“We should meet again and plan more fully. However, we need to get our fathers to neutral land.”
“Neutral land? I do not think I could tolerate another ball.”
“Come now, it was not so terrible dancing with me.”
With a slight tilt of her head, he knew she had conceded.
“I meant actual land. Down by the river where both families’ borders end. That is the neutral land that I meant,” he explained.
Chloe nodded slowly. “I walk there frequently. It is a peaceful spot.”
“Precisely. Hardly the place for an argument.” Brook jerked a thumb in the direction of the spot. “There neither of them can get angry over the other being on their land.”
“They can still get angry, though.”
“Which is why we shall be there to be the voices of reason. I can be walking with my father and you can be walking with yours. My father has been told that he needs fresh air once he is up and about. It will be a fine excuse.”
“My father and I walk together quite frequently so it will not seem strange to ask.”
“Excellent.” Brook straightened, pushing away from the fence. “We should meet again, to finalize when we shall do this. My father shall need a little time to recover first.”
“I shall check for your letters whenever I can.”
He wasn’t certain why but the idea of Miss Larkin anxiously awaiting his letter made his heart feel a little warm. They could confirm the plans over letters really but he wanted to see her again.
There, he had admitted it to himself. He was beginning to rather like Miss Chloe Larkin’s company.
“You had better return home before you are missed,” he said.
She shrugged. “My parents are heavy sleepers, they shall not know I am gone. Besides, I am known to be still reading at this time of night. They probably think I’m in the library.”
“Of course you are.” And now he was struck with the desire to sneak into her house and watch her read, curled up by a fire in her shift, her hair all loose around her shoulders. It had to be the most mundane of imaginings he had ever had and yet it was all too appealing.
“Shall I walk you back?” His voice came out a little raspy.
“I shall be safe enough. The worst that will happen is that I step in sheep droppings. And it would be far more dangerous to be walking with you.”
“I hope that you are saying that because of our fathers’ disagreement and not because you really believe I am a danger to your person.”
She pushed away from the fence and gave a little smile. “You are a rake, Mr. Waverley, everyone knows it. My reputation would be well and truly sullied if we were spotted alone.”
“Ah, yes, a rake. I forgot.” He rolled his eyes. “I did not realise someone with your reading repertoire would be interested in the gossip columns.”
“I know full well the columns are prone to exaggeration, but there is always a grain of truth to every rumour. You have never denied your reputation before, Mr. Larkin, so I am not certain as to why you are doing it now.”
No, nor was he. The talk surrounding his activities had never bothered him before. He enjoyed life to the fullest and made no apologies for it. Silly, stilted rules of society could go hang as far as he was concerned.
“Well, this rake had better bid you adieu. I would not wish to scare away any future suitors with my presence.”
She narrowed her gaze at him. “You know full well there are no future suitors.”
“Perhaps if you got your nose out of the book, you would find a few more.”
“Now you’re starting to sound like my mother.” She folded her arms. “How terribly dull.”
“Forgive me. I promise to never, ever sound like a mother again.”
“And will you promise not to tease me again?”
“That, I cannot do. You, Miss Larkin, are far too much fun to tease. I especially like it when you get that frustrated expression…yes, there it is right now.”
She blew out a breath and uncrossed her arms. “You really are impossible. How we are to ever work together, I do not know.”
“We shall manage just fine. For our fathers’ sake, we must.”
Her shoulders dropped a little. “Yes, you’re right. And, Brook, I really do wish your father a full recovery.” She leaned over and touched his arm briefly.
Brook stilled at the touch, regretting that it was so brief. His father’s ill-fortune was briefly forgotten but now it struck with full force. And now he wanted to vault over the fence and wrap her in his arms, to absorb every ounce of comfort she could give him.
Instead, he dipped his head. “I shall send word soon.”
“I shall be waiting.”
Waiting. Waiting for him. Good Lord, why did he like that far too much?
Chapter Nine
She really ought to cease the pacing. If her father saw her like this, he would figure out something was wrong. Chloe’s father was no simple man and, unfortunately, he knew his daughter too well. There really was no need for all the pacing, after all. She and Brook had a plan. What was the worst that could happen?
