Page 7 of A Lady's Beloved Novelist
Andrea grinned at the thought of the hot weather forcing people from the castle and out into the warm air. She enjoyed the outdoors even more when it was socially acceptable to be seen roaming about in it. During the winter months, it was much more difficult to go outdoors when it was constantly raining. Andrea spent her days inventing new ways to hide the mud on her skirts and boots.
“I thought that perhaps we could be joined with some company today,” Lily suggested as she walked with her hands clasped in front of her.
“Company?” Andrea frowned. She had wanted to ask Lily more about her married life; if she really enjoyed it or just told herself that she was enjoying it, and Andrea wanted to know just how much freedom she would be giving up in becoming a wife.
“Yes,” a new, but familiar, voice joined in.
Andrea found herself jumping from the shock of James emerging onto the path from behind a nearby tree.
“An ambush!” she declared, her eyes wide, as she turned to see that Lily was smiling from ear to ear. Of course, this was some kind of set up to get her to speak with James more. Andrea instantly felt her mood cascading down like a feather falling in a deep well.
“Well, I thought it was such a lovely day that I would come for a stroll. Then I saw Lady Carton and she invited me to join you both.”
“Did she now?” Andrea plastered a smile onto her face as she glanced at Lily, though she hoped her best friend could see the annoyance behind her eyes.
“I can leave if there is an issue?” James asked with some slight hesitance. Andrea turned back to see that he was clearly unsure of whether he should stay.
“Of course not,” Lily spoke up on her behalf.“Come on, I will walk just behind the two of you.” She gestured for them to walk onward. It all became clear to Andrea as she realised Lily was there to act as her chaperone. It was a clever plan, one she now had no escape from.
“You are looking as lovely as this spring morning, Lady Pitt,” James noted as he walked by her side. Andrea was already feeling caged in by the conversation and was fighting off the overwhelming urge to escape.
“Thank you, Lord Churchill,” she said whilst managing a smile. It was not that she did not like the baron, it had just got to the point where she was no longer interested in any of the men around her.
“Please, you can call me James. Lord Churchill sounds far too formal for the years I have known you,” he said with a slight chuckle.
“All right…James,” Andrea said, trying out the sound of his name on her lips. She liked how it sounded, and she enjoyed being able to go against the formalities that they were both so used to.
“Your cousin tells me you are being quite stubborn in the matter of finding a man to marry,” James spoke rather plainly. Andrea would have been rather taken aback by it, but she found instead that she was impressed by his straight-forward intentions.
“Something like that,” she said, brushing off the question.
“So mysterious.” He chuckled.“I am receiving some pressure from my own family back home.”
“WHere is home?” Andrea asked, realising that she had never really thought about where James was from.
“Marlborough in Wiltshire, not too far from here, a carriage ride to the south,” James said quickly, clearly wanting the other part of his statement to be heard.“Lady Pitt, I was wondering—”
“You can call me Andrea, James,” she cut him off.
“Andrea, I just…I wanted to ask you what you thought of…me? Of us?”
Andrea winced internally. She had been trying to avoid talking about that, especially with Lily so close to them, but it was clear now there was no getting out of it.
“I am still confused by what you are talking about,” Andrea persisted, trying her best to not answer his question.
“You just seem so discontent with the prospect of a match between us,” James pointed out, his jaw slightly tight from the tension this was causing him.
“I would not take it so personally, James.” Andrea shrugged.“I really think you are a wonderful person and you are always so good to me.”
“Then what is it? You must have been able to guess by now that I am interested in a match between us. I have been writing to you…I thought I was making my feelings rather clear. The only option I could think of, the only reason you turn down so many suitors, is that your heart already belongs to someone else.”
Andrea faltered slightly at his words.
“I can assure you that is not the case.” She could not help but laugh as she spoke, feeling strangely powerful at knowing the real truth.“Your rival is not somebody that you should try to compare yourself with, he hardly exists.”
She reveled in the confusion her words had caused, uncaring if it was interpreted in a way that was not how she had intended.
“Well, I am not sure if I should take that as a relief or not,” James remarked from her side.
