Page 60 of A Sense of Fate
‘And for once you won’t be looking to create one.’ Pawson offered up an innocent expression, apparently undeterred by Archie’s responding glower.
The carriage arrived at Fox Hollow, saving Archie from dealing Pawson a reprimand that would have bounced harmlessly off his man’s thick hide anyway. Besides, what he said was true. Archie did invent reasons to spend time with Flora. Whether she would still tolerate his clumsy attempts to involve himself in her affairs now that she knew she enjoyed his covert protection remained to be seen.
She resented the implications she assumed others had drawn from its bestowal and struggled to believe that it had been done with no expectation of a reward. Archie felt a chill trickle down his spine at the thought of her insisting upon fighting her father without his help. She had absolutely no idea what forces were ranged against her, and she had no hope of winning without Archie’s support.
‘Good morning.’
Archie’s mouth turned dry when Flora, attired in very fetching autumnal colours, emerged from Fox Hollow. He hadn’t seen that particular outfit before and wondered if she had worn it in an attempt to impress Luke. He chased the unworthy thought away. Flora approved of Violet and harboured no aspirations regarding her former employer. Of that he was sure.
Wasn’t he?
She looked vibrant yet preoccupied, causing Archie to worry about the depth of her antagonism regarding his protection of her interests.
I am being noble and trying to help you, ungrateful child!
Melanie appeared oblivious to her sister’s introspection. Dressed fetchingly in green, with long russet curls tumbling freely down her back, held away from her face by a velvet hat, she looked enchanting. Much as Flora must have done at her age; or would have, had she been permitted to wear anything half as flattering.
‘Ladies.’
‘Don’t get out, Archie,’ Flora said. ‘It will cause you unnecessary pain. Good morning, Mr Pawson.’ She smiled at Archie’s man as he alighted to help them into the carriage. Archie tried not to resent the fact that she had yet to smile at him.
‘Good morning, Lord Felsham.’ Melanie settled beside Flora on the forward-facing seat that Archie had left unoccupied for the ladies.
‘Good morning, Melanie.’ He smiled at her, glad for her infectious good humour. ‘You look very grown up.’
‘Don’t I? Flora insisted upon purchasing a new gown for this occasion. I’m sure I don’t deserve it.’
‘Most likely not, yet you are enjoying wearing it nonetheless.’
‘Oh yes. I expect Flora worried that I would let the side down but is far too kind to admit it.’
Archie glanced at Flora, whose lips turned upwards as she briefly returned his gaze. ‘New gowns must always be taken seriously,’ she said. ‘The countess taught me that much, and I learned early on in my service that for all her quixotic ways, she was a very wise lady.’
An awkward silence followed. Flora seemed determined to look out the window and ignore Archie. Archie so desperately wanted to get her to talk to him that he felt tongue-tied and maladroit, unsure what topic of conversation to instigate.
It was Pawson and Melanie who kept up a stream of idle chatter as the carriage made smooth progress towards Swindon. Pawson teased the child and had her giggling for the entire journey. Giggling, Archie suspected, had been disallowed in the Latimer household and he was grateful to Pawson for drawing Melanie’s true character out so easily.
Flora looked across at Archie several times while Pawson kept Melanie occupied. He sensed there was something she wanted to tell him. There again, perhaps she was anxious for news of his enquiries in London, but he would have to indulge in an untruth in that regard when the time came. Until he could be sure that there was some foundation to Marcus Conrad’s suspicions, he couldn’t possibly put such an idea into Flora’s head.
‘Here we are,’ he said, when the carriage turned through the gates to Beranger Court and was waved past the porter’s lodge.
‘Gosh, it’s very grand.’ Melanie pressed her nose against the window glass and Archie saw Flora give her hand a reassuring squeeze. Flora herself had barely spoken a word during the journey, and Archie ached to get her alone. He wanted to make her tell him what thoughts preoccupied her, his fears about her feelings for Luke reignited by her silence. He had sensed the connection between them the first time he’d met her. Perhaps watching him commit himself to another would be harder for her than she was prepared to admit.
Damn it, being in love was more complex than he’d supposed.
He jolted upright, cursing beneath his breath when his leg protested at the sudden movement, as the nature of his thoughts struck home. Love? Was he really, finally, in love? He glanced across at Flora, who was sending him quizzical looks, and he knew without a shadow of doubt that he was, and had been for far longer than he’d been prepared to accept. He would die for this disobedient, argumentative, compassionate, brave and loyal female without a second thought, and consider himself fortunate to have been afforded the opportunity to do so.
He ached for her with every fibre of his being, and if that wasn’t love then he didn’t know what was.
He smiled at her while Pawson pointed something out to an enraptured Melanie and recklessly blew Flora a kiss. Her cheeks bloomed and he thought at first that she would take him to task, regardless of their not being alone. In the end, she simply shook her head and looked away from him, although a slight smile flirted with her lips.
The carriage rattled to a halt at the entrance portico. Violet was there, clinging to Luke’s arm in what looked like a gesture of ownership. Then again, perhaps Archie’s imagination was getting the better of him. Mary came from the house too, with her husband Paul at her side. She was blooming. Pregnancy clearly suited her.
The moment Flora was handed down from the carriage, Luke’s dog Romulus saw her and bounded up to her, almost knocking her from her feet. She laughed and made a fuss of him. Melanie, clearly suffering from nerves as she glanced up at the mansion and the array of people waiting to greet them, seemed for forget her surroundings the moment she saw the dog, and crouched down to enjoy having her face licked.
‘Sorry.’ Flora straightened up and embraced Mary, then Violet. ‘Where are my manners? Rom, behave yourself. Let my sister get up so that I can introduce her.’
Romulus wagged his tail and went obediently to Luke’s heels when he snapped his fingers.
