Page 5 of Forget Me Not

He shook his head. “It is time for me to move on.”

The fight drained from her as she stood there trying desperately to hold together the pieces of her life that were suddenly flying in all directions. She’d lost her sister. Her mother. Lucas’s sister, who had been her dear friend when they’d been children. His youngest brother, Philip, who had been near to her in age. James, who had been like another brother. And Stanley was so far away, in danger.

Lucas always left her. Always. Part of her died a little inside every time another person she loved went away. She couldn’t do it again. She couldn’t endure that heartache one more time.

She let out her pent-up breath, allowing her shoulders to drop. “I hope you’ll be happy there.”

“I will be.” He walked back around the table to where his book stack sat. But he looked at her one more time. “I’ll come by and bid you farewell before I leave in a couple of days.”

She nodded, but she didn’t mean it. He could come to Farland Meadows, but she wasn’t going to make any goodbyes. Her twelve years of life had been filled with too many farewells. She wouldn’t endure another.

It didn’t do to set one’s heart on people when all people did was leave.

Chapter Two

Nottinghamshire, 1785

Eight years later

Lucas Jonquil hadn’t set footon his family estate in well over a year. He and his friend Kester Barrington had undertaken their Grand Tour together—Paris, Geneva, Rome. So many places and people and sights. A glorious year of traveling the Continent. But Lucas was eager to be home again.

“Your parents won’t mind that I’m coming along with you?” Kes pulled his mount up even with Lucas’s.

“They like you well enough. They’ll be happy to see you.”

Kes arched an eyebrow above his wire-rimmed spectacles. “Happy as they are to see you?”

Lucas tipped a corner of his mouth up in a smile of feigned arrogance. “Everyone’s always happiest to see me.”

They set their horses at a slow walk, meandering toward the Lampton Park stables. Drinking in the sight of his beloved childhood home required moving slowly.

Frank, who’d run the stables for a number of years, met them at the paddock, his familiar gap-toothed smile in full evidence. “Welcome back, Lord Jonquil.”

“Good to be back, Frank.” A few of the stablehands stepped out as well, offering smiles and bows of welcome. Lucas greeted them as his and Kes’s mares were led away.

Frank lowered his voice and leaned a bit closer. “Your parents are at Farland Meadows just now. You weren’t expected for hours yet.”

“We did make quick work of that last leg of the journey.” Lucas pulled out his pocket watch, a silver timepiece he’d purchased in Vienna. It was not as ornate as many gentlemen’s were, but he’d liked it instantly. He hadn’t brought back many souvenirs of his travels. It made this one all the more treasured. He looked to Frank once more. “Any chance my parents are making aquickvisit to Lord Farland?”

Frank grinned. “No, m’lord. You’ve time enough for larking a bit.”

“Don’t you think I’ve outgrown such things? I’m quite the sophisticated gentleman now.”

Frank scraped and bowed quite exaggeratedly, pulling a laugh from Lucas.

“The man has you sorted,” Kes said.

“He’s known me all my life. There’s no fooling Frank.” He slapped a hand on Kes’s shoulder. “Are you up for a walk along the Trent and a call at Farland Meadows? It seems my mother and father aren’t here to welcome home the prodigal son.”

“With how often you’ve told me the Trent is a far finer river than the North Tyne, I think I had best see this marvel for myself.”

Lucas offered quick farewells to the stable staff and moved, Kes at his side, in the direction of Farland Meadows.

“Meeting the famous Julia would mark one thing off my list of items to be seen to,” Kes added.

Lucas couldn’t help a grin. “Julia.” He half laughed, half sighed her name. “She’s a little fireball, with the hair to match. She used to storm through the Park and the Meadows, glaring everyone into submission, determined to set to rights anything she thought was amiss. Nine years’ difference in our ages, and yet, somehow, she was always the one in charge when Stanley and I would spend time with her.”

“Stanley.” Kes sighed, grief and longing in the sound. “Shame about Yorktown.”

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