The Baron’s smiled brightened when he turned back to Lords Morrington and Burrows.
“Well, gentlemen, shall we get on then?” he asked.
“Indeed,” Lord Habtage nodded, his cheery grin still in place.
“Yes, My Lord,” Lord Morrington said, speaking for the first time since arriving. His deep voice washed over her like a warm wave, making her skin tingle and muscles tense. “I am very much looking forward to the day ahead.”
Tabitha watched him as closely as she could without making it obvious she was studying him. She waited for him to acknowledge her in some way. To glance at her. To just do something to indicate he knew she was there.
He is making me feel invisible.
And that made her angry.
Her papa turned and led the gentleman toward the kennels to acquaint them with his hounds, and she watched them go, seething with growing fury.
How dare he treat me as though I do not exist?
It was his character that was in question, not hers. She had done nothing wrong!
Unity and Sophia turned back to the house, chatting happily as they went, but Tabitha did not immediately follow. Lord Morrington would not get away with making her feel so…so insignificant.
The gentleman appears to be showing his true colors at last. Perhaps it is time I showed him mine.
Chapter 19
He was not really in the mood to hunt, but Habtage had warned him against disappointing the Baron. In the end, he had reluctantly allowed his friend to drag him back to the Walters sisters’ home, evening knowing the infuriating Lord Burrows would be present as well.
Edwin had not been able to get the sight of Miss Walters sitting in the gentleman’s barouche from his mind. It had haunted him the past few days, and he hated how uncertain he now felt when he thought of her. Before that moment, he would have laughed at the mere suggestion that Miss Walters would involve herself with someone like Lord Burrows. Now, however, he was not so sure.
Why would she be riding with him if they were not courting?
It did not bring him any type of comfort that her youngest sister had been with them. If it had been Miss Unity, he at least could have held onto the hope that Lord Burrows was seeking a match with her. Miss Sophia was far too young yet to pursue a husband.
Deep in his core, though, even if it had been Miss Unity, he would have known her companionship was not what Lord Burrows truly sought. Edwin had seen the way the gentleman regarded Miss Walters. He did not think it entirely proper, as Lord Burrows appeared a tad possessive of the lady, but it was obvious to anyone who paid close enough attention.
He was so bothered by the incident, he had not been able to even look at her when he and Habtage had arrived. In truth, he was not sure why. He thought he might be angry, though he recognized he had little right to be. There was little doubt he was jealous, though he would never admit so out loud.
The real reason he did not look her way, though, was that he feared seeing disinterest in her gaze. Her irritation, and even scorn, he could take because it at least meant he stirred something within her. If she was preparing to give herself to someone else, he worried it would only be a matter of time before he could not spark even those emotions within her.
What if all hope of winning her is lost before I have even truly begun to try?
“Cheer up, will you not?” Habtage murmured. “You appear as though your horse has trampled over your feet.”
Edwin blinked, startled to realize he had become lost in his thoughts. He and Habtage walked side-by-side along the line of trees bordering the Baron’s property, their rifles tucked inside their arms. The Baron himself was just ahead of them, Lord Burrows stuck to his side.
It was a brilliant day, and their small party had been out for several hours already. The Baron had managed to fell several quail as well as a large pheasant, and Habtage and Burrows had shot a few birds of their own. Edwin had had little luck so far, though his mind was hardly focused on the hunt.
“I am sorry, but I told you I should not have come,” he replied through gritted teeth.
He glanced toward his friend in time to see him roll his eyes heavenward.
“Have I not told you countless times how useless it is to jump to conclusions? You do not know why she was riding with him.”
It irritated Edwin how easily Habtage could recognize the source of his troubles. He did not like being so obvious in his growing obsession with Miss Walters.
“What other reason could there be?” Edwin growled. “If it were only the barouche, I could see it being a simple friendly outing, but there is also the fact that he seems to be a frequent visitor to her home.”
“We have quickly become frequent visitors as well,” Habtage pointed out. “Neither of us are yet involved with a Walters sister. There is no reason to believe Lord Burrows is.”
“What do you mean, neither of us are involved yet?” Edwin arched his brow and stared at his friend. “You truly wish to pursue Miss Unity, then?”
Habtage’s eyes widened. “I…that is not…that is not what I am saying in the least, and is far from the point.”
Edwin was surprised by the gentleman’s harried response. He had never seen Habtage so rattled before.
“The lady appears to have quite a grasp on your peace of mind,” he commented with a sly smirk.
Habtage narrowed his eyes. “We are not speaking of me and my peace of mind, we are speaking of you and yours. It is clear you have had little to speak of since you first encountered Miss Walters, but after the incident the other day, not only your peace, but your sense of reason appears to have completely abandoned you.”
Edwin pinched the bridge of his nose as he felt a headache begin to pound behind his eyes.
