Page 61 of A Lady's Heart Deceived
If he didn’t control his lust, he would be limping around the grounds in an uncomfortable state. Not the sort of thing a man wished to be dealing with, while he was trying to make polite conversation with a young lady.
“Could you ever see yourself living in the country, Maggie? Away from the hustle and bustle of London?” That was a safe topic with enough room for discussion to take up most of the time while they walked.
“I haven’t really given it much thought. When I was betrothed to Robert, he said we would remain in London.” She let out a mocking laugh. “But of course, he would say that. It’s rather difficult to take your new wife home to Coventry if you already have a family.”
Piers watched her, carefully looking for signs of distress. Maggie, however, appeared relaxed and calm. Her former fiancé’s name slipped easily from her tongue.
“It’s alright, Piers. I have decided I can say his name. If I continue to dance around the subject, it only gives him power over me. Robert Taylor was and will always be a major misstep in my life. But I am not going to wallow in grief or regret. What’s done is done.”
He touched a hand to her arm. “I am proud of you.”
She shrugged. “Thank you. But in answer to your question, yes, I would consider a life in the country. If I had a husband like your sister, who loved me, and we wanted to raise a family together outside of London, then I wouldn’t hesitate to embrace that change in my life.”
Jonathan’s words of warning rang loudly in Piers’s mind. He wasn’t in a position to make any sort of plans with a woman, especially not with someone like Maggie. She had suffered enough already. To bring her into his complicated life would be most unfair.
But the thought of losing her, the fear of it, was much more powerful.
Say something. Make her at least think of it being a possibility.
“Of course, if you married a peer, you could have the best of both worlds. A life in the country and then be in town when parliament sits.”
He wanted to say more, but Piers held back. If he had succeeded in planting the seed of an idea in Maggie’s mind, then that would have to be enough for now. She deserved time to get settled in at Denford Park and to recover from her recent trials. Only a cad would seek to push for more so soon. Maggie Radley had endured her fair share of misery at the hands of a blackguard.
“Does your mother go up to London with your father for each session of the House of Lords, or does she remain here?” Maggie asked.
It was a reasonable enough question. Not all noble families decamped to town for the various long sittings. Some wives and children remained in the country. “My mother goes everywhere with my father. He wouldn’t dream of leaving her at home. And I am of the same mind. When I marry, I will expect my wife to travel with me.”
The parliamentary sitting periods often ran for months at a time. Earlier in the year, his parents had been compelled to stay in London for almost six months while parliament dragged on. “I couldn’t imagine being apart from my wife for any length of time,” he added.
Maggie smiled up at him. “Why Piers, you sound like a man who is set on marrying for love.”
I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Piers nodded. “I am. I realized the grave mistake I would have made had I gone through with marrying Lady Dinah. The girl I make my wife will be someone who I want to be with and who wants to be with me.”
He glanced quickly around, checking that there was no one in sight. Then in one deft move, he slipped a hand about her waist, and pulled Maggie to him. He leaned in and quickly brushed a kiss on her cheek. “You are cool. I am glad that you are better.” A second kiss touched her forehead. “Yes, definitely well again.”
Maggie rested her hands gently on his chest. “Piers. Why did you bring me here? I know you said you wanted me to have a place where I could recover from everything in private, and I am grateful for your generosity. But I could have gone somewhere else. My Cousin David and his wife live at Sharnbrook, which is less than half a day from here.”
He forced down his disappointment. “Is that what you want? To go and stay with your family? I was hoping you would like to visit here, but of course I won’t force you.”
“No. I want to be here with you. I’m sorry; I was just trying to tease you, and I clearly failed at it. I’m not very experienced or skillful when it comes to flirting.”
“You don’t need to play any games with me, Maggie. Just be honest.”
“Alright. Then yes, I want to stay here. I think there is the beginning of something between us—a spark, perhaps. It could become more. And I know you are dealing with a difficult situation with the army. But . . . oh, never mind.” She went to pull away, but he took hold of her hand, and raised it to his lips. It was his fault that she was unsure of herself. He had only told her part of the story. His father was right. If he wanted Maggie to be honest with him, he had to do the same with her.
Can’t I just have a little time to spend with her without worrying whether she believes me?
“I want to be candid with you regarding the problems I am facing, I really do. But I think we should wait. In the meantime, I can show you the estate and you can enjoy the beauty of this part of the country. If you discover that this place speaks to your heart, and you can see your future being here, then, Maggie, we should talk.”
“And what about us, Piers? Do my feelings for you come into this?”
He hadn’t expected that. They had kissed, and shared tender moments, but Piers had thought Maggie’s affections would take time for him to win. “Your feelings are very much involved. I just didn’t want to push. You have been through a lot. And then you were ill.”
Maggie drew closer, pressing herself against him. “I am not a weak little bird. Yes, I’ve experienced a few difficult days, and that short fever certainly didn’t help. But I’m a lot stronger than you think.” She tugged gently on the front of his coat, forcing him to bend. “And just as determined.”
Piers grinned. “Only a fool gets in the way of a strong-minded woman.” He grabbed a hold of her hand and towed her toward the gate, which led into the top field of the Denford estate. “Come on. I am going to show you, my home.”
