Page 35 of Bargaining for the Barrister
She’d thought perhaps he had forgotten. “Not completely, but I did wonder if I was the sort of friend who warranted a visit.”
He ducked his head. “I ought to have come sooner, but I feared casting the wrong idea.”
They reached the end of the manor house, taking the path leading around the manicured lawn. In the distance, Louisa could see the tall yellow-green grass bordering the pond.
“Have there been rumors, then? Lady Kellen has not informed me of any.”
Paul shrugged. “Our housekeeper met with our staff and explained the innocence of the incident. Even so, there has been some talk. Our neighbor Mrs. Manning caught wind of it, but she did not believe a word. Sending you here might not have helped our cause, but at least you are more comfortable.” He said the last with a question in his voice.
“I am comfortable, thank you.” Or, at least, she was trying to be.
“Has Ian—er, Lord Reynolds—shown you the ponds yet?” Paul cleared his throat.
“I’ve hardly seen the man enough to believe he lives here, and the rain has kept me from exploring by myself.”
He stopped walking. “I bet he’s moved to the Dome. Don’t worry; I’ll speak to him. You don’t deserve two poorly behaved hosts in a row.”
“The Dome?”
“A favorite place of his on the estate. It’s on the hill just beyond here, but you can make it out better in one of the upper rooms of the manor.”
Louisa nodded, not truly caring about Lord Reynolds’s favorite haunts. “About the rumors,” she said, circling back to their previous topic. “I have no reason to be concerned, do I?” If Paul were anything like her brother, then as a gentleman, he would try to shelter her from the worst of it.
“Not yet,” he said. “I am sorry. This is the best I can offer you at this time.”
He had perfected the tone of a barrister. But it was not her prerogative to press him for information that he might not have. He was not to be her husband, and he owed her nothing. She tipped back her head and let the sun warm her face and her thoughts. “No reason not to enjoy our walk, then. Isn’t this sunshine glorious?” There had been far too much rain the last few days. When she looked at him again, he was scowling at her.
“Yes, but let’s walk and enjoy the sunshine at the same time.”
She gave him a dry look and fell into step with him once more. His pace was brisker than it had been before, reminding her of the night they had gone stargazing. He clearly had something on his mind. After a few moments, she was struggling to keep up. “Would you care to jog to the pond?”
“Jog?” His brow quirked, but he did not slow a bit.
“Run, then. Would you like me to run alongside you?”
“Why would you do that?”
Who was she to beg him to enjoy her company? If he wanted to be rid of her, he might have just said something, and she would’ve obliged him. “You tend to walk quickly when I am with you. You must be eager to reach our destination. Never fear. I won’t hold you back.” Something about knowing she no longer had to impress him, combined with a need to break the tension, brought out her impulsive side. She draped her thin shawl around her neck like a scarf, lifted her skirts, and took a runner’s stance. Before he could contest her actions, she darted forward.
Chapter 15
“Miss Cox!” Paul yelled afterher. “Louisa!” This was his mother’s fault. He had agreed to accompany her to check on Louisa, with every intention of finding Ian and excusing himself shortly afterward. But of course he’d been coerced into a long walk with rumors about marriage as the topic of choice, and to beat all, there was Louisa, tipping her head to the light like an enchanting sunflower. He’d all but fled from her and the thoughts he shouldn’t be having. And, of course, instead of taking offense, she’d twisted it into a sort of game.
The path curved around the first bit of the pond before it ended. Louisa kept going along the bank, and he guessed her destination to be a small peninsula jutting into the pond. What was she thinking running so close to the water’s edge? The bank along there was no more than packed sand. There was nothing left to do but chase after her and warn her. He took his hat in his hand and bolted down the path. She had a head start, but he had longer legs. His chest tightened when a sudden image of her slipping and disappearing beneath the water’s surface flashed in his mind.
“Louisa!” he yelled again, but she did not so much as turn at the sound of her name. Lud, that girl was a handful.
His run turned into a sprint, and he quickly narrowed the gap between them. With his right hand, he grabbed her arm. He attempted to stop her, but his momentum was too great, and they collided. As they stumbled together, he wrapped his arms tightly around her, tucking her to him in an effort to protect her from a possible fall. His one hand crushed her dress to hold her waist while the other spread across her shoulders. He regained his balance but not before the sensation of holding her overtook his senses.
He’d never thought holding a person could feel so natural. Her head rested between his shoulder and his neck like that space had been designed just for such a position. She was warm against his chest, her breathing fast but steady in contrast to his uneven rhythm. Paul relished the touch he’d forbidden himself. There were no flashes of past memories to haunt him, only thoughts for the woman in his arms. This wasn’t supposed to feel so right.
Eventually he became aware of a small sting on his knee, likely from when he’d pulled her away from the low brush along the bank. The pain was nothing to the pleasure he found in holding Louisa. After a quick indulgent inhale of her hair, he commanded his reluctant limbs to release her. He did so abruptly, causing her to sway.
“Forgive me,” he said. “The bank is soft here, and I was worried you might slip in.”
“So you nearly pushed me in yourself?” While her breathing was still heavy, her smile was still in place, and her eyes teased him. “That makes perfect sense.”
Instead of giving her a useless response about how he had first tried to run from her and then had had to chase her down, he bent down to remove the twig poking into the top of his boot. A line of blood stained through the fabric of his breeches. He removed a handkerchief from his waistcoat pocket and pressed it to his leg.
