Page 34 of Romancing the Artist

Claude was still coming. And the last time his cousin had spent more than five minutes in the same room with Edward, he’d said a dozen things that still crept into Edward’s thoughts at night and made him grind his teeth. Or punch his pillows, imagining his cousin’s smug face in place of the downy cushions.

“You know, Edward, I’ve always admired your ability to persevere despite your limitations.”

Infuriating. That’s what Claude was.

“I suppose I find your company dull merely because we have such different interests. Such opposite views when we look at the world.”

Claude’s views only encompassed card tables, finish lines, and naive young ladies. Sometimes, glasses filled to the brim with liquid that burned like fire. And still, Claude sauntered through life as though all of it was made for his pleasure, and any pain he caused was merely a matter of course.

Edward’s body stiffened, and his gelding’s ears flicked back, picking up on Edward’s mood and mind. Edward soothed his horse with a few words and realized they had entered Alderton without him realizing it. He looked over his shoulder and saw his sisters had stopped in the road, a youth in apron assisting them with their horses.

His cheeks warm, Edward turned his mount around and joined them. The boy, in the employee of the shop that sold bonnets downstairs and served tea in the rooms above, took charge of Edward’s gelding, too. Edward gave the lad a coin, promised more when they returned, then offered his arms to his sisters.

“What is our first destination, ladies?”

For nearly an hour, Edward let them order him about. They hadn’t jested when they’d mentioned going into every single shop in the village. And nearly everywhere, they made a purchase. Buttons, ribbons, a small toy horse for their nieces at the vicarage, a tin of sweets, an order placed for smelling salts, another for new music, two used books, a dozen sweet rolls wrapped in brown paper, a bottle of rose oil, and on the list went. Every shop benefitted from his sisters’ attempts to cleanse their mind of Claude’s impending visit.

They had started the walk down the opposite side of the street, moving back to their gig, and Edward carried several small parcels in his arms behind them. He wondered how his sisters had managed to spend so little of their own money and so much of his, when he heard Charity exclaim in front of him.

“Isn’t that Miss Clapham? Whatever is she doing in Alderton, all alone?”

Edward’s gaze swept the street and shops, and he saw Miss Clapham exiting the apothecary he and his sisters had visited first upon their arrival. She carried a single parcel of her own and wore a gentle smile as she spoke to someone inside the shop. Then she closed the door, and Edward’s heart performed an odd sort of leap the moment she turned and caught his stare with hers.

“At the apothecary, no less. I hope she is well,” Charity murmured. Then she looked over her shoulder at Edward. “Do you mind if we speak to her, Edward?”

He rapidly shook his head. “Not in the slightest. It is the neighborly thing to do.”

Patience gave him an odd look. “You said a moment ago you were tired of playing the part of our pack horse.”

Edward glowered at her and said, “A jest. Besides, I can put these things in the gig.” He looked across the street again but caught Charity and Patience exchanging a glance. “She is waving. Quick, wave back.” His hands and arms were full, yet he was tempted to drop everything to return the salutation.

Patience saved her parcels from a sorry fate by waving, then locked her arm about Charity’s. “Come, the road is clear. Mind your step, Edward.”

He followed his sisters, and the parcels in his arms made it awkward when he bowed in greeting to Caroline. She appeared in good health, with pink in her cheeks and the usual brightness in her eyes. Her dark hair peeked out from beneath her bonnet, which had a spray of peach-silk flowers around its brim. She wore a dress in a color to match, and the shade made her sun-bronzed skin appear to excellent advantage. She quite glowed with health.

“Good afternoon, Miss Everly, Miss Patience, and Mr. Everly.” Her lips tilted up, hinting at a smile. “How lovely to see all of you.”

His sisters exchanged pleasantries, giving and receiving news of the health of everyone in both Inglewood Castle and the Refuge. Caroline gave his sisters most of her attention, hardly glancing at Edward. Though left out of the conversation, he didn’t mind. He hadn’t anything pressing to say. He and Caroline were yet at the beginning of their play; their proximity to one another was enough for the moment.

Standing there, listening, watching the play of emotion on Caroline’s face as she spoke with his sisters, made him quite forget about Claude.

“Have you been to the tea shop yet? The one above the milliner’s? Mr. and Mrs. Raleigh own both businesses, of course, but their eldest daughter, Mrs. Belton, sees to the tea,” Charity explained.

“And they have the most delicious little cakes,” Patience added. “Oh, do take tea with us. This very moment, if you can spare the time.”

Finally, Caroline’s eyes caught Edward’s, and this time, her gaze lingered. “If your brother doesn’t mind, that would be wonderful.”

“I don’t mind,” he said, nearly before she’d finished speaking. “So long as I might put my baggage away beforehand.” He smiled over the parcels at her, and she returned his smile with a broad one of her own.

“You mean you prefer to take your tea without half a dozen boxes in your lap? How very conventional of you.”

He chuckled. “Indeed, they would hinder my ability to get my fair share of the tea cakes. Beware, Miss Clapham. My sisters are notorious for taking a second cake before anyone else has had their first.”

“Retract that accusation at once,” Charity demanded.

“Not true at all, Edward,” Patience said at the same time.

“It seems you know the plight of having younger siblings as well as I do, Mr. Everly.” Caroline’s dark eyes laughed while his sisters gasped in feigned horror.