But then, if he was, Charles wouldn’t be his friend. If she remembered right, and she knew she did, Charles had a certain disdain for those he thought inferior.
“You wish to talk of food?”
He said the words just as slowly as she had. Oh dear. By the time they finished this conversation, her sister and Eryl would have returned.
“Mr. Payne, you’ve come to my door a complete stranger. You’ve provided no documentation to show you are indeed Charles’ friend. Do you believe that I will simply take your word for it and leave with you to places unknown? For all I know, you could be kidnapping me.”
He tilted his head, as if what she’d said was curious instead of simple common sense. “Do women often have strangers come to their door promising journeys to their fiancés, all the while intending to kidnap them?”
Good point. If this man truly meant her ill will, it was unlikely he would politely knock at her residence and ask after her. And if he had nefarious plans for her in store, it was very unlikely that he would mention Charles as a ploy.
“I’ll go.”
Dropping his head, he ran a hand over his coat front. It wasn’t just a quick swipe, but very detailed, with his fingers splaying out as if he was feeling for something in an inside pocket.
She could see no bulge there, so…it was odd.
When his head snapped up again, there was a world of emotions in his mesmerizing eyes. Something like pleasureandregret. Something like conflict. None of it made any sense at all, because he had asked her to travel to Charles, and she agreed.
“Dessert,” he blurted.
“Excuse me?” she said.
“That’s what you wanted to know, wasn’t it? If I knew Charles well enough to know what he liked to eat?”
It was. She did. And her earlier assessment that he was a bit less intelligent was blown quite away. She was the one standing awkwardly with her mouth agape. Especially now it seemed he’d gathered his words into complete sentences, and he used a voice she could listen to all day to do it.
“Desserts are what Charles likes the most of,” he continued. “If I don’t finish mine fast enough, his spoon reaches across the table and takes what’s left.”
It was his disgruntled look as well as his words that assuaged any lingering doubt. This man knew Charles. Charles had finally asked for her. She could leave right now, as if by some providence or miracle.
With utter elation, Siân smiled.
Chapter Three
Despite assuring himselfthat this was absolutely the best course of action, Reggie continued to feel what could only be twinges of conscience.
They kept popping up as Siân, Miss Williams, beckoned him into her home, introduced him to the servants, and went about her chores and packing.
He helped as much as he could, which seemed to surprise her, but felt altogether comfortable to him. It been too long since he worked with land and livestock, and he’d missed it.
Perhaps it was because of his help, or perhaps she was simply worried for Charles, but they set out for England only the next morning. And still he wrestled with himself, and the confounded letter that remained sealed and hidden in his greatcoat’s pocket.
On and on Reggie rode alongside Siân, whose gelding sauntered as if it was the finest of afternoons, even though the day was overcast, and blackened clouds marred the vast horizon. The sky concerned him, as did the increase in wind bringing those clouds toward them.
It was like Fate didn’t approve of his hiding of the correspondence in his pocket. That he was giving her a false hope that Charles wanted her…
There shouldn’t be any false hope.
Reggie snuck another glance at Siân, who looked as jaunty as her gelding. She looked joyous, in fact.
There was no other word for it. Her elbows were out; her chin was up. The curls under her hat bounced with every strike of her horse’s hooves. And with her hips almost as wide as her saddle, her hair wasn’t the only thing that bounced.
Everything about her was perfect, and she beamed out at the world as if she was the sun on this darkest of days. How could Charles not want her?
His not mentioning the letter was simply a consequence to a happy outcome they would all laugh about when they reunited. It felt right having her by his side. Even their horses were in step, as if they knew he wanted her nowhere in the world except near him.
So he could watch her gaze at the world as if she’d never seen this part of Wales before, and he could safely protect her as they crossed to England. At some point on this journey, they’d be near his own farm, and maybe she’d like to meet his parents. They’d barely exchanged any words as of yet, but from what he did know of her, they’d be as charmed as he was.
