Page 18 of A Brilliant Match
Gerry had come to his aid, and he had never been more thankful for the man in his life. He glanced at the sobbing woman at his side and looked at his friend helplessly.
“I need to…” He gestured ahead to Lady Dorothea then nodded to his side with a pointed look.
Gerry understood at a glance, and although he was not fonder of unknown sobbing females than any gentleman, he showed himself a true friend.
“Miss. Miss, you are all right now. Come. Open your eyes.” Gerry had swung down from his horse and was taking the reins of the girl’s phaeton.
Miles jumped down and waited until Lady Dorothea pulled up and smiled down at him. Her eyes were bright from the air and exertion.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Shaw. Would you care for a ride?”
He was too sick to smile at her pleasantry. She allowed him to climb up on the driver’s side and handed him the reins, after which he turned in his seat to look at her. His heart was beginning to slow as the realization came over him that she was unharmed, but he was still weak from his horror when he thought she would not control the carriage.
“Lady Dorothea,” he said in heartfelt tones, “might I tell you what a remarkable woman you are?”
Laughing, she turned to him, revealing a very pretty set of teeth. She had not taken him seriously, but he was deadly serious. He could not but be impressed by her. What woman could take the reins of a bolting carriage led by horses she did not know without a moment’s hesitation?
What kind of fool forces her to?He would not easily recover from today. When he gave the signal to his horses to advance, his arm shook.
After a short pause, she touched the wood of his carriage that was painted a fine white along the edges as though admiring it. Then she tucked her hands back under the blanket, pulling it up so it covered part of her arms. He was reminded of the need to get her back to warmth, and he set the horses to a trot.
“You’ve seen all there is to see in that direction, I believe,” he observed.
“And you will need to return the carriage to your brother-in-law,” she added.
“Yes, I must.”
In the silence that followed, Miles knew that now would be a good time to rectify his comment about not being on the hunt for a wealthy wife. She was aware of his poverty, and he had practically assured her he would not pursue her with that disclaimer. He couldn’t bring himself to do it, however. It would likely mean the end of their budding courtship, and he wasn’t ready for that.
She faced forward again, then sniffed. Her nose had turned red, and he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to her. She shook her head and took one from her reticule.
“I am taking you back home,” he said, already chastising himself. He certainly hoped she would not catch a vicious cold because of this outing. “I should not have kept you out as long as I did in this weather.”
“I am never sick.”
“Good.” He drove past the last stretch of trees lining the broad path.
“Are you attending the opera this Thursday?” he asked, in an effort to keep her engaged in conversation. He was still shaken and wondered if she needed it as much as he did.
“I…I believe so. Our plans are not fixed at present. I must confer with my mother.” Her hesitation led him to understand that she was afraid he would insist that she accompany him, but he was not such a dunderhead. His was not a suit to press with a heavy hand. And how could he not pursue her? She was simply…remarkable.
He slipped through the gates of Hyde Park as another carriage was entering it. He turned the carriage to the road that would bring her back to Grosvenor, still registering the near run they had just had. Besides his initial fear for Lady Dorothea’s sake, Albert would have his head if he returned the man’s carriage with a scratch on it. Then again, Miles was not in the nature of driving cow-handedly. He was only cow-handed when it came to putting young ladies in danger.
“Well, I hope you will have some hot tea when you are home, so that you are properly warmed up. I should hate for you to miss any of the pleasures London has to offer simply because I took you out in the bitter cold.”
She turned an uncertain regard his way, as though fearful of his insistence on meeting again, but her eyes had thawed when he kept to light topics.
They were very shortly back in front of her house on Grosvenor Square, but there was no urchin this time to stand at the lead horse’s head while he assisted her to the door.
“I am sorry I cannot—” he began, but she didn’t allow him to finish.
“I am capable of alighting on my own, Mr. Shaw.” She gave him her hand briefly, then stepped down from the carriage without help. “Thank you for the pleasant afternoon.”
Pleasant? Was it really?He was unsure what to make of this. Was she so eager to leave his presence? Meanwhile, he was starting to think he could not get enough of hers.
“It has been a pleasure, Lady Dorothea. Perhaps we will see each other at the opera.”
He received a hesitant nod in response, and then she rushed indoors. Miles drove away, knowing their ride had not gone as well as he would have liked. He had put her in danger, had exposed her to the cold for too long, and had continued to lie about his pursuit of a wealthy bride. That was a disastrous series of choices to make for a lady he was truly beginning to like.
