Page 54 of A Lady's Heart Deceived
“I was asleep while all of this was happening. If I had known the doctor was going to force a draught down your throat, I would have stopped him. From all accounts, you were in a state of distress, but I, for one, don’t hold with drugging people.”
Piers returned to his seat, leaning forward, hands clasped together. There was a decided amount of discomfort in his stiffly held posture. “I think we should leave Coventry today. This city is not good for you.”
“Do you think that perhaps my mind is continuing to relive the moment when I saw him again? The emotional shock is somehow still fresh? It would go a long way towards explaining why my nerves are in such a delicate state.”
“Possibly. There is also the ongoing risk of you accidentally running into him at some point while you are out and about in town. I wouldn’t be the least surprised if your nerves were still on edge knowing that threat still exists.”
Maggie hadn’t actually considered that she may encounter Robert or his family again. As far as she was concerned, the moment she had walked out the door of the King’s Head he’d been as good as dead to her.
But Robert still lived only a few streets away from the Denford’s’ home. He probably passed by the end of their lane every day.Why hasn’t this crossed my mind before now?
“You might be right on both counts. Which means getting away from Coventry is the best thing to do. I’m just not sure where I should go,” she replied.
She didn’t want to remain at the house, especially not if a laudanum-dispensing physician had decided he knew what was best for her. For physical maladies she was prepared to trust to a doctor, but not her mental well-being. Sedation didn’t solve her problems; it only masked them.
“The offer to go to Denford Park still stands. You could take some time to let things settle. Eat good food, tramp over the wide fields. It would be just like you were in Scotland, except for the lack of a castle and deep snowdrifts,” replied Piers.
Maggie softly smiled. There was nowhere in all of England that was anything like Strathmore Castle.
You are one of only a few people who seem to understand me
“What will your parents say when you arrive home with me? I mean, won’t it seem a little odd? And my strange behavior may well continue.” The thought of further embarrassing Piers filled her with worry. The sensible thing would be to ask him to take her home. To go back to hiding out at Fulham Palace until she was over this latest bout of instability.
“If I bring the daughter of the Bishop of London to my family home, it is going to raise plenty of questions. But I promise that I will consult you before I answer any of them. You are not under obligation to me, Maggie. I’m your friend firstly and . . .”
What harm could a little adventure to Northamptonshire do? It could also bring her the relief that Piers suggested it might.
And if he was with her at Denford Park, it would give them the opportunity to delve deeper into their connection. For them to explore their feelings for one another more fully.
To move on to more than just kissing.
All it would take would be for her to throw back the blankets, climb out of bed, and come to him. She could run her fingers through his thick, dark mane. Plant butterfly kisses on his furrowed brow. Flick open the top of her gown and whisper to him,
“Piers I want us to be more than friends.”
What am I doing? The laudanum must have addled my brain.
Pushing aside all thoughts of seduction, Maggie came to a decision. She would go with Piers to Denford Park, and what happened after that was up to fate. If they were meant to be together then love would surely blossom.
There was, of course, a degree of danger in heading off into the wilds of England with him. What if she did have another episode while they were on the road? If in a dazed state she went wandering the streets of some distant town, she could well come to harm.
“How many days would it take us to reach Denford Park? I mean if we left early tomorrow morning,” she asked. Maggie needed a day in bed to recover from the heavy dose of laudanum. She wanted her head and stomach to be settled when they left Coventry.
“It’s fifty miles from here. So, if we left just after first light, spent tomorrow night at the Fitzgerald Arms tavern in Naseby, then pushed on early, we would reach my family’s estate by late afternoon. We could be at Denford Park the day after tomorrow.” The way the whole itinerary rolled off his tongue, it was clear Piers had undertaken the trip on numerous occasions.
Once they reached Denford Park, she could relax. There would be family and servants about the place, and she would be safe.
“I would like to go with you, my only concern being this sudden onset of dream-walking. If we stay at the Fitzgerald Arms tomorrow night, I will take a sleeping draught. That should be enough to keep me in a deep state of slumber, so I don’t stir from my bed,” she said.
The lines on his face softened. “Good. I am glad that you have made that choice. We can leave in the morning once you are dressed and have had breakfast. I shall go and speak with my brother.”
As soon as Piers had left the room, Maggie slipped out of bed and retrieved her dressing gown. She was still a little woozy and unsteady on her feet, but she had a pressing task which demanded her attention. Only after she had dealt with it would she be able to go back to bed and sleep.
While Piers was dealing with his brother, she, in turn, was eager to speak to Elizabeth. To thank her for being such a generous hostess, but mostly to apologize.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Doctor Hewson was in the foyer talking to Jonathan when Piers made his way down the stairs. His brother wore a worried expression on his face.
