Audrey didn’t dare look back. She was secretly pleased to be able to spend more time with him, even though the details of their future hadn’t yet been decided upon. Her traitorous heart didn’t seem to care, however.
Grace and Mia followed her upstairs to collect their bonnets and gloves. Once they were out of earshot of the parlor, Audrey turned to Mia. “Mia, dearest, do not put Lord Fletcher on the spot like that again. It’s not a polite thing to do.”
“But…he said he would like to promenade. Don’t you want to spend more time with him? He seems to like you a great deal.”
“I don’t know why you would say that. I’ve only met him twice and barely know him.” There was no way she’d confess to her sisters that she did find the baron most attractive and would like nothing better than to spend the day with him.
“Both Mia and I see the way he looks at you,” Grace said. “Surely you’ve noticed as well? He’s so handsome and so very kind. He can’t seem to take his eyes off you.Doesn’t that please you?”
Audrey didn’t want to admit that she’d noticed his interest. She preferred to keep her feelings to herself, especially knowing that Lord Fletcher could eventually leave England and travel back to New York, so she purposely ignored Grace’s question. “Come along, sisters. We don’t want to keep Lord Fletcher waiting,” she said.
Audrey’s mind was once again in turmoil. Did Lord Fletcher like her, or was he merely being cordial? To what end, though? How cruel would it be to fall in love with him, only for him to abandon her? That would be worse than not developing any feelings for him in the first place. It was a dangerous situation indeed, one that she needed to navigate very carefully.
Even though she’d only met him twice so far, she had to admit there was something about him that she couldn’t shake out of her thoughts. Yes, as she knew quite well, he was impossibly handsome, with his dark hair and expressive brown eyes, but it was more than that. He was caring, truly caring, about their plight. No one had cared about them in a long time, and it seemed far-fetched that this man, a stranger to them, would be the one to care for them, but every action he’d taken thus far had proven he did. It was his most attractive feature besides the broad shoulders, strong jaw, and trim waist. She was definitely at risk of developing feelings for him, and that wouldn’t be good for any of them.
Once the sisters had collected their bonnets and gloves, they headed downstairs. Lord Fletcher waswaiting for them in the foyer. “Ladies, I’m afraid you’ll have to lead our promenade today, as I don’t know where Hyde Park is located. I’ve only been in London for a couple of days.”
“Kind of far to walk. It would be better to take a hackney there,” Mia said.
Audrey hadn’t promenaded in Hyde Park in nearly five years, not since before her mother’s last pregnancy. She had to admit she was a little excited to stroll through the grounds again. And it was a lovely warm day, especially for April.
Lord Fletcher had no trouble flagging down a hackney. He handed in Grace and Mia, who took the rear-facing seats. Once Audrey climbed in, she would have no choice but to sit next to him. His shoulders nearly touched hers when he was seated, and his long legs seemed quite cramped. The smile on his face had not faded, though, and he seemed happy to be in their company.
“Do you think we’ll see the swans today?” Mia asked.
“Swans? Is there a lake in the park?” Jacob asked.
“Yes. It’s called the Serpentine. There are swans, ducks, and other wildfowl there. There are also boating activities available when the weather is suitable,” Grace explained.
“It sounds like a splendid way to spend our time together.” He turned to Audrey. “Miss Parker, when did you last visit the park?”
“Before Mama passed,” Mia said before Audrey hada chance to respond. “We haven’t gone since. Papa never wanted to promenade, and it was really too far for us to walk.”
“Well then, I’m doubly glad to be enjoying it with you today,” Jacob said with a chuckle.
It took a while to reach the park because of the notorious London traffic of horses, carriages, and wagons all trying to get to their destinations. When their hackney finally stopped, Jacob climbed down, flipped a coin to the driver, and handed the women down.
Mia slipped her arm inside Grace’s elbow and pulled her ahead. “Come, sister. We must see if the swans are here today.”
Audrey wasn’t sure Mia was as keen on seeing the swans as she was on trying to pair her with Lord Fletcher as much as possible. “I do apologize for my sister’s behavior. I’m sure you have more important things to do today than promenade with us.”
“Not at all. I quite enjoy a good stroll. Shall we?” he asked, holding out his arm.
Chapter12
Jacob could have hugged MissMia for suggesting a stroll in Hyde Park. Miss Parker wasn’t welcoming his conversational attempts, and he would have had to take his leave. Now he had a chance to spend more time with her.
When she placed her fingers on his sleeve, he felt a sudden jolt travel up his arm. That was odd. He’d never experienced anything like it while escorting a woman before, but he rather liked the effect Miss Parker had on him. Now, if he could get her to smile, he would be a happy man.
As they walked along the path, Jacob felt such a sense of pride at having Miss Parker beside him. Her beauty captivated him, but it was her kindness that drew him in the most. The way she talked to and treated her sisters with such love was wonderful to witness. He wondered if he’d finally found the one special person he could spend his life with.
But was that a problem?
He was her guardian, and he didn’t know if it was possible to court her. There was no legal bar he was aware of—he was unmarried and so was she, and they weren’t blood relatives, but would thetonaccept such a courtship? He’d have to ask Mr. Haggerty if he knew of any restrictions that would prevent him from courting her. However, those questions could wait for another day. He didn’t want to think about any problems at the moment, especially since he was enjoying himself immensely just strolling with her.
He’d never really thought about promenading before. In New York, everyone always seemed to be in a hurry to be somewhere, but here in Hyde Park, people were enjoying the sunshine and conversations with friends and acquaintances. It was a new experience for him, and much to his surprise, he was beginning to like London.
He hadn’t thought about the newspaper at all since he arrived. Somehow, since being introduced to Miss Parker, he’d had no thoughts at all of New York or how things were going while he was gone, which was odd because he’d done nothing but eat, sleep, and breathe the newspaper business for the past five years. He wasn’t too worried, though, because Henry was a good businessman and would see to it that the paper continued to thrive.
