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Chapter 29
The ride continued through the countryside, and Sarah was reminded of the first time that she and Patrick rode side by side, chatting, and in hindsight, falling in love. When she was beside Patrick, life felt effortless, as though she hadn’t a care in the world, and a whole treasure trove of possibilities opened up.
“So beautiful this time of year,” Sarah said, regarding the colour in the trees.
“Indeed. I recall making the journey from Wales when I was a young man … after the death of my mother. I remember the beauty and the new sense of freedom that I felt.”
“Patrick, do you really think that your mother could have done such a thing?”
“Sadly, I do,” Patrick replied, his visage turning serious. “For the life of me, I’ll never know why. But clearly, she was a desperate woman. I can never know the truth of her reasoning. I must leave it behind me.”
Sarah shook her head in disbelief. “And how does it feel now to be on the cusp of no longer being an orphan?”
Patrick smiled to himself. “It feels rather strange, I must say. Here, my entire identity has been that of an orphan. I rather liked it; I must admit. The rebelliousness of it. But now, I’m ready to put all of that behind me.”
“And so you shall,” Sarah said warmly.
As the day carried on, Sarah would look to her father’s carriage from time to time, and Lisbeth would wave her gloved hand. The duke remained seated in his carriage, appearing a tad sullen. Perhaps he knew that the truth was set to come out, and it wouldn’t entirely work in his favour.
Within a short while, the duke signified for the carriages to halt as he wished to have his picnic out of doors. This suited Sarah just fine, as being seated in a side saddle for so long could prove remarkably uncomfortable.
Patrick descended from his horse first, then came over to help Sarah down, taking her by the waist and slowly lowering her. As he did so, Patrick came remarkably close—she could feel the warmth of his breath. How desperately she longed to kiss him but to do so would be in view of the other guests and, therefore, impossible.
Patrick looked down upon her with ardency in his eyes, not wishing to let her go. “You have no idea how much this journey means to me,” Patrick said. “And the fact that you are here, by my side.”
“I will always be by your side,” Sarah replied, placing a delicate hand upon Patrick’s chest. He looked down on it, but their delightful moment of closeness was halted by the duke’s voice.
“Come now!” the duke said. “The food is being arranged.”
Walking to where the other guests sat, Sarah saw that the customary blankets had been put down in the grass, and there was a spread of meats, cheeses, fruits, and bread. Sarah seated herself next to Lisbeth, who nibbled on a handful of grapes.
Lisbeth whispered in her ear, “I wish that I was riding with you. Father is frightfully tense.”
“It’s understandable,” Sarah whispered back. “Once he learns the truth, all of that tension will dissipate.”
“Do you think so?”
“I do.”
Sarah placed a piece of cheese upon a piece of meat and ate. She was surprised that she had such an appetite but considering she had nothing but a biscuit that morning, her hunger made perfect sense.
Just across the way, Patrick was seated by Lord Kelly Spencer, and Sarah cocked her head in fascination. The two men laughed and chatted, perfectly at ease with one another. What must it feel like to discover that one had a sibling all this while? She could tell from the look upon Patrick’s face that he was happy, and it made happiness swell in her own breast.
The late afternoon carried on pleasantly. Wine was poured, and the guests remained seated upon their blankets for far longer than Sarah thought they would. The ambience of relaxation and ease was in stark contrast to the evening when Lord Kelly had appeared at the duke’s estate, bringing with him all manner of tension and confusion. The guests seemed to forget about all of that while enjoying their new surroundings. It was the first time that Sarah felt perfectly at ease since the night she slept with Patrick by her side.
“Lovely countryside,” she heard her father say. “I have the mind to build a home here.”
“Oh, Father, you should,” Sarah suggested. The true reason for making the suggestion was that having a home in that portion of the country would make it easier to travel back and forth from Wales if that’s where Patrick chose to reside.
She looked over at Patrick once more, and this time, he gazed at her longingly. So much so that it caused Sarah to blush. What was it going to be like to be entirely alone, allowed to do as they pleased? Sarah’s whole body warmed as she thought of it.
Just then, a guest announced, “Those might be storm clouds in the distance.”
Everyone turned, and sure enough, clouds were approaching their direction. Although one might suggest that they return to their horses and carriages to proceed with the journey as quickly as possible, the duke offered another suggestion.
“Esteemed ladies and gentlemen, I was prepared for such an occurrence. I know of a nearby inn where I suggest that we all reside for the night. There’s no sense in making the ladies uncomfortable should the weather turn frightful.”
All the guests nodded in approval of the duke’s idea. Sarah assumed it was because they’d already had their fill of wine and didn’t wish to proceed any further. Even more beneficial, they perhaps wanted to retire to a warm place that would serve them more wine.
