She should have known this conversation would be coming. ‘It wasn’t just the two of us. There were bobbies and other citizens.’
‘Exactly,’ he said. ‘People who can prove the two of you were alone most of the time.’
She couldn’t believe what she was hearing or what Peter was implying. ‘You can’t expect Drake to marry me because of that.’
‘Reputations have been ruined by less,’ he said, glancing down at his desk.
She followed his gaze to an envelope sitting there. Disdain instantly rose up inside her at the sight of handwriting she’d often seen before. ‘Karl Harding? You’re worried about what Karl Harding thinks?’
‘His family—’
‘I don’t care if his family is royalty or not. He’s an arrogant bigot and is angry because I refuse to accept any of his invitations.’ Fury rose up inside her, as did fear, because she suddenly understood one thing. Not everyone married for love. There were plenty of marriages that happened by force. ‘Please, Peter, don’t do this.’
‘I haven’t done anything, Meridith, but this is serious, and something we need to address. As you said, Drake has informed me that he isn’t interested in marriage, but he has also offered me a partnership between our shipping companies. It’s a collaboration that he needs, and—’
‘No,’ she said, understanding what he was about to say. ‘You can’t force him to marry me in exchange for a partnership. That’s not right. It’s not fair.’
‘Life isn’t always fair.’
She stared at him, shaking her head and fighting back tears.
‘He needs a partner.’
‘I won’t do it. I’ll… I’ll move to Chesterfield, live there. I’ll—’ She didn’t know what she’d do, but she wouldn’t let anyone force Drake into marrying her.
Chapter Twelve
There had been times when Drake had been away from London for over a year at a time, so why the hell five days felt like a lifetime, he had no idea. That was all the time he’d been in Bristol. Five days, in which not a single moment had passed when he hadn’t thought about Meridith.
In a very short amount of time, she’d turned his world upside down.
That was what it felt like, because suddenly there was a growing list of things he’d been wrong about that were piling up and crashing down on him.
He couldn’t seem to get out from underneath a single one.
The new ship was a beauty and would slide through the waters of the oceans as easily as the dolphins who would propel themselves along beside it. There wasn’t a single thing he didn’t like about her, but even while standing on her half-built upper deck, the sea hadn’t called to him as he’d expected.
Instead, while standing there, his thoughts had been centered on Meridith. Including wondering what she was doing and if she was missing him as much as he was missing her.
During the short period he’d been away, he couldn’t deny that he had missed her more than anything he’d ever missed in the past. It was disconcerting, but he couldn’t deny it. At one time or another every moment that they had spent together had playedacross his mind, reminding him of just how much he enjoyed her company. He’d chuckled at the memories of playing croquet together, of the night she’d cut the bustle off her dress, of her first hug from Hugo, and of her sitting atop the elephant with her arms around a child on each side of her.
Other memories, of light-hearted conversations and deeper discussion about a variety of subjects had replayed in his mind, too, including the time they’d spent together while searching the streets for Hugo. Those memories evoked strong reactions from him, not only of desire, but of yearning for the pleasure of having his arms around her, feeling her body next to his, and having a sense of companionship that he’d never experienced in the past.
He’d tried to concentrate on other things, but it hadn’t worked, and he’d been forced to face reality when he’d stood on the deck of his new ship. Rather than imagining the familiar sounds of ocean waves crashing against the hull, he’d heard Meridith’s twinkling laughter. And when he’d closed his eyes, to help him picture the never-ending blue ocean waters, he’d seen her sparkling blue eyes instead.
Nothing like that had ever happened before. Nothing had ever overridden his love for the sea.
He hadn’t figured out what to do about it all, other than to get back to London as soon as possible and see her. Just see her.
Therefore, upon arriving in London and finding his horse waiting for him as instructed in the message he’d sent to George, he quickly mounted the animal. Knowing Meridith as well as he did, he headed to the zoo. His heart thudded in his chest with anticipation, and the congestion of London traffic made him grateful to be on horseback as he passed coaches by the dozens, each sitting at a standstill.
Entering the gates at the zoo, he spotted a flyer indicating that the elephant rides had concluded a short time ago. His smileincreased. He was convinced that Meridith would be here to help with those.
He left his horse with an attendant, with instructions to water the animal, and hurried towards the elephant enclosure. There was an excitement inside him the likes of which he’d never known.
From a distance, he saw two men carrying the howdah towards the storage shed near the Royal Zoological Society’s main building and increased his speed. His gaze was glued on the elephant house, searching for movement. There was no sign of Hugo, which led him to believe the elephant was inside, receiving rewarding treats.
Rather than opening the gate, Drake slid between two of the pipes of the fence and jogged around the building to the storage room. The door was cracked open, and he paused upon hearing a voice. A voice he knew well and had missed.