“I do not wish to speak of this matter any longer, Habtage,” he grumbled.
“Well, you should at the very least speak to her about this matter,” his friend countered.
Edwin dropped his hand and scoffed. “It is highly unlikely the lady wishes to speak to me, let alone explain her personal business to me.”
“That is probably true,” Habtage conceded with a nod. “Still, you should not stew in disappointment if you are not sure there is something for you to be disappointed about.”
He hated to admit how right Habtage was. His friend was presenting a reasonable argument to him, but Edwin was not thinking logically. He was not really thinking at all. His actions were being driven by pure emotion, which was something he was simply not used to.
“Hurry it up, you two!” the Baron called, turning back to them. “Do not dawdle. The ladies will be along momentarily with the picnic.”
Edwin tensed at the thought of seeing Miss Walters again. Frustration, anxiety, and excitement swirled within him, and he could not decide which emotion should be at the forefront of his mind. He felt like such a coward, having avoided even looking at her earlier, but he was not sure he would be able to interact with her in a civil way when she and her sisters arrived with their meal.
He was suddenly nervous, and wondered how in the world he would make it through the rest of the day in such a state. As he became lost in his thoughts, the Baron’s hounds took off into the tall grass outside the trees, barking and stirring the creatures hidden within. Moments later, several large quail burst from the coverage into the air. Startled, Edwin did not have time to ready his gun to attempt to shoot.
Noise filled the air as another rifle did go off and Edwin watched as one of the birds dropped back down to the earth. The hounds took off after it, and he turned his wide gaze up toward Lord Burrows, who was lowering his gun with a satisfied grin. The Baron appeared somewhat impressed, even reaching over to pat Burrows on his back.
“Excellent shot, My Lord,” the Baron exclaimed. “You are a rather skilled hunter, are you not?”
Lord Burrows inclined his head toward the Baron. “I have been told I have a natural talent for the sport.”
Something about the way the gentleman spo
ke gave Edwin pause. He could not pinpoint exactly what it was, but his words seemed off somehow. It might have been an underlying tone that added a layer of maliciousness to his speech.
Or perhaps I am only trying to find fault within him because I cannot stand the thought of Miss Walters in his embrace.
The Baron and Lord Burrows took off to find the fallen bird, appearing far more at ease with each other than when they had first begun their day. As Lord Burrows had continued to prove himself a skilled huntsman, the Baron’s demeanor toward him had thawed considerably. That irritated Edwin, as he knew the Baron’s favor was vital in getting close with any of his daughters.
If Lord Burrows managed to bond with the older gentleman, he would like have few obstacles standing between him and a union with Miss Walters.
Habtage tapped Edwin’s shoulder and claimed his attention once more. Turning his gaze from his rival, Edwin met his friend’s questioning stare.
“What do you intend to do?” Habtage asked.
Edwin frowned. “What do you mean?”
“At the picnic. Are you going to attempt to speak with her?”
Releasing a groan, Edwin said, “I want to, very much, but I do not know how I can without being intruded upon. Not with Lord Burrows nearby and able to overhear.”
“What if I were able to provide you an opportunity?”
Edwin felt his earlier headache begin to return. “You are making little sense, Habtage. How do you intend to create an opportunity for me to speak with Miss Walters away from Lord Burrows?”
His friend’s lips curled into mischievous smile. “Just trust me. I have an idea…of sorts.”
“Well, that fills me with extreme confidence,” Edwin grumbled.
Habtage merely chuckled and winked, then moved ahead to catch up with the Baron and Lord Burrows. Confused and worried for what his friend might have planned for him, Edwin hesitantly followed, feeling very much like he was walking straight into some trap that would leave him humiliated.
* * *
Another hour went by, and then the ladies appeared. They were driven out to join the gentlemen in a small wagon, and brought with them baskets of delicious smelling food and several bottles of wine and ale. As he, Habtage, and Lord Burrows approached the wagon to help the ladies unload everything, Edwin could not resist the urge any longer to glance Miss Walters’s way.
He nearly moaned out loud at how lovely she appeared. The afternoon sun made her hair seem as though ablaze with fire. It was pulled up into an elegant chignon that left her long, graceful neck exposed. He wanted to run his lips along her throat and find out how soft and smooth she was there. At that moment, she glanced toward him and he quickly diverted his gaze, his cheeks heating with embarrassment at being caught staring at her while he had such desire-ridden thoughts about her.
Has she noticed?
Risking a quick peek, he turned his eyes back toward her. She was not looking at him anymore, but her jaw was set and her eyes were flashing with…anger? He frowned, wondering what she was so upset about. Had he done something to offend her?
What do I not do that offends her?
