Page 47 of A Lady's Heart Deceived
And if he is kissing me, then he won’t notice how tired I really am.
“Thank you. I hope this gown and cloak will be warm enough for a day out in the country,” she replied.
“If the weather turns poorly, we can always stop for a meal at the Sign of the Two Virgins inn. It’s an old pub close by the castle.”
“Do you know every tavern, inn, and pub in England?” she asked. Piers seemed to have a guide’s map in his head detailing places where food and drink could be readily found.
He gave a half-shrug. “I like my food. And I enjoy finding the best of it. The restaurants and private clubs of London might think they serve the top nosh, but it’s out here in the small English towns where the real flavors of this country can be found.”
Maggie pointed to the picnic basket. “Did you have a hand in selecting our provisions for the day?”
“Yes.”
A laugh burst from her lips. Elizabeth had been at great pains to explain how much time Piers had spent in the kitchen this morning, overseeing the preparations for their day trip. The Denford family cook had been muttering foul oaths under her breath the whole time.
“My apologies. I hear you gave the kitchen servants detailed instructions as to how they should slice the bread for our sandwiches. Tell me, Piers, where do you stand on the important argument between slicing on the diagonal or straight down the middle?”
She pretended not to see his sly side eye or hear his obvioustskof disapproval.
“The diagonal if the bread is sliced and flat; across the middle if it is a rounded roll. And as for a French stick . . .”
With her lips sucked tightly together, Maggie looked away. She was doing her best to stop from laughing too hard, but her shaking torso betrayed her mirth.
A strong hand cupped her chin, gently turning her to face him. She found herself looking into the warm brown eyes of the man who had changed her life. “You are quite the tease, Miss Radley. I think today will be fun.”
Kiss me.
When he went to draw back, she leaned forward, placing her hand over his. “It doesn’t have to be a tease, Captain Denford. I am willing to make good on my promise.”
He studied for her a moment, and Maggie wondered.What are you thinking?
“Let’s not rush this. We should let things develop slowly. You have been through a lot in the past day or two. Despite what you have told me, I can see that there are rings under your eyes. I will be happier when I know you have gotten some sleep,” he said.
His words of caution stung, but she could understand his reasoning. Shehadbeen through a lot in the last few days. Many truths that she had held tightly onto had been revealed as lies. Added to that was Piers’s announcement that he was no longer betrothed.
“Just promise me one thing, will you? I want no secrets between us. I can accept many things, but I don’t think I could ever be with someone who is not open with me. Not afterhim,” she said.
There was another long moment of silence from Piers. “So, you are admitting that you are not sleeping?” he finally asked.
Fair was fair. If she was going to demand that he be honest with her, she had to do the same. “Yes. I am not getting much rest. My nerves are still not settled. Like all good things, sleep will come in time. Is there anything more which you would like to tell me about your own situation?”
Fair was definitely fair. One confession deserved another. She had caught him in his own game. Piers sighed. “I have told you what I can at the moment regarding my situation with the army. It is complicated, and I don’t have much control over it. Until it is resolved, I am stuck at being an army captain.”
“What would happen if you tried to resign your commission? They can’t force you to remain in the army, can they?”
From what she had heard from her cousin Will Saunders, the army had discharged most of its troops and stood down the rest. Apart from pushing papers around, she couldn’t understand why they would have much use for Piers.
“It has been made patently clear to me that if I try to leave the army it will be with a dishonorable discharge. My family name will be tarnished forever. I won’t do that to my father, Jonathan, or my future children.”
Maggie released her hold on him, and Piers’s hand fell away. It was clear he wasn’t telling her the whole truth of his predicament but her knowing what the army was holding over his head was enough for the moment. She could understand why Piers wanted to let their relationship develop slowly. “I understand. A dishonorable discharge would be a heavy burden to bear for our children,” she replied.
Piers turned his head and gazed out the window. If he had heard her deliberate remark about their future children, he was making an obvious effort not to show it.
Maggie wisely let it go. She followed his lead and turned to gaze at the passing countryside, nodding her acknowledgment whenever Piers pointed out something of interest. There wasn’t a great deal to see, just green fields and the occasional farm.
Eventually, the carriage slowed, and they took a detour off the main Coventry-to- Warwick Road and through the town of Kenilworth. When they reached the High Street, they turned left. Piers leaned forward in his seat and pointed out the window. Maggie caught sight of an old, white-washed building with a sign hanging out the front. A black and white image of two women dressed in medieval clothes had been painted on it.
“Is that the Sign of the Two Virgins? The tavern you mentioned earlier?” she asked.
