Page 25 of Tempting a Lonely Lord
Though she had no right to judge his actions, she’d done it anyway—and the memory filled her with shame.
Shocked at the heady smell of the tawdry perfume, Bella had tried, convicted, and sentenced William without giving him a moment’s chance to defend himself. What if there was an innocent answer? Between them, her grandmothers had offered up a dozen reasons to invite William and his adorable little brother over for tea… or visit Dover. But Bella had pleaded the megrims.
By the third morning, the situation with her grandmothers had reached a boiling point. They had begun threatening to send for the doctor—or worse, to ask the cook, Mrs. Bisque, to prepare her infamous, vile concoction. Bella shuddered. The last time she’d feigned illness, Grandmère had insisted the cook brew “the drink,” a mysterious remedy that smelled so foul even pigs would have turned their noses up at it.
Bella knew her time was up. Either she confessed or she’d have to brace herself for the nauseating brew. Her grandmothers clearly saw through her fabricated malady, though they didn’t understand the reason behind it. And now that she’d had time to reflect, Bella wasn’t sure she understood it either.
What have I done?she wondered, the question weighing heavily on her chest.
There was nothing to do but visit Cliffton Abbey and undo the damage she had inflicted on her friend. She would have to put off her grandmothers a while longer and promise to tell them all after she returned.
Now that she’d come to a decision, she was anxious to see William. She missed him and still hoped to ask him to help her with Winterborne. But it was more than that. There was no one else who made her feel as safe as he did. He was the only personshe felt comfortable having with her while riding her father’s horse.
As she and Lacey stepped outside, she saw two horses cantering toward her—the smaller brown mare was going slower than the stallion, and there was a lead rope attached to the horse’s reins.
“Lady Bella, look at me,” Michael shouted. “I’m widing Daisy, my vewyown horse!”
“Michael… that’s wonderful!” She applauded his achievement, genuinely happy for her young friend, setting aside her own problems as she approached them. She glanced at William, who was riding alongside Michael, but quickly diverted her gaze to the boy. “And what a wonderful name for a horse. I love it.”
“I’ve been taking riding lessons,” he said.
“That was very nice of your brother,” she said, chancing another peek at William, who smiled down at Michael.
Lacey barked her approval and spun around as if to celebrate.
“Bella, we apologize for our sudden arrival, but there is something I would like to discuss with you,” William said. “And I decided I wasn’t going to put another day between us.”
Eyes wide, Bella nibbled her bottom lip, unsure of what to say. “I’m sure we can speak in Grandmama’s parlor,” she said. She glanced from William to Michael.
“Do you think your footman would mind taking Michael’s horse for a walk around your grounds?” William asked.
Bella nodded and turned to Albert, who was waiting behind them. “Albert, would you mind escorting Master Michael around the perimeter of the house?” she asked.
“Certainly, my lady,” Albert said. Turning to Michael, he took the lead from William. “Young man, would you like to see the whole house?”
“That would be fun!” Michael said excitedly. “Can Lacey come with us?”
“Certainly.” Albert looked at William. “My lord, I think I have this in hand.”
“Thank you,” William said.
Bella led the way into the house and down the hall to the parlor. She stepped in ahead of him, and William turned to close the door behind them.
“I… I want to apologize for my outburst the other day,” Bella said. “I had no right to say what I did.”
“You said nothing that my valet didn’t tell me five minutes later,” William said with a sheepish grin. “I smelled terrible. “What did you call it… An illicit rendezvous?” He chuckled. “I rectified the situation of my questionable scent. But I need to explain what I was doing.”
“N-no, you don’t have to explain yourself to me—”
“Yes, I do,” he interrupted. “Iwantto explain. The truth is… I met a colleague, someone I knew when I was working for the Crown, and he wanted to meet at a tavern in town, for anonymity purposes. In my line of work, in the past, meetings in such places offered greater protection. I know it sounds strange, but one can blend in easily in a dark tavern. But there was no tawdry perfume… at least not on purpose. Our discussion took longer than anticipated. But there was nothing illicit. I promise.”
She believed him—at least the part about the perfume—which she was sure meant there was no woman. She had to wonder about this friend of his, though. Was William still working for the Crown? If so, was he engaged in something dangerous? She hoped not. She could not bear to think of him in peril.
“So, you forgive me?” he said with a charmingly crooked grin.
Bella felt her cheeks heat with a blush, and she glanced down at the carpet. “There is nothing to forgive, William,” she said softly. “It is I who must apologize for what I said. It was rude and unlike me. I’m not sure why I spoke that way to you.” She glanced up. “Please forgive me?”
“Of course,” he said in a low voice.
