Page 58 of The Sea Siren of Broadwater Bottom
Edward scowled. “Do you even know who Robert Slocombe is?”
“Of course I do! Do you truly think I don’t know the name of my own brother’s nemesis?” Harrington’s eyes turned sympathetic. “Look, Edward, it doesn’t take a Senior Wrangler level of intellect to figure out you were berating yourself for not winning First Classic. You think I haven’t noticed how quickly you change the subject whenever someone mentions your time at university? I know you like to bury these things and pretend nothing’s bothering you. But I’m your brother. And every time Slocombe’s name came up, you’d go so stiff you looked like you were dying of tetanus.”
“Right.” Edward cleared his throat. It would appear he wasn’t nearly so good at concealing his feelings as he had supposed. “Well, suffice to say, I made a great fool of myself. I’m sure her good opinion of me has been destroyed. Forever.”
Harrington was studying him. “Did she say that?”
“Not in so many words, but—”
Harrington pointed his riding crop at Edward. “Quit prevaricating. What did she say?”
“I, uh, I can’t recall—”
“Yes, you can! Tell me! Right now!”
Edward glowered across the field. “She said I was wonderful, and she wanted to make sure I understood that.”
Harrington clinched his hand into a fist. “I knew it!Sheisn’t the one who thinks you’re not good enough. You think that, to be sure.”
“I—I—”
“But you’re wrong. Utterly wrong. You’re the best man I know.”
Edward rubbed his eyes. “You don’t understand.”
“Yes, I do. You didn’t ruin things. Not at all. You’re just embarrassed, and because you have absolutely no experience in making a complete and total cake of yourself and then having to get up the next day and carry on, you’re imagining it’s worse than it is. It’s not. Take it from someone who’s anexpertin these things. It’ll be fine.”
“No, it won’t be. I—I cannot possibly face her.”
“You can and you will. Come on.” When Edward made no move, Harrington leaned forward and tried to grab Bucephalus’s reins. Bucephalus responded by laying his ears back and snapping at his brother’s hand.
Edward sighed. He had, in fact, been on his way back to the house, so there was no point in being stubborn about it. Deciding to spare his brother’s fingers, he gave Bucephalus the signal to walk.
“There’s a good chap,” Harrington said brightly. “Look, I know you’re embarrassed. But being embarrassed is the worst reason imaginable to spend the rest of your life without the woman you love.”
Edward grunted. Harrington did have a point. However much he was dreading it, the dull pain in his chest suggested that living without Elissa might be the one thing worse than facing her.
“You said she left. Do you have any idea where she was going?”
“My information is from Roger the footman. He said she left on foot. What worried him was that she was carrying all of her luggage. She wouldn’t say where she was going and declined his offer to summon the carriage. She set off toward town.”
Edward groaned. This was going to bemortifying. But there was nothing for it. “Then town is where I’m heading. I hope to God I’m not too late.” He cut his eyes to his brother. “Thank you.”
Harrington made some reply, probably wishing him luck, but Edward had already urged Bucephalus into a gallop and didn’t hear anything over his horse’s pounding hooves.
CHAPTER24
Edward’s mind raced as Bucephalus flew down the graveled drive leading toward the main road. As best he could figure, Elissa probably meant to pick up the mail coach at the Plough.
He wondered what time the mail coach departed. Of course, he hadn’t the faintest idea, as he’d never had to take the mail coach in his whole bloody life…
A blur of white caught his eye as Bucephalus rounded a curve. There was something in the grass, in a little grove of trees near a picturesque bend in the stream.
He squinted. It proved to be a woman in a white dress, lying on a blanket.
A woman with red hair.
A woman with red hair and a book propped open on her chest.
