Page 49 of Her Unsuitable Match

The man dismounted and bowed. “A pleasure to meet you both, Mr. Cobbett. Lady Philippa.” He went around to the woman and helped her down, one hand lifted up to take hers as she slid down from her horse. “Allow me to introduce myself and my wife. I am Sir Isaac Fox, and this is Lady Fox. We are from Aldersy, the west coast of Suffolk.”

It was as he released his lady’s hand, allowing her to perform a curtsy, that Pippa realized he had pinned up the left sleeve of his coat, as he had no arm to fill it. Her mouth popped open in some surprise, but she hastily covered her rudeness. “I hope we have not interrupted your ride, Lady Fox.”

“Not at all,” the woman said, her smile subdued. “We are glad to have found you both, actually, as I think we are rather lost. We meant to ride out to Huntington Park, but I have the feeling we are wandering in circles. Progressively larger circles, to be sure.”

“My fault,” the baronet said with a chagrined smile. “We could’ve stayed right where we were, but I learned that friends of ours are staying at Huntington Park, and we wished to surprise them with a visit.”

“You are not too far off.” Myles wore a gracious smile, an expression Pippa had not seen often. It wasn’t his polite smile for a London gathering. This was more genuine. More comfortable. “Huntington is a mile east of here. If you go that way”—he pointed north— “you’ll find a track through those trees. Follow it east, and you’ll come through Huntington Park’s plum orchard.”

“Ah.” Sir Isaac looked northward. “Thank you for the guidance. I think we will walk that direction, to avoid losing our hats to the trees.”

“Are you in need of any other assistance?” Pippa asked, looking directly at Lady Fox. The woman wore a dark blue riding habit and a black beaver hat, with a bluebell tucked in the ribbon around its brim. Curls of her hair, a shocking shade of red that reminded Pippa of Elaine’s copper tresses, peeked out from beneath the hat’s brim.

“Not presently.” She fiddled with the horse’s leads in her hand, looking to her husband a moment before asking a question of her own. “Tell me, do the two of you live nearby?”

“No,” Myles and Pippa answered together, then he smiled down at her. “We are newlywed, visiting my family.”

“Ah, congratulations to you both.” Sir Isaac tucked his horse’s lead between what remained of his left arm and his side, then offered his right arm to his wife. She took it, her horse’s lead in her other hand. “We were married not so long ago ourselves.”

Given that his wife looked to him with undisguised adoration, Pippa easily guessed that theirs was a love match. How wonderful. For them. And Elaine and Adam. She darted another covert glance at her husband, and for the first time, she wondered. Wondered if he had hoped for such a thing before the war stole his eye and left him scarred, without occupation.

“We are on our way to visit my brother-in-law and sister. They are guests of Mr. Lockheed. Lord and Lady Inglewood. Have you met them?”

“No, but we only arrived yesterday,” Myles said. “That name is familiar. I think Lord Inglewood must’ve visited this neighborhood before. He is a member of the House of Lords, is he not? A more progressive member, if I am not mistaken.”

Sir Isaac chuckled. “Indeed, you are not. He’s likely in this part of the country to find like-minded men from the House of Commons.” He shrugged and addressed his next comment to Pippa. “The man detests London, so he always escapes at the first chance to do his politicking in the free air of the country.”

“How long will you be visiting the neighborhood?” Pippa asked, a sudden idea coming to her.

Lady Fox answered cheerily, “Another week. We are staying with Doctor and Mrs. Johnson, of the Clock House.”

Pippa blinked. “The Clock House?”

Her husband grinned down at her when she gave him a questioning look. “We will be certain to visit so you can see why it bears that name.” Then he shared a more friendly smile with Sir Isaac, tinged with curiosity. “Doctor Johnson and I are good friends. I suggested the Clock House to him when he married. I’m pleased he took up the lease.”

“It is a charming location.” Lady Fox tilted her head to the side. “Do tell me, how do you know Mr. Johnson? He is from Suffolk, near our home. I always wondered what brought him so far from there.”

“We served in the army together. He was the doctor attached to my regiment for a time,” Myles answered, and gestured to the eye patch he wore. “He saved my life.”

Sir Isaac and his wife exchanged a look of wonder. Then the baronet appeared quite excited. “Doctor Johnson was my doctor. Acting the part of surgeon, of course. He took my arm off to save my life.” He gestured to the empty left sleeve of his coat. “In Toulouse, after the first surrender of the French Empire.”

While the significance of that statement meant nothing to Pippa, she saw that Myles appeared impressed. And sounded it, too, when he said, “Wellington’s last battle at Toulouse. I was at Quatre Bras. Attacked just before dawn by cannon fire.”

“Ah. I suppose a cannonball didn’t take your eye?” Sir Isaac stood relaxed, his expression almost jocular.

Myles’s tone matched, as though the aspect of losing limbs and vital organs was an everyday occurrence. She’d never seen him appear at ease when discussing his injuries. “A tree took the cannonball, the tree’s shrapnel took the eye.”

Alarmed, Pippa looked to Lady Fox, who only smiled and shrugged.

“I have no wish to keep you from visiting your friends,” Myles said, his expression amiable. “Though I would be interested in speaking with you, and Dr. Johnson, more. We are having a picnic in two days’ time. May we include you—and your friends, Lord and Lady Inglewood—in the invitation?”

“If my lady has no objections.” Sir Isaac looked to his wife for confirmation.

“I do enjoy picnics.” Her smile curved upward, and something of significance passed between the two of them, something Pippa thought looked suspiciously like a joke.

“Then it is settled.” Sir Isaac’s horse nudged him at the same moment he spoke, leading the man to cast a glare over his shoulder at the beast. “And we will be on our way. I look forward to that picnic.”

“Thank you for inviting us.” Lady Fox curtsied, and after they took their leave, both couples parted as though they had met on a street in London rather than in the middle of a meadow.