Page 58 of The Earl and His Lady

A smile tugged at her lips and she made a show of sighing. “Oh, very well. But only a short walk, Lucas. Luncheon will be served soon.”

He pushed the door all the way open and waited for her to join him in the hall. Once he had her tucked against his side, Lucas steered them down the stairs and out the front door. He took her to a path that wrapped around the back of the house, neither of them saying a word, but the silence was not uncomfortable.

Virginia appreciated Lucas’s ability to converse with ease or allow quiet between them. He never tried to fill the space between their conversations with inane comments, nor did he make small talk. When he spoke to her, it was with purpose and thoughtfulness. His intelligence and kindness made him the rarest and best sort of company.

“I discovered the motive behind the staff’s discouraging behavior,” Lucas said after they’d entered the rear courtyard.

“Did you?” She raised her eyebrows at him, studying his composed expression. He did not seem upset or offended. What had he learned? “How did you achieve that knowledge?”

“Servants gossip. Randal asked a few questions.” Lucas shrugged, his eyes remaining on the hedges and the scenery beyond them. “I learned your brother-in-law came for a visit.”

“That corroborates what I have learned of the situation,” she said, still studying his profile. His strong, angular features, the confident tilt of his head, was something she knew many women would admire. How many ladies in London had cursed her name when they learned of his marriage?

“You are not upset?” he asked, turning at last to look at her, his eyebrows lifted.

“I am disappointed in my staff’s behavior, but I cannot say I blame them. They don’t know the whole story. Nor will they. It’s quite personal, after all. But I have corrected the assumption and I do not think it will be long before things are set to rights.” Virginia turned away, taking in the rolling hills as far as her eye could see. It was a different view from what she had become accustomed to at Annesbury Park, yet she found she loved them both. Trees or open fields, red brick or gray stone, each place held distinct beauty and charm.

“I’ve missed being here,” she said, then drew in a deep breath. “I never appreciated country living until I came here.”

“It’s beautiful,” he said quietly. Virginia turned to smile at him and realized his eyes were on her, not the distant hills.

Heat rushed into her cheeks and she cleared her throat, stepping away from him. “I’ve just recalled, I promised Edward to retrieve something from the children’s crow’s nest. It’s in the trees, south of the gardens.”

Lucas nodded and turned in that direction. “Do you think we can fetch it and return before luncheon?”

“Yes, of course. But you needn’t come if you are busy—”

He laughed and looked sideways at her, a twinkle in his eye. “Virginia, my whole purpose for being in Suffolk is to assist you. Whether it’s meeting with the steward or climbing a tree, I am at your service. Now, will you lead the way to the crow’s nest?”

Virginia smiled back at him, despite the strange flutter behind her heart’s walls.

It is flattering, and would be in any situation, for a man of his standing to offer such aid.

She started down the path, tucking her hands behind her. He did the same, rather than offer his arm again.

“Who built this crow’s nest?” Lucas asked when their path veered down a small hill.

“Charles’s father had it built, years ago, for his boys. When Phillip came along, Charles had it repaired. Phillip was barely out of leading strings the first time Charles took him there. I stood beneath them, certain something terrible would happen and Phillip would fall.” She shook her head, her eyes going to the small grove of trees that marked their destination. “I should not have worried. Charles would never allow harm to come to those boys.”

Lucas said nothing, and when she glanced at him from the corner of her eye, she saw a look of serious contemplation on his face. What was he thinking? Was she speaking of Charles too much? Too warmly? Had she said something wrong—?

“He sounds like the very sort of father I hope to be,” Lucas said, his words quiet but firm.

Did he mean for the children he fathered someday, or for Phillip and Edward too?

When he looked down at her, the warmth in his expression answered the question. “And I hope he would approve of my endeavors on behalf of your sons.”

“I’m certain he would.”

Virginia’s attention focused on the trees again, and she pointed at the one with boards nailed to its side to create a ladder. “Just up there. Edward left his seashells somewhere inside.”

Lucas looked upward and nodded, then stripped off his jacket and handed it to her to hold. Virginia watched as he pushed his shirtsleeves up and took a rung in hand.

The bottom of the crow’s nest, which was really a rounded wooden box, was at least ten feet off the ground. Lucas made short work of the climb, pushed the hatchway open and hoisted himself inside with little effort.

She heard his boots on the boards and then the top hatch swung open, and his head popped out of it.

“This is incredible,” he said, looking down at her. “If I’d had something like this as a boy, I never would’ve come inside for lessons.” His grin was wide and impish, his eyes alight. “Do you think we ought to build something like it at Annesbury Park? Perhaps two such constructions, so battles may be planned by opposing field commanders.”