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Evelina stood in the same spot he left her at until the buggy drove away. Then she spun on her heel and made a dash for the house as fast as her legs could take her. Instead of joining her sisters in the sitting room to the left, she rushed into the parlor on the opposite side of the corridor instead.
Clive Hepworth was sitting in a lounge chair with a newspaper propped open in front of him enjoying some alone time from the many females in the house. However, upon seeing Evelina’s glowing face enter the room, he beamed and asked, “Did you enjoy your outing with young Colby?”
“Yes, very much,” she exclaimed but didn’t stop to elaborate. Instead, she rushed over to the small bay window overlooking the street and watched Ryan’s carriage rattle down the dirt road.
Chapter 8
Ryan stared up at the Lady Evelina and waited for that familiar spark of excitement at the prospect of setting sail. However, that morning, it struggled to ignite. Perhaps it was the guilt of taking possession of the boat without completely fulfilling his end of the bargain.
Yes, Clive had given him the schooner without agreeing to marry Evelina, but it somehow felt tainted to Ryan. Not that he should feel that way, he reminded himself. It wasn’t as if he had gone into the wager fully aware of the conditions. Therefore, in all fairness, he shouldn’t feel any guilt.
Nevertheless, that nagging little conscience of his said otherwise. Relinquishing his rights to the Lady Evelina would be heartbreaking but not detrimental. He had no qualms about walking away from her without remorse.
The lady herself, surprisingly, was another question.
He glanced up and past the pier to the little blue house where the woman of his thoughts was awaiting his arrival.
He had no wish to get involved with a woman. Let alone take on a wife and family. His dreams and goals had no room for them. He had every intention of setting sail and leaving her behind. So he knew better than to get involved. Especially emotionally. Someone could get hurt. And he knew it wouldn’t be him.
He didn’t like leading the poor girl on. He recognized the look in her eyes the day before as he held her in his arms. She had wanted him to kiss her. Indeed, he had wanted to kiss her. Very much. A couple of days earlier, he probably would have. But something happened that made him reevaluate his behavior. Whereas before he would have easily manipulated her with flattery. After all, wasn’t that what he did? Seduced others into liking him? It wasn’t as if he could offer them anything more. He wasn’t altogether strong or intelligent, but he could win over the coldest heart with just a smile.
However, with Evelina, he couldn’t bring himself to do it any longer. He didn’t want to see her hurt. He wasn’t sure why he felt this way, perhaps it was because of the inner demons she seemed to face on a daily basis. It pained him to see her suffer. He wanted her to heal and more importantly, he wanted to be a part of that healing process.
He left the pier and headed up the boardwalk then crossed the street to her family’s little home. It was a beautiful morning and he did not intend to dampen it.
When the door opened, Evelina greeted him uncharacteristically. A delightful smile lit up her face and made her eyes even bluer than they already were if that was at all possible.
“You look ravishing this morning.”
He was delighted when the glow on her face grew even brighter. “Why thank you kind sir. You are too generous.”
“I thought today we could have a picnic.” He raised a basket he held in his hands. “If you like, we could enjoy it in your mother’s garden.”
She bit her bottom lip in a nervous manner and he wished she didn’t always feel so frightened of trying something new. He would have loved to take her to the bluffs overlooking the river for their picnic. But her false misconceptions kept her imprisoned in her own home.
“I, um, hear the park is lovely.”
His brows shot up in surprise. “Yes, yes it is. Would you care to go?”
She hesitated and he almost feared she was going to back out. “I think so.”
A huge smile spread across his face. “Wonderful.”
He took her arm and escorted her down the narrow path to the waiting carriage. After settling her onto the bench, he directed the driver to take a long route to the park, wanting to enjoy as much time with Evelina as possible. As they passed by several interesting landmarks, he discovered it was the first time Evelina had ever seen them. Though it troubled him to see the evidence of her sheltered life, it also admittedly pleased him greatly to see her face light up with joy. More so knowing he himself was the instigator behind her happy mood that day.
“Have you ever been to the Waterworks Park? It’s a bit of a distance, but well worth it.”
“No, I haven’t,” she admitted. “Where is that?”
“North of here. It’s where the pumping houses are held that provide water to all of Detroit’s residents.”
“Oh,” she said, sounding slightly disappointed.
He grinned. “Not to worry. It’s much lovelier than it sounds. The grounds also have over a hundred acres of park land to picnic upon.”
When she looked far more pleased, he added, “As well, a less chance of running into crowds.”
“Oh.” He had a feeling that her high-pitched exclamation sounded far more delighted than she probably intended.
