That was the truth. Niles turned his attention back to the road, trying to suppress the flicker of admiration her boldness inspired in him. It wasn’t just her quest for answers or her resilience that drew him in. No. It was Elsbeth herself. And that was both thrilling and terrifying.
Niles realized he had no interest in discussing Bedford or Mr. Stockton anymore. What he truly wanted was to learn more about Elsbeth. He turned to her. “Will you tell me about yourself?”
A playful glint sparkled in her eyes. “That’s rather vague. What exactly do you wish to know?”
That was an excellent question. What did he want to know about her? He decided to start small. “Besides dressing up as a highwaywoman, what else occupies your time?”
“The usual pursuits for a young lady, I suppose. My mother was determined that I excel at needlework and the pianoforte.”
“That sounds… thrilling.”
Her smile faltered slightly. “My life has grown rather dull since we moved to this godforsaken village,” she admitted, her voice carrying a tinge of bitterness.
“I find the village quaint.”
“Perhaps to visit,” Elsbeth countered, “but living here is an entirely different matter. There’s precious little to do, and mostof the villagers don’t know quite what to make of me. Apart from your aunt, I have no other friends here.”
Her words carried a sadness that tugged at him, and Niles felt an inexplicable urge to remedy it. “I’m sorry your friends abandoned you.”
She gave him a rueful look. “Thank you, but I can’t say it surprises me. That’s what happens when scandal strikes.”
“That doesn’t make it right.”
“No,” she agreed, “but if I’m being honest, I probably would have done the same. A lady’s reputation is everything. When someone jeopardizes their own, it’s easier to walk away than risk being tainted by association.”
Niles studied her, the vulnerability behind her words surprising him. “I worry about Eugenie,” he admitted after a moment. “She can’t seem to pull her nose out of a book long enough to think about finding a husband.”
Elsbeth’s expression softened. “Your sister is resilient. When the right suitor comes along, I have no doubt she’ll put her book down.”
“I hope you’re right,” he remarked. “I swore to my father that I’d always look after her, that I’d make sure she’s taken care of.”
“You’re a good man,” Elsbeth said simply.
He winced at her words. “I don’t feel like one. I’ll never be the man my father was. He had this presence about him. He could command a room with just a glance. I doubt I’ll ever be like him.”
She gave him a thoughtful look. “And you don’t think you have that same ability?”
“Hardly,” Niles replied with a huff of frustration. “In Parliament, the other lords barely notice me. I have to fight to make myself heard, and even then, they dismiss my views as unimportant.”
“Then speak louder.”
Niles let out a humorless laugh. “I doubt the volume of my voice will make a difference.”
“I envy you,” Elsbeth said. “You’re in a position to enact real change. You can do things most people can only dream of.”
“I’m failing at it,” he admitted.
She reached out and placed her hand gently on his sleeve. “You’re not failing. You’re finding your way, and when the time comes, you’ll make them listen. I have no doubt.”
Her faith in him, so freely given, settled something inside him. For the first time in a long while, Niles felt that maybe, just maybe, she was right.
Elsbeth withdrew her hand, and Niles found himself missing the warmth of her touch. Clearing his throat, he ventured cautiously, “Were you close with your father?”
“Hardly,” she replied, her voice steady but tinged with a trace of sadness. “He was rather indifferent to me.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Niles said, unsure what else to offer.
A weak smile curved her lips. “He wasn’t cruel, not intentionally. But as I grew older, it became painfully clear just how different we were. My father couldn’t understand why I would spend my time making clothing for the orphans at the workhouse. He believed poor people deserved their circumstances.”
