Page 42 of Rescuing a Tantalising Heiress
“I thought I knew all your cousins,” Hugh said as Edward invited him to sit.
Isabella still felt awkward. There was no chance of reconciliation with the viscount—not whilst his friend sat in the library with them, and as they conversed, she wondered what Edward was thinking.
“We weren’t expecting you back until late,” Augusta said after further pleasantries had been exchanged.
“I grew tired of riding. It was a fool’s exercise—I forgot about the rain we’d had lately. Everywhere was so boggy. Blaze kept sinking into the mud. It wasn’t fair to push him. We came back along the bridleway,” Edward said, glancing at Isabella, who understood the bridleway to be the place the kidnapper’s carriage had brought her along on the night of her arrival at Howdwell Heights.
“I heard a strange story on my return—one of my farmhands—he spoke about a carriage careering through the night. It was last week, sometime. His cottage lies along the bridleway, and there was a great commotion.
It looked like the horses were wild—there was no one driving them. Anyway, by the time he went outside, they were gone. He saw what he thought to be the same carriage the following day, though driven by two men. It was all very curious,” Hugh said, shaking his head.
Isabella glanced at Edward. This was surely the same carriage—the one she had ridden in, now taken back by her kidnappers.
“How extraordinary. We’ve heard nothing of the sort. It’s all been very quiet here,” Edward replied, and it seemed he did not even trust his friend with the details of the kidnapping.
“One needs a little excitement on these lonely moorlands,” Hugh said, shaking his head and smiling.
Isabella felt awkward. She knew she had overreacted to Hugh’s arrival, even as she felt entirely justified in doing so. She had been scared—far more so than she had previously accepted.
The thought of the kidnappers terrified her, and she was only too glad to have Edward to protect her. But still, she could not tell his feelings towards her, and glancing towards him, she caught his eye, as Hugh and Augusta conversed about the coming London Season.
“I think I’ll go to lie down before dinner. I’ve got the beginnings of a megrim,” Isabella said, rising to her feet.
Hugh and Edward rose, and their visitor gave a curt nod.
“It’s been a pleasure to meet you. I’ve always found it extraordinary just how many cousins Edward and Augusta have,” he said.
Isabella smiled and excused herself. But as she crossed the hallway, she heard footsteps behind her, and turning, she found Edward emerging from the library. Isabella paused, unsure of what to say or do. She felt embarrassed, and yet angry, too, for his behaviour towards her.
“I’m sorry if you were scared,” he said, stepping forward.
Isabella sighed and shook her head.
“No…it’s quite all right. I was being foolish,” she said.
“Not at all, I’ve rather put the fear of God into you these past few days, and when a stranger appears in the house…well, it’s only natural you should be distressed,” he replied.
He had an apologetic look on his face, and Isabella raised her eyebrows, waiting for him to explain what had happened that morning to enact his change of heart.
“I was expecting to see you tomorrow,” Isabella said, and a blush rose on Edward’s face.
“Ah, yes…I’m sorry, I wasn’t…well, what happened last night. I’m not sure…” he said, his words trailing off.
Isabella gestured towards the study, knowing one of the servants could appear in the hallway at any moment. Edward nodded, and they made their way inside, closing the door behind them. Isabella turned to Edward, curious as to why he should feel so conflicted.
“What are you unsure of? Didn’t you enjoy it? Did I do something wrong?” Isabella asked, for her first experience of intimacy had hardly been a success.
She had felt hurt by Edward’s disappearance and a sense of rejection through his behaviour towards her.
“No, not at all—nothing of the sort. You were…perfect. But it’s me. I vowed to take care of you, and yet…I feel I seduced you instead,” he said.
Isabella smiled. She had not seen it like that. A woman could be a seductress, too. Edward had not taken advantage of her. If anything, he had been hesitant in his advances. Their kiss had been a moment of mutual pleasure, or so Isabella had thought.
“Or perhaps I seduced you? Perhaps I should be apologizing to you,” she said, and Edward smiled.
“No…you don’t need to. I’m sorry I ran away this morning. I just needed to…think,” he said.
“And have you finished thinking?” she asked, drawing closer to him and gazing up into his eyes.
