Page 37 of The Beauty and the Boxer
“It would only be for a short time.”
“Too long for a working man.”
“You speak as though you might starve if youmiss a day of work. Aren’t you ever sick? Don’t you ever need torest?”
“Mountebank’s is hardly a restful sort ofplace. Besides, I’m not fond of being stared at by what will nodoubt be a houseful of peers.”
“I understand,” she said glancing down. Shemoved away from him and he had to stop himself from reaching forher, feeling wholly unfulfilled. “Thank you for escorting me home,Jack.” It seemed as if she were about to say something else, butthen closed her mouth and walked away.
He nodded as she left the stables and as thelast image of her skirts twirled out of sight, Jack felt his goodmood slip away. It seemed he was forever unhappy being out of herpresence.
Climbing up onto Drachma and he directed thehorse to leave the stables, galloping off as swiftly as possible asa torrent of feelings began to fill his soul. He knew that what hewas feeling for Meredith was more than lust, more than anything hehad ever experienced and the survivor in him knew it was adangerous road to go down. He knew that distance from her wouldclear his mind, even if he was slowly becoming obsessed with allthings that had to do with her. All his thoughts turned to her, andone in particular had him up nearly half the night. It was thesingle most vexing question Jack had ever known.
Who had hurt Meredith?
Chapter Seven
The trip to the duke of Mountebank’s hometwo days later and been a welcome distraction to Meredith. Whatwith all the planning and packing, she had barely been given enoughtime to consider her liaison with Jack, but at night when she foundherself alone in her bed, she had thought of little else.
Jack’s words had repeated in her mind,echoing throughout her heart.I don’t care much about thingsthat have nothing to do with me and if you’re worried that I mightnot feel the same because of something that happened in your past,understand that it’s not possible. Had he truly meant that? Shecould barely hope, and yet, she certainly wished he did, but thenwhat could possibly come of it? Meredith was still very muchmarried to someone else and despite all of Sarah’s insistence thather marriage was null and void, not even her sister could break thelaw of the land.
There was no point in pretending that sheand Jack could be anything more than friends. But, during thequiet, lonely hours between sunset and sunrise, Meredith hadn’tbeen able to stop herself from imagining a life where Jack couldcourt her.
It had been a tantalizing dream. Jack wouldcome to call on her and there would be a veiled attempt to proceedwith caution, but they would sneak away from prying eyes and meltinto each other, just like they had in the stables. Jack wouldtouch her, sending a trail of heat along her skin wherever hisfingers went and he would kiss away all her fears she had aboutClyde reappearing in her life.No. Not in this fantasy. No,Clyde simply didn’t exist and she and Jack would simply go aboutlife in the simplest, sweetest sort of way.
But it was only a dream.
She needed to be pragmatic. This trip toDragmoor was where her attention needed to be. While a part of herwas excited to mingle and dance, as it had been so long since shehad, another part of her was suspicious. After overhearing aconversation between Simon and Sarah about certain gentlemen thatmight make a good match for her the day before they left, Meredithwas convinced that her sister had decided to sponsor the eventsimply for her to meet a husband.
But it didn’t make any sense. Sarah knew shecouldn’t marry anyone. She would be a bigamist! So why go throughall this trouble?
It was a question that plagued Meredith theentire journey to Mountebank’s home and when their carriage finallyreached the ducal lands, she was stunned.
Surrounded by rolling hills and valleys,Dragmoor Manor sat at the peak of a large knoll, a vast home thatcommanded dominance over the neighboring lands and forests thatedged the estate. Evergreen trees that had been planted purposelyto make the park appear more settled in nature than the farmlandthat dominated the valleys around it and lined the long, crushedstone drive that led to the manor.
The house was built with cream-coloredstones, set in a large square face, flanked by two shorter butlonger wings set off on either side of the main building. Meredithwondered how many windows there were as the late summer sunreflected off each one, shining like gold coins dropping from one’shand as the carriage carried them forward. It looked like afairytale, and as the carriage drove down the main drive, her viewof the recently harvested wheatfields switched to that of themanor.
Meredith glanced at her sister andbrother-in-law who sat across from her in the carriage. They wereholding each other’s hands, each peering out the window themselves.She shifted and noticed that Daniel was sleeping soundly againsther shoulder. It had been a comfortable trip, but she knew they allwere eager to get out and stretch their legs.
As their vehicle reached the house, Meredithpeered back out the window and felt her stomach clench. To herdismay, she saw several carriages lined up ahead of them, waitingto reach the entrance. That only confirmed her suspicions.
“So many guests?” she asked as her gaze fellon Sarah. “Why?”
“Oh, Mountebank invited a few personalfriends. I think he wants to show off his new bride,” Sarah said,waving her hand as she spoke. “He seemed quite taken with herduring their wedding. Really, he seemed infatuated their entirecourtship.”
“All three months of it,” Simon said.
Meredith gazed at Simon.
“Do you not think three months is asufficient amount of time to fall in love?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“Then what did you mean?” Sarah asked, herhead tilting.
Simon exhaled, seemingly uneager to discussthe matter.
“I only meant that three months is a shorttime to know someone. To discover their likes and dislikes, theirmoods, their true self. I think a longer courtship may have beenbeneficial to Mountebank, that’s all.”
