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“You’re not going to hit me, are you?”
“No.” Regina bit her lip. “I was tempted last night, but not now.”
“That doesn’t make me feel any better, Regina.”
“Please?”
Derrick wanted to get over to his mother’s cottage sooner rather than later, but he couldn’t turn Regina down. She was looking rather miserable. Sighing, he signalled at the driver.
“Can you take the carriage down to the end of the drive and wait for me? I’ll be along shortly.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Derrick watched the carriage head down the drive and turned to Regina, holding out an arm.
“Shall we?”
She took his arm, and they stepped onto the gravel, walking after the disappearing carriage. Regina tucked her hair behind her ear, but the wind blew it back again. Derrick gave her a wry smile.
“You should have pinned your hair up.”
“I didn’t want to care about that. I wanted to come and talk to you first. That’s more important.” Regina growled as she attempted to brush her hair back without success. “Why did it have to be windy today?”
Derrick stopped and turned to her. At that angle, Regina had the wind in front of her, and that blew her hair back.
“Thank you.” Regina squinted and shielded her eyes from the sun. “Although I should have brought my parasol.”
“What was it that you wanted to say, Regina?”
“About last night...” Regina sighed. “Well, given how things are, Dorothea and I have been talking. We think it’s best that we leave as well.”
“What?” Derrick stared. “You’re going to leave, too?”
“Of course. Ellie isn’t here. It would be best that we go home, as well.”
Derrick let the words sink in. Of course Regina and Dorothea would follow their sister. But he was surprised at how he felt about it.
“You don’t have to go,” he blurted out. “I don’t want you to go.”
“What?”
“I didn’t want Ellie to go, either, but she was clearly stressed, so I thought a few days apart would be best. However, I wish for you and your sister to stay in the cottage.”
Regina frowned. “But…”
“You have every right to continue living here. You two have that cottage until you marry or you’re old and grey, whichever comes first. I thought I said that before.”
Regina stared at him with her mouth open. Then she swallowed.
“But what about Lady Saxton? I don’t particularly want to see that witch around here. That’s disrespectful on your part and disloyal on mine.”
Derrick rubbed a hand across his face. “Do you really think that I would have an affair with a married woman when I have Ellie? Is that something you’re certain of?”
“I…” Regina faltered. Then her cheeks flushed and she glanced away. “In all honesty, I don’t believe you would do that to Ellie.”
“You thought so last night.”
“Because I was high on emotion, and Ellie was so distraught. Lady Saxton is a very good manipulator. But now I’ve calmed down and had time to think about it, I realise I was jumping to conclusions. I should have no reason to doubt you.”