She grimaced to herself. The two men could get in a fight, she admitted to herself. What sort of fight either of them could put up, she did not know, but she suspected out of stubbornness both men would do an injury to themselves.
But her father was a reasonable man, really he was. It was only about the border matter did he ever get so angry. He clearly believed he was very much in the right but neither she nor Brook could figure out whose story was correct. Her own mother refused to talk about it, waving a hand and telling her she was tired of the matter. It was hardly something she could press the local farmers about, either. It was certainly not the done thing to discuss any family matters with them.
Though, there were a few tenant farmers who had been on the land the nearly forty years. They would be the people who would know something.
She nibbled on the end of her thumb and glanced out of the drawing room window. The weather was fine and bright, a few clouds dotted the sky, but no wind touched the trees today, unlike yesterday. They had, it seemed, chosen the perfect day to trick their fathers into meeting.
Oh Lord, there went those nerves again. That strange, swirling uncomfortable sensation rioted around her stomach and made her feel hot and prickly. She took a moment to draw in a long breath and exhale it slowly. Alas, the sensations did not subside, and a small voice in the back of her mind jabbed at her. It was not just the idea of their fathers meeting that did this to her.
No, it was seeing Brook again.
Oh yes, he had become Brook in her mind. Whether she was Chloe to him yet, she did not know, but she could not wait to find out.
He had managed to meet once on the border in the last week so they could finalize their plans. Of course, she had found herself down by the fence nearly every day, waiting for one of his letters. It was an easy enough scenario to plan, both fathers liked the outdoors and with Brook’s father on the road to recovery, it made sense for him to take some fresh air. However, their letters had turned swiftly away from planning this event to something else. Something she had never done before.
If she wrote to her friends, her letters were friendly and informative. If she wrote to relatives, she would tell them the news and stick to formalities. But the letters with Brook… Well, they were different. Whenever she put quill to paper to write to him, she found herself divulging all manner of matters. And he would of course tease her in the letter in return and she would be forced to scold him most readily.
Without even realizing it, a smile spread across her face. For some ridiculous reason, she rather liked his teasing. She suspected he rather liked her scolding too.
Shaking her head to herself, she moved into the main hallway and cocked her head to listen for her father’s footsteps. They came slowly, followed by the light tap of the cane. Her father’s knee was bothering him with the ever-changing weather, and she was not at all sure
she should still be insisting on this walk, but her father refused to admit that he was in too much pain to do such a thing. The man would likely drag himself there out of spite if she insisted on remaining home.
She watched him come downstairs, his features a careful mask but she could see the slight wince behind his eyes with each step. Blast, perhaps she should have cancelled. There had to be some other way to get their fathers to meet, surely?
“Are you certain you want to go out today?” she asked. “It looks like it might…rain.”
“Rain?” her father scoffed. “There is nary a cloud in the sky, girl.”
“I know, Papa, but…” She could not bring herself to tell him he was too frail to do a mere walk.
He waved a hand. “You asked me if I would like to accompany you on a walk, and goodness knows, you do not spend enough time out of doors. It would be remiss of me indeed to cancel on you.” He smiled warmly. “Of course, it is rare for a father to get time alone with his daughter when she is an adult. I will confess to looking forward to it.”
Oh, Chloe did not know whether to feel guilty or warmed by the sentiment. What he was picturing as a pleasant afternoon out, was going to turn something very much the opposite. However, his kind words reminded her of the man behind all the frustration about the border matter. He might command her never to see Brook and get angry and demand that she go check on the border far too often but he was still her father, and he loved her very much. She loved him equally as much and that is why this feud had to end. He could not live out his last days so infuriated by such a matter.
“Well, what are we waiting for?” her father asked.
Giving herself a mental shake, Chloe looped her arm through her father’s offered one. They moved at a slow pace, following the path away from the house until it reached the riverside. Water flowed swiftly, clear enough for her to see minnows and sparkling rocks beneath. They took a left and followed the natural path leading through the trees and along the riverside. Though wide, it was a shallow river and she had spent many a day as a child dipping her feet in it or sitting on the riverbank and reading a book. Those had been the times before she’d been aware there was even an argument between the two families. Perhaps if she was careful, she could probe her father on the matter.
“Papa,” she began.
His face contorted and he inhaled sharply. As she turned to him, he tried to hide his pained