Page 6 of Bargaining for the Barrister
Mrs. Sheldon clasped her hand with a soft grip and led her to the door. Louisa looked back at Logan, not bothering to hide the panic in her eyes. She’d thought she was ready, but now she was sure she was not. He sent her a look of reassurance, and in that split second, she saw her father giving her the same look on his deathbed. And then she heard Papa’s words so clearly in her mind that she nearly forgot to breathe.
I’ll be opening doors for you in heaven. Be happy and let what happens happen.
She squared her shoulders. She could do this. She could believe if this match was meant to be, all would be well.
Mrs. Sheldon led her to a long and wide corridor with white walls and narrow rugs before Louisa could overthink anything.
“This is the dining room, just here.” Mrs. Sheldon dropped her hand and cracked open the door for Louisa to catch a glimpse of the long table. “And this next door is my husband’s study. He had hoped to be here to greet you, but he is away on a small matter of business until tomorrow night. I assure you he is most anxious to know you.”
Louisa had no chance to respond because Mrs. Sheldon was an eager tour guide. “The library is on the opposite side of the house, along with the conservatory. Oh, I do hope you’ll like it here.”
Mrs. Sheldon’s words sank in. Louisa saw her surroundings as if she were removed from them, not as if they were part of her future. The paintings in their gilded frames were filled with strange faces—an entire family history about which she knew nothing. But as they passed a pedestal with a vase of fresh lilacs, her favorite flowers, the perfume instantly reminded her of home. How could she not like this place? Surely, any intimidation would fade with time.
The corridor turned to the left, and Mrs. Sheldon brought her to a large outer door—one Louisa knew would lead to the gardens and then to Mr. Sheldon. “There is one thing I wish to speak to you about.” A hint of pink touched Mrs. Sheldon’s tight cheekbones as she hesitated, her hand resting on the door latch. “Paul is our only child, as I’m sure you are aware, and we want the best for him. I do hope you’ll be patient with him. He can be stubborn and slow to let others in, but once he does, he is fiercely loyal. That’s when you’ll know he cares for you.”
Louisa squeezed her hands together and managed a perfunctory nod. If she could run her brother’s household, she could certainly manage a conversation with a stranger.
Mrs. Sheldon pushed the door open, and bright sunlight pierced through the corridor. Dark, lush grass, trimmed neatly, outlined ornamental gardens not more than a stone’s throw from the house. A narrow gravel path cut a line through the lawn and split into a varied pattern through the shaped shrubs. On a bench partway through the gardens, along the far side and tucked under the shade of a large tree, sat Mr. Sheldon. The way his body was angled in his seat with his back to them, Louisa could not make out many details of the man. Was he tall, short, heavyset, thin?
“I cannot wait to see his reaction when I introduce you.” Mrs. Sheldon’s excitement poured into every word.
Taking a deep breath, Louisa dusted off her mauve-colored travel gown and forced a smile. At least she was not wearing mourning clothes any longer. She would have liked to have changed and touched up her hair before meeting Mr. Sheldon, but she would not let anything dampen her spirits. If they were to be married, he would need to accustom himself to seeing her just as she was.
Louisa’s steps crunched softly against the gravel in cadence with Mrs. Sheldon’s. A small skipper butterfly fluttered in front of her as she entered the gardens. Following the path to the right toward Mr. Sheldon, the orange butterfly seemed to lead the way, finally resting on a flowering bush a few feet from the bench. Louisa hesitated next to the shrub, fighting her nerves.
Mr. Sheldon was not yet alerted to their presence. What would she say when he discovered her? He had his arm propped on the back of the bench, and his head was resting on it. She imagined he was engrossed in a good book and she was about to jolt him back to a reality not of his choosing. Even in the shade she could tell his dark-brown hair had red hues to it. His shoulders seemed lean but not too narrow, but he would have to turn for her to be sure.
Mrs. Sheldon waited patiently beside her until Louisa continued on the path around the bench for her first frontal glimpse of the man she hoped would be her future husband.
And he was asleep.
Exhaling, she smiled in relief.
Now she could examine him openly. His features were fairly common but not disappointing. A lock of straight hair covered his eyes. The style was longer in front and short in the back. Most likely, his hair was normally combed back when Mr. Sheldon was awake. Her gaze traveled along the thin line of scruff along his jaw and high cheekbones.
He would do very nicely. She hadn’t expected an Adonis, so she was quite satisfied with what she had to work with.
“Oh dear,” Mrs. Sheldon said. “He must have been up late with his law books again. I am terribly embarrassed.”
Louisa gave the sweet, nervous woman a sympathetic smile. “Don’t be. This is easy enough to remedy.” Before Mrs. Sheldon could protest, Louisa stepped forward and tapped Mr. Sheldon on the head three times with a firm poke of her finger. Too late she realized this was the sort of impulsive behavior her brother was glad she had outgrown.
On the third poke, Mr. Sheldon threw back his head in alarm, his arms flailing. Before she could retreat, he smacked her in the gut. She doubled over, and when she lifted her head, his eyes met hers and he yelped. As if realizing he had just hit her, he jumped to his feet to make amends. She took a step back, but there was no putting distance between them. Upon standing, Mr. Sheldon toppled forward, and her only reaction was to catch him.
His head landed just under her own, and her arms wrapped instinctively under his to bear his weight. His thin frame had been deceiving, and her legs threatened to buckle underneath her.
“Mr. Sheldon!” she cried. “Get off me!”
His arms climbed up her back until they encircled her shoulders.
“Good heavens, Paul!” his mother shrieked.
“My legs,” he said, “they’re asleep.”
“Well, wake them up!” Louisa endeavored to push his body away from her own at the same time he tried to get his balance and step back. The movement somehow managed to ensnare her hair in his grasp, and her head yanked forward with a rush of sharp pain. “Ow!”
“Don’t move!” He managed to find stability on his feet, but his hand stayed on the back of her head. “The button on my coat sleeve is stuck in your hair.”
She held perfectly still to prevent any further pain while Mrs. Sheldon danced around them trying to help. So this was what Lady Kellen had said about making concessions when choosing a man. Louisa had only wanted someone good and kind and now was on the precipice of engaging herself to a buffoon.
