Page 21 of Bargaining for the Barrister
His mother had hinted heavily of such a favor, but Paul hadn’t exactly agreed to it. He could only assume Louisa had spent all afternoon reading and hope she had enjoyed herself. He chewed furiously on a rather large bite of food so he might explain.
But Miss Cox spoke first. “Oh yes, our walk. I found your gardens to be most beautiful.”
Was she using their walk after their initial introduction to cover for him? He looked to see his mother’s reaction. She did not melt at Miss Cox’s compliment of her garden as he’d expected. Instead, her nose wrinkled. “The gardens? I thought he was to take you through the orchard.” She looked at Paul pointedly.
He choked down his bite. “Actually, I—”
“The orchard is equally charming. I imagine it is simply lovely in the spring, when everything is in bloom,” Louisa said.
Paul’s father held up his glass. “Prettiest sight in Brookeside.”
Mr. Cox then caught his sister’s eye. It was clear he saw right through her lie and wondered why she had done it.
“I just knew you’d like it,” Mrs. Sheldon said. “Lady Kellen said your mother couldn’t get enough of the sunshine and was fascinated by everything from trees to animals. You must take after her.”
“In some ways, yes. I adore flowers and butterflies the most. However, I find I am just as happy indoors as out. My brother and I are alike in that way—a balance between our parents.” She glanced again at Paul, but he was too busy trying to understand the woman next to him to respond.
“A perfect balance, I would say.” Mrs. Sheldon clapped her hands together. “You will like the surprise we have planned for you and Paul tonight, then.”
“Surprise?” Paul was all ears now, his fork frozen midair.
“Yes, dear. It’s so hard for young people to get to know each other with a couple of old people like us hovering. Your father and I thought a little star-gazing would be just the thing. We’ve asked the servants to light a path through the courtyard for us, but we will let you have a head start, of course.”
Miss Cox’s smile was obviously forced, but Paul struggled to accept his mother’s plans with the same grace.
He cleared his throat. “What about Mr. Cox? Surely, he would like to join us.”
“No, I really wouldn’t care to.”
Paul ground his teeth together. He could respect the man, but he did not have to like him.
“We shall be right behind you,” Mrs. Sheldon said, urging them away with her hand. “There are plenty of servants outside, so you shall not be alone. Just give us a few minutes to try to convince Mr. Cox to join us.”
Caught in his parents’ trap, Paul conceded with a quick nod. He might as well get this over with. He stood and faced Miss Cox. “Shall we, then?”
She set down her fork, surprised to be ushered from the table so quickly. “Um, yes, thank you.”
It was then he realized her food was only half-eaten. “Would you care to finish your meal first?”
“No, I haven’t much of an appetite tonight. But I thank you.”
Was it because of him? His neglect? He couldn’t like himself for causing her any discomfort. His intention was not to be cruel but to draw clear lines between them. He held out a stiff arm to her, not even sparing her a glance to see if she would take it. Louisa put her arm on his as lightly as possible, and his stomach knotted as she did so. Why was it that when they were together, it seemed that he was the one who needed to remember where those lines were? The power of suggestion was simple enough in theory, but it was difficult to overcome when it came in the form of a beautiful woman.
Paul set a brisk pace, and Miss Cox hitched up her dress and widened her stride in an attempt to match his. He wasn’t running away from her, per se, more just hurrying the night along. They reached the front of the house rather quickly and stepped out into the warm night. Footmen spaced every twenty feet or so held torches casting flames that wavered in the soft breeze. Paul guessed they were leading to the small rise at the end of the orchard. He and Miss Cox followed along the lit path that traveled away from the house, and the farther they walked, the more irritated he became. This would be a more appropriate setting for an engaged couple than a newly acquainted one.
“Is this a footrace, Mr. Sheldon?” Miss Cox asked breathlessly.
He stopped abruptly. “Pardon?”
She caught her breath. “Are we racing toward something?”
If he was trying not to be rude, he was butchering his efforts. This was not him. He was a good, kind person. A Rebel who fought for improvement and bettering mankind. And he called himself a gentleman. “Forgive me, I...” He dropped her arm and turned away from her. He had to fix this. When he turned back his frown deepened as he saw the light from the torch’s flame reflect in her eyes. “I was not expecting my parents to go to such extremes in our entertainment tonight.”
“You thought you could continue to avoid me.”
She’d seen right through him and deserved an explanation. “Would you believe me if I said I am not normally this rude?”
She gave him an encouraging smile and nodded. “I know my presence upsets you for some reason, and I am sorry for it.”
