Page 35 of An Accidental Romance

They did nothing to stop him, nor should they, Ben supposed. If they still had reservations about him for wishing to be somewhat anonymous upon arriving at Lower Alderwood, they certainly had the right, just as he had the right to do as he did. And since Ben had told them he was not wooing their sister, it was just as well that he not remain. The less time he spent at Alderwood and with Rebecca, the better.

His heart, which had just begun to spark to life, felt like dying embers turning to ash.

The Alderwood butler, Hawkins, was just outside the dining room door when Ben left the room.

“Please have my horse readied,” Ben said and then made his way to the front of the house, not waiting for the butler to reply and not even caring if the butler followed his orders. A walk home in the dark of night might suit him perfectly.

Somehow, however, his horse was waiting for him near the entrance not long after he exited the manor, his hat was handed to him, and the door was opened for him by a somber young footman Ben recognized from his previous calls.

He mounted his horse and set off for home, facing forward and not allowing himself to look back.

* * *

“What do you mean, he left?” Rebecca said, clutching the arms of her chair. Lucas looked chagrined, while Thomas stood, feet planted, arms crossed over his chest. “What did he say?”

“More to the point,” Lavinia said, “what did the two of you say tohim?” She turned pointedly to Lucas. “Care to explain?”

“Devil take it, he’s theEarl of Winton!” Lucas exclaimed. “And he has been sniffing around my baby sister like a wolf in sheep’s clothing.”

“He is neither a wolf nor a sheep!” Rebecca cried. “And hecertainlyhasn’t been sniffing about my person in the manner you suggest.”

“Earl, you say?” Delia murmured. “Winton. Hmm.”

“Now, Delia,” Lavinia said. “I think it best if you and Artie stay out of this for the moment.”

Artie raised his hands in innocence. “I’ve nothing to do with any of it. Sitting here keeping my mouth shut, that’s what I’m doing.”

“For once,” Hannah muttered, earning a glare from Artie.

It was all more than Rebecca could take. “Benjamin Fortescue—or Lord Winton, if you prefer—is myfriend.” She took a minute to breathe deeply and control the tremor in her voice. “Please,pleasetell me you didn’t confront him in some ghastly manner.”

“He chose to leave of his own accord,” Thomas said with too much smoothness and a dash of defensiveness. Rebecca hadn’t been reared with a houseful of brothers not to have picked up on a few of their tactics—even if theywereolder than she.

“After you saidwhatto him?” she asked pointedly.

“I didn’tsayanything,” Thomas replied. “I merely asked him a question.”

“Oh, Thomas,” Isobel murmured under her breath, shaking her head.

“Whatquestion?” Rebecca asked, certain she already knew the answer.

“I have a responsibility as head of this family while Father is away to see to the welfare of my family, including my baby sister,” he declared. “Especially after what has occurred so suddenly with Susan. And so, I asked him what his intentions were. He has been at the house nearly every day since he arrived in Lower Alderwood.”

Rebecca literally felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up. “Oh, Thomas,” she said, echoing Isobel’s words. “How could you?”

“And it’s a good thing I did too,” Thomas continued, “for he declared that he has no intentions regarding you, nor is he certain he will marry again, especially after so recently losing his wife.”

“I alreadyknowall of this,” Rebecca exclaimed, although hearing that Ben might never marry stung for some reason. “I have known since nearly his first visit that he was the Earl of Winton and that he was still in mourning for his deceased wife. I chose to honor his request that he be referred to by his surname for the time being—much as we all have honored Delia and Artie in their request to be referred to by their stage names rather than their real ones.”

“Now, Rebecca,” Lucas said, “you cannot blame us for wanting what is best for you.”

“And how can you possibly know what that is?” she cried as Delia rose from her chair and came over to lay a hand on her shoulder.

“Rebecca is right,” Delia said, squeezing Rebecca’s shoulder gently. “I am who I am, regardless of what you call me, but that I prefer to remember my joyous past when I was ‘Delia Weston, acclaimed actress’ by using that name seems to bother nobody at all.”

“And as Delia said just before supper, ‘One does not simply cease to be who one is.’You, of all people, should understand that, Lucas,” Lavinia added. “You marriedme, after all.”

“We all knew he was Winton,” Isobel said. “I’m so sorry I didn’t bring up the subject with him when he first called at the house, Rebecca, when I would have had a chance to visit with him. Perhaps then he would have known thatweall knew about it and it wouldn’t have created a problem now.”

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