Miss Unity handed him a small stool from the back of the wagon as he continued to watch her sister, and he was forced to move away toward the picnic site in order to set it down. When he turned back around, Miss Walters was just behind him. She let out a little gasp, her eyes widening as she jumped, startled. A moment later, however, her eyes narrowed and she was glaring at him.
“Miss Walters?” he spoke in a low voice, so no one else could easily hear him. “Are you all right?”
“I am perfectly well,” she replied, her tone tight.
“Truly? You seem cross about something.”
“I do not know where you would get that idea,” she snapped. “I am not cross over anything. As I said, I am perfectly well. Now, please excuse me. This basket is quite heavy, and I would like to set it down.”
“May I assist you…?”
She was already moving around him to rest the basket on the large blanket they had brought and spread out over the grass. Keeping her back to him, she began unpacking the food, her movements jerky. He stared at her, at a loss for what to do.
Why does she seem so angry with me? I am the one who is supposed to be upset with her!
He felt a spark of irritation. With a frustrated huff, he turned back to the wagon to continue assisting her sisters. Once the entire picnic had been unloaded, their small party sat on themselves on either the large blanket or small stools and tucked into their faire.
The Baron, Habtage, Miss Unity, Miss Sophia, and even Lord Burrows engaged in what sounded like pleasant conversations as they progressed through their meal. He remained silent for most of it, however, and so did Miss Walters. They would exchange glares on occasion, but otherwise avoided each other’s gazes as much as was humanly possible.
Edwin was growing more and more angry. He did not taste his food and was finding it difficult not to scowl the entire time they sat there. Habtage shot him baffled looks, doing his best to distract the rest of the group from Edwin’s increasingly foul mood.
It was a blessing when the picnic came to an end. Edwin was more than ready to depart, knowing if he stayed any longer, he may do or say something to Miss Walters he would most definitely regret. He turned to indicate to Habtage his desire to leave, but his friend was turned to Miss Unity. He spoke in a soft tone, but Edwin sat so close, he could easily hear him.
“Would you and Miss Walters care to join Lord Morrington and I for a quick stroll?” he asked the Lady. Edwin gaped, on in that moment remembering his friend’s promise to help him speak with Miss Walters away from Lord Burrows. “The trees here are so lovely, I would very much like to explore them without the distraction of hunting hanging over us.”
Miss Unity’s cheeks turned a delicate pink. “Oh, well, I suppose that would be all right. Shall we include Lord Burrows and Miss Sophia?”
Habtage shook his head. “Your sister is no bother, but I would rather not include Lord Burrows, if it can be helped.”
Miss Unity grinned. “That is a relief. I know my sister would rather avoid him accompanying us as well.”
Edwin raised a brow in interest at that.
So…Miss Walters does not enjoy Lord Burrows’s company?
He felt a great amount of relief at that thought. He turned to glance toward Miss Walters, but she was not paying them any mind. Her focus appeared to be entirely on the half-eaten piece of cake resting on her plate.
Habtage pushed to his feet and grinned at Miss Unity before winding his way toward the Baron. Leaning down, he spoke softly to the gentleman for several moments. When he was done, the Baron looked up at him with pleasant surprise and nodded.
As Habtage returned to Edwin’s spot on the blanket, the Baron turned to Lord Burrows.
“My Lord, I hear you have a rather lucrative enterprise within the textile markets abroad.”
Lord Burrows nodded, looking rather pleased with himself. “Yes, My Lord, that is true.”
“How interesting…” The Baron began questioning Lord Burrows on his businesses. Both gentlemen were quickly immersed in the conversation, thoroughly distracted with each other.
Miss Unity pushed to her feet and turned to Miss Walters.
“Sister, would you take a stroll with me?”
Miss Walters looked up from her plate and frowned, her brow crinkled in confusion.
“A stroll? Whatever for?”
With a shrug, Miss Unity replied, “I am terribly full and think a walk would make me feel better.”
“I…I…” Miss Walters’ gaze darted around, as if searching for an excuse to avoid going.
“That is a fine idea, Miss Unity,” Habtage said with a wide smile. “I should like to join you, if possible?”
Edwin watched Miss Walters’s expression collapse, knowing she was well and truly trapped. Her sister could not walk with a gentleman unaccompanied, and she would have to act as c
haperone.
Miss Unity is proving to be as mischievous as Habtage.
With a heavy sight, Miss Walters said, “Very well.”
“Excellent, Lord Morrington? Would you like to join us as well?” Miss Unity asked, turning her wide gaze toward him.
He almost laughed at the trap the lady had laid for her sister. He slid his gaze toward Miss Walters and found her gawking at him in disbelief.
With a slow smirk, he turned back to Miss Unity and nodded. “Why yes, I do believe I would. Thank you.”
Improperly Enticed By The Rascal Earl (Steamy Historical Regency Romance) Page 15