Page 57 of Her Wicked Highwayman
“Next time, kitten. You’re supposed to be resting today.” Damnation, it was hard to say no to this child when she sniffled and clutched her doll to her chest.
Isla managed a brave little nod.
“But Iwilltell Miss Fox that you and I shall call upon her for tea soon, if she is available.”
Isla brightened at this, and Rafe leaned forward to kiss her forehead. Then he reached above her to retrieve the portraits of her parents from a little bookshelf by the bed and placed them on her lap. He’d gotten them out earlier this morning when he’d checked on her for the hundredth time.
“Now, they will keep you company until I return.” He showed her the portraits and then tucked them into her lap so she could look at them.
He sent a silent prayer to the two people who’d brought this child into the world and thanked them for letting him have Isla in his life. Mrs. Chesterfield assured him she wouldn’t take her eyes off the girl, and Rafe left the nursery to meet Diana downstairs.
It was strange to be with Diana as himself, not hiding behind a black domino and disguising his voice. But as strange as it was, it was also easy to be with her. She was quiet, it was true, but once he got her talking, she opened up like a blossom after a much-needed rain. She laughed often, the sound delightful and addictive to his ears. Without the danger of his secret identity, she seemed more relaxed.
“Ready?” he asked as they came down the steps to his phaeton. He grasped her by the waist and lifted her into the vehicle. It was certainly forward to touch her so, but after all they’d been through, he simply touched her without thinking. She blushed but said nothing as he climbed into the other side of the carriage. Her horse was tied to the back of the phaeton so it could trail behind them.
“I suppose one of us should comment on the impropriety of the two of us unmarried, unrelated persons traveling together,” she said, a hint of amusement in her tone.
“I won’t tell anyone if you won’t.” Rafe flashed her another grin. “It’s far from the most scandalous thing I’ve done,” he admitted. “It’s actually rather tame compared to some of my past exploits.”
Diana shot a glance at him. “I’ve heard you were quite the rake.”
“Has Rosalind been spilling my deep, dark secrets?” Rafe asked with a chuckle.
“More like singing your praises. I think she secretly adores you.”
“Truly?” He guided the pair of horses down the road, loosely adjusting the ribbons of leather in his gloved hands. “I never thought she’d... Well, we had a bit of a rough start, she and I. Neither of us liked the other upon first meeting.”
“Whatever she thought of you before, it has changed,” Diana assured him.
“I suppose I’ve gotten used to others thinking ill of me. It comes with the territory, being the ne’er-do-well brother.” Blast, the truth always spilled out of his lips whenever this woman was near him.
“Ne’er-do-well? I see no ne’er-do-well here. We can change who we are, you know,” Diana said sagely.
He held her gaze a moment before turning back to the road. “You believe that?”
“I do. Sometimes fate forces us to become someone out of necessity; other times we find the strength within ourselves to do it on our own. I was a silly young creature when I was little, but I changed for the better.”
Rafe’s mind turned back to the past. “Aren’t we all supposed to be silly when we’re young? Isn’t that the gift of youth? To live without fear of consequences?”
“I suppose it is, but one cannot be young or innocent forever.” There was a hint of sorrow in that voice, reminding him of all she had been through.
“I heard about your family. I am sorry,” he said after a moment of silence.
“Thank you. It hasn’t been easy. I’m just grateful the estate was not entailed to some distant male relative who would swoop in and take my home. My father was wise enough to leave it to me as part of my inheritance.”
Diana was ever surprising him, leaving him guessing in the most fascinated sort of way what she was truly capable of. He’d learned much about her over the last day. She’d lived on her own with no family and had earned the fierce loyalty of her servants who had become her new family. She was a brave woman, a clever thief, a woman who would risk her life for a child she barely knew, and she was simply...magnificent. Ashton had once said that when he looked at Rosalind, she seemed to glow like the sun. He’d thought his brother mad at the time, but now he understood that a womancouldglow. Even a woman who thought the world had turned its back on her, and she was weary enough to give in, but hadn’t. That sort of woman glowed, even if she could not see her own shine.
Rafe vowed in that moment to find a way to show her how simply incredible she truly was. But beyond that, he wanted tobe there for her, to help her, to give her shelter in his arms. To cover her face with kisses when she wanted to weep and coax smiles out of her instead. He was puzzled at this sudden change in himself, but he couldn’t deny the truth of it. He wanted to think about a future with someone. And not just anyone, but this woman.
“Would you consider marrying someday?” Rafe felt his tongue thicken. This was a question he’d never thought he’d ask, even in a roundabout way, of any woman.
“I...” She paused, her eyes roving over the countryside. “If I was certain I could trust the man I married. He would have to be willing to help me take care of my home, my lands, and my servants who have been my family. I would need him to understand that marriage does not make him my master, no matter what the law says. He would be my partner, my equal.” She dared to meet his gaze, and he saw a flutter of hope in her eyes, but it was quickly snuffed out by resignation. No doubt because of his reputation she expected him to be like every other man she’d met.
“That, I fear, is a tall order to ask of most gentlemen,” she continued. “They believe they are entitled to settle down into my home and my world without proving they deserve to be there. It is a hubris I cannot abide.” She smoothed her skirts nervously. “And you? Wouldyouever consider marriage?”
He knew they were both dancing around a very important question that carried the weight of their fates, so his answer had to be carefully given.
“I would. If I found a woman I could trust with myself and with Isla. I know my reputation is questionable, but...” He hesitated.
