
“I suppose you wish to trail behind to observe them?” Lord Hampton enquired with a half-smile.
“Precisely, My Lord,” Lavinia replied. “Do not mind me.”
Agnes was thankful her sister had given her time alone with the marquess. She had been nervous the first time, but she was determined to do what she had come to Cheltenham to achieve.
“Shall we?” Lord Hampton asked, his arm held out.
Agnes nodded and gripped it a little more firmly than before. She was not going to leave this pretty area without having her say.
Lord Hampton led her along a path that was only wide enough for two people, but there were other paths around the area where others strolled. Minutes ticked by, but neither of them seemed to have the words to start the conversation.
“Isn’t it—” he began.
“Do you have—” she said, speaking at the same time.
They both stopped and looked at each other before chuckling at their awkwardness.
“I think we’re accustomed to having others with us when we speak,” he pointed out.
“That is true, My Lord. Uh, do you like any books, perhaps?”
“I have a few favourites,” he revealed. “I prefer historical and adventure novels. What do you usually read?”
“Everything I can get my hands on,” she confessed. “We have a circulating library in Lydney, and it regularly updates its collection. However, if I were to be honest, I would say that I like stories that keep me awake at night due to fear of the dark, or stories about faraway lands, strange creatures, and rebellion.”
The marquess smiled. “Something tells me that you have a rebellious spirit.”
“Far from it, My Lord. I am an obedient daughter and would never deliberately do anything to upset my parents. Are you rebellious, My Lord?”
“Most boys go through a rebellious stage,” he replied. “However, mine did not last long. Perhaps it is the curse of the eldest child always to do the right thing.”
“Do you truly consider it a curse, My Lord?”
