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The windows ofthe car were beginning to steam up. Ella was fine with it. She didn’t want to see Baird or be trapped in the car with him any longer, but Cara had been watching for him compulsively. “He’s returning now,” she said happily.
Ella closed her eyes and pressed a fist to her forehead, wishing she had wings and could just fly home.
She and Baird shouldn’t have discussed the wedding. It would have been better to pretend the kiss never happened. After all, it was just a kiss, and Baird truly didn’t figure in her goals or future. She just had to find a way to remain detached. Distance was the key.
But as Baird opened the car door the very energy changed, charging the molecules with something alive, something she couldn’t define.
He might pretend to be calm and rational, but she knew better. He wasn’t the quiet logical man he presented to the world. Beneath his rugged virile exterior was a volcano—hot, dangerous, molten.
She shouldn’t want it, or him, but stupidly, she did.
“Where to now?” Baird asked, starting the car.
“What if we continue the way we’re going with a stop at Monsal Head, another of the most photographed spots in the Peak District? It shouldn’t be that far from here, and near the car park there’s a little place we could get tea and cake,” Cara added. “It would be a nice break before returning home. Besides, I would be thrilled to use the lavatory.”
“Sounds good,” Baird said, shifting into gear.
Before he backed out, his gaze went to the rearview mirror and collided with Ella’s. Something passed between them… an awareness, a knowing, a connection neither of them wanted but couldn’t shake.
Ella swallowed hard and looked away, wondering if she’d imagined that raw intensity in his eyes, wondering if she’d imagined the fire in his kiss. Was she lost in a world of fiction? Was she making up things in her head now?
No. She wasn’t. She couldn’t be.
Baird was the mystery. Baird was the one who didn’t want to feel. But he was also the one who’d set her on fire.
*
They stopped atthe teahouse, and it was the perfect break before they returned to the car to head to Langley Park, which was only fifteen minutes away.
If Cara sensed any tension between Ella and Baird she ignored it, talking about all her favorite places Ella should see in the next two weeks, including a train trip to Bath after Boxing Day, if she felt like making a day trip. Or better yet, staying overnight if she could find an inexpensive place to stay since there was so much to see and do.
“Jane Austen lived in Bath,” Cara added, as if she needed to convince Ella to make the trip. “Last summer, before the wedding, Alec took me to Bath for the weekend. We stayed at the Royal Crescent Hotel and Spa, and visited Jane Austen’s museum, the Pump House, the Upper Assembly Rooms. I loved it, and you’ve read all her books, while I’ve only seen the movies, so with your thesis and all, you’ll be in heaven.”
“That’s actually a good idea,” Ella said, thinking a few days off on her own might just be what she needed, unless, of course, Baird would be departing Langley Park once Alec returned. She hoped he would. With the party cancelled, there was no reason for him to stay on. “Let’s see how Christmas goes, and if it works out, I’ll make the trip. It’s not terribly far by train, is it?”
“Four and a half, to five hours,” Baird said, “plus two to three train changes.”
The distance didn’t worry Ella, but two to three train changes? That sounded like a lot. “I’ll think about it,” she said.
“Or maybe Baird could take you,” Cara suggested. “If he has time.”
“He doesn’t,” Ella said quickly, stomach doing a somersault. She avoided making eye contact as well, determined to avoid engaging. “He has a lot of work. He’s been focused every evening and morning at the cottage, and I’m not going to disrupt his work more than I already have.” She dabbed her mouth with her napkin, wiping away the delicious, clotted cream. “Should we head back soon? I know how much you love your naps, Cara.”
*
Relief flooded Ellaas Baird pulled through Langley Park’s impressive front gates, and then traveled down the winding road with the border of ancient trees. Here and there, the trees would give way, teasing views of the great house. It wasn’t until they drew close to the house, they could see a car in the driveway.
“That’s Aunt Emma’s car,” Cara said, leaning forward as Baird slowed and parked. “Which means Aunt Dorothy is also here.”
Baird turned the ignition off. “I didn’t think they were to come until tomorrow.”
Cara smiled wryly. “They arrived early last year as well. I wondered if they’d show early this year, too. Fortunately, everything’s ready. I do wish Alec was here, though.”
“I know you miss him,” Ella said gently. “But he’ll be home this weekend.”
“He should have been home already.” Cara’s voice dropped and then she added firmly, “But you’re right, it won’t be long now, and it’ll be extra wonderful being together after so much time apart.”
Baird came around the car and opened the passenger door for Cara, but Cara refused to be carried into the house, saying it was silly to be carried such a short distance, and the last thing she wanted was to have Alec’s family ask questions or fuss.
