“I’m afraid I did your daughter an injustice and my hastily spoken words caused an unwanted rift between us. I had hoped that by coming here, I could make amends and we could start again,” Gideon replied as a serving girl brough over an ale for him.
“Anunwantedrift? Is that what you’re telling yourself?” Violet sneered before her father threw her a silent glare to remain quiet.
Harry then leveled his gaze on Gideon. “And you didn’t think to speak to me first?” he asked after he took a sip of his drink.
“Again, I must offer my apologies, sir. My plans went awry once I spotted your daughter outside the apothecary. But I would like to remedy my mistake by speaking with your privately.”
Her father gave a grunt and considered Gideon again. “In the morning, then, at the mercantile. My brother’s house is attached and we can have a private conversation there.”
“I welcome the opportunity, Mr. Barnet.” Gideon glanced at her again from the corner of his eye but Violet couldn’t manage even a single word. It appeared she was completely tongue-tied, which had to be a first.
Her mother smiled brightly as a servant began to bring over their meal. She asked that another place setting be brought for Gideon. “Now that such a delicate matter is settled, let’s us enjoy this meal and the company. Captain Tyler can tell us about himself so that we can get to know him better.”
Violet held back a sharp retort and wished she could be excused from the table. Squished between the two men with her parents acrossfrom her, she had no choice but to remain where she was and listen to the conversation revolving around her. She could only hope she could leave soon in order to get her thoughts together for her next private encounter with Gideon. She was certain it would be far sooner than she wished.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Gideon had enjoyedhis unexpected dinner with the Barnet family the previous evening although the tension from the lady seated next to him had been almost more than he could bear. Her tight-lipped answers to the small amount she contributed to the conversation going on at the table had told him just how angry she truly was with him. He couldn’t blame her since he wasn’t done apologizing to her from his error in London. All he wanted to do was make things right between them again so he might continue to court her. He only needed an opportunity to present itself.
Her father had glared at him the entire time from across the table causing Gideon to wonder if the man was going to reach across the space and throttle him. He supposed he couldn’t blame him, considering Violet was his only daughter. Following the rules of society, Gideon should have introduced himself first to her family before plunging into a conversation with Violet at her business. But he wasn’t telling an untruth when he had told her father how he’d lost his head when he’d first seen her. She was a true beauty in his opinion and any convention he should have remembered had flown completely out of his mind. He was truly, hopelessly in love with the woman.
Now… if only he could remind her of their connection.
He had left the Boar’s Head coaching inn that morning still determined to leave at least a little space between him and the lady so she wasn’t too overwhelmed, as she might be if he stayed in her hometown. But as he rode his horse again to Bracknell, he was beginning to regret such a decision, for he felt he would be wasting precious time traveling between the two locations. What difference would it be if he was at the closer coaching inn anyway? If Violet refused to hear him out, he would need to be near in order to press his suit. But first… he needed her father’s approval, and he didn’t feel like Mr. Barnet was going to make things easy.
He rode up to the Barnet Mercantile and the store appeared to be thriving even at this early morning hour as one customer after another went inside. He dismounted, and patted his horse on its neck before securing the reins to the hitching post while planning his strategy to get her father’s permission and blessing to see his daughter. Making amends to the lady.
As he opened the door, a bell tinkled overhead just like the one at the apothecary. Closing the door, he saw Violet’s father look up from what he was doing before making his way from behind the long counter where several customers waited for their turn to place their orders. Gideon bowed as he came to stand before him.
“This way,” Harry grumbled and Gideon followed him to the back of the store, through a doorway to the storeroom, and through another door at the back of that room to opened up to a residence that Gideon assumed was Harry’s brother’s.
As he looked around the room, he could see how comfortable the room was. A settee with embroidered pillows sat against one wall near the hearth, along with two chairs which were located across from it. A large window allowed the morning sunlight to warm the room since the flowered curtains were pulled back. There was a long table with six chairs for the family to take their meals and a hallway that heassumed would lead to the kitchen and bedrooms. He could imagine Violet growing up here and he envied her for such a simple upbringing. Life was slow and easy here in Bracknell and so completely opposite to city living. Gideon could see himself visiting here often, if only he could convince Violet of his sincerity once he was able to apologize to her.
Harry pointed to one of the two chairs. “Take a seat.”
After several minutes of stony silence, Gideon spoke up. “Mr. Barnet—”
“What are your intentions toward my daughter, Captain Tyler?” Harry interrupted before sitting back in his chair and folding his arms over his chest.
Gideon had to give the man credit for getting straight to the point. “First, I need to make amends for harsh words that I spoke to Miss Barnet at our last meeting, at my brother’s.”
“You must have said something extreme if my daughter left as quickly as she did,” Harry replied with a lifted brow.
“Yes, sir, I did. I was out of line and should have given her the opportunity to explain why she was there—to visit her cousin Patience, who happens to be my sister-in-law. That was my first mistake.”
“And the second?”
“Allowing her to leave my brother’s study in the first place. When I learned of her identity, I thought she and my brother and sister-in-law were plotting against me,” Gideon admitted. “I was wrong with the assumption that Miss Barnet had anything to do with the chance encounter when we first met at the Lyon’s Den.”
Harry shrugged. “Don’t know what that place is but I don’t like the sound of it.”
“Your niece and her husband met there. It’s a well-known gambling establishment, although the owner also makes most of her money from matchmaking society’s elite.”
“What the devil was my daughter doing in such a den of iniquity in the first place?” Mr. Barnet declared.
“You’ll have to ask your daughter and niece for that information, sir. I don’t want to speak on their behalf,” Gideon replied, before continuing. “However Miss Barnet made her way to the Lyon’s Den, I’m forever grateful. I will admit I was intrigued by her the moment I first saw her. That hasn’t changed.”
“And just where do you foresee your relationship with my daughter going, Captain?”
