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‘Ah.’ He was silent for a long moment. ‘Maybe not all of them, no, but there’s no way of knowing now. Most of my family are gone.’
They lapsed into silence, wandering along a side terrace and into a walled kitchen garden. Most of the flowerbeds were empty, waiting for warmer weather, all except for one long row of herbs that still defied the night-time frosts. The day itself, however, was cloudless, the chill of the breeze tempered by the heat of the sun. As long as they kept out of the shadows, it was a near-perfect temperature.
Anna closed her eyes, her nostrils filled with the scent of sage and rosemary, and began to relax. It was incredible how much her life had changed over the course of the past few weeks. It was bizarre enough that she was here, visiting the home of the family she’d always despised, even more bizarre to be in the company of a possible earl whom she’d kissed. But here she was, alone with him again. It felt as if the whole world had turned upside down.
‘It’s fortunate that your uncle’s estate is so close to Staunton,’ Samuel spoke again after a little while. ‘You and your mother should be able to visit often.’
‘Yes.’ She reached a hand out, skimming her fingers along the branch of a honeysuckle. ‘Although we’ve never discussed how long we’ll be staying.’
‘I thought I’d see how Lady Staunton responded to our arrival.’ He gave her an ironic look. ‘I’ll have to let you know when I find out. In any case, we ought to leave before the baby arrives.’
‘That would probably be tactful...’ she nodded in agreement ‘...and I shouldn’t stay away too long or else your grandmother might knock down my shop and turned it into a stables.’
‘It’s a possibility.’ He laughed. ‘She’ll need a new project now that your mother’s left. It’s amazing she’s stayed in Bath as long as she already has. Usually she hates the place.’
‘Mmm.’ Anna pretended to study a clematis on the wall to hide her expression of guilt. It was obvious that Samuel had no idea of the seriousness of his grandfather’s condition and, since his grandmother had told her in confidence, she could hardly reveal it. Besides, telling him would only send him riding headlong back to Bath, the last thing either of his grandparents wanted.
‘What’s the matter?’ He seemed to sense the conflict in her.
‘Oh, nothing.’ She forced a smile. ‘It’s just been a busy month, that’s all. So much has happened.’
‘For me, too. I thought that I’d put off seeing Staunton until I had to, if I had to, but I suppose my grandmother was right about preparing myself just in case. Not that I’ll ever admit that to her.’
‘I think she’s trying to protect you.’
‘From social climbers and debutantes? I know. She seems to think I’ll be mobbed if I inherit. It’s quite insulting how little she trusts me to defend myself from marriage traps.’
‘I’m not sure I blame her. Fighting Napoleon is one thing, but debutantes can be very unscrupulous.’
He snorted. ‘Then you agree that evasive action is called for?’
‘Well...’ She made a show of looking around, as if there might be fortune hunters hiding in the bushes. ‘You ought to be safe enough here and at Staunton, but I wouldn’t go anywhere else without a chaperon if I were you.’
‘I thought that you were my chaperon?’
‘Oh, yes, so I am. You’re perfectly safe, then.’
‘I wouldn’t say that.’ He gave her a significant look. ‘About that conversation we started the other evening... Have you ever thought about marriage?’
‘Me?’ Her heart gave an unusually heavy thump, making her fingers clench inadvertently over his forearm.
‘Yes. You must have thought about it.’
‘Must I? Not every woman dreams of marriage.’
‘No, but I can’t believe you haven’t had suitors. Not unless there’s something in Bath’s spa water that clouds men’s minds.’
‘Now you’re trying to flatter me.’
‘Only because I’m trying to get answers.’ He tilted his head towards hers, his voice huskier than usual.
‘Well...’ She felt her stomach quiver in response. ‘I suppose there have been a couple.’
‘But no proposals?’
‘Four.’
‘Four?’ He stopped walking abruptly. ‘You just said a couple of suitors.’
