Page 108 of Crash Landing
Florence sighed. “Perhaps this will take a little more adjustment on my part than I thought would be required.”
They finished their meal in pleasant conversation, and then Durham took Fiona home.
Florence turned wistful once they were in Trajan’s barouche on their way to her family’s residence. “I look forward to returning to Gull Hall. It already feels like home to me. The Newton townhouse never felt like a home.”
“I know, love.” He was also eager to return to Gull Hall, but hedared not do so for another few days yet. Althorpe and the Home Office agents needed time to deal with Frampton and remove him as a threat.
Trajan took Florence’s hand and kept hold of it as they arrived at the Newton home and marched up to the front door. It was an elegant house, well maintained on the outside, and appeared to be properly staffed. He noted a head butler, who met them at the entry, and two footmen were passing by.
The butler stared from one to the other, apparently confused. “Lady Florence?”
She smiled at the man. “Good afternoon, Halliwell. I believe my parents are expecting us.”
“They were expecting His Grace and his mother,” Halliwell explained. “But it is nice to see you, Lady Florence. Are you back to stay? Or will you be traveling again?”
“Traveling again soon, I hope.”
Trajan noted that she made no mention of her new title, no doubt preferring to reveal the news to her parents before saying anything to the staff.
By the sudden brightening of Halliwell’s eyes, he must have caught on that the duchess reference was to Florence and not his mother. His expression immediately softened. “Come this way.”
He led them to the family parlor, a formal and elegantly designed room, and then left to advise her parents of their arrival.
“Is this where you grew up?” Trajan asked, surveying the well-appointed room that nonetheless felt cold and uninviting.
She nodded. “For much of my life.”
“It is nicely maintained. I’m not sure what I was expecting.”
“Yes, my mother loves everything about this house except for me,” she said with a snort. “If she could expunge my presence, she would. Will you stay close? I’m not sure I’ll hold up throughout this visit.”
He gave her a light kiss on the cheek. “Just take my hand whenever you feel the need to scream.”
“Or I’ll just bolt if it becomes too unbearable.”
Trajan was surprised by the extent of Florence’s struggles, but this was his fault. He had been raised in a happy family and did not fully appreciate the depth of harm done to her because she was so deceptively strong.
Florence was not merely strong, but also smart, capable, and had a big heart for loving. She had overcome her mother’s cold rejection in so many ways.
He cursed himself for a fool, for this meeting could turn agonizingly painful for her. He should have understood and left it alone, contacted her parents later on his own. But he’d thought to address this problem as he did every other and approach it like a charging bull. Only it wasn’t Florence’s parents who would end up gored, but her.
Her father walked in first and seemed genuinely pleased to see his daughter. “Florence,” he said, giving her a hug, “how have you been? We’ve been so worried about you.”
“We?” She returned his hug before slipping out of his embrace.
He sighed. “Ihave been worried about you. And where is Hermia? I thought you were traveling with her.”
“I was. I am. We were in Weymouth.” She then took a deep breath and introduced her father to Trajan. “He’s my husband.”
Her father’s mouth dropped open. “Florence, I am delighted, of course. But…is this a jest? When did you marry? Why did you not tell your mother and me?”
“It all happened very quickly,” Trajan said.
“Not out of necessity,” Florence hastened to explain. “Ours is a love match.”
“I’ve known Florence for a little over a year now, and we happened to meet in Weymouth recently. That is my seat. I was delighted to see her again. I have loved your daughter since the moment we metand could not allow her to slip away from me this time.”
They heard a bitter laugh from the direction of the doorway.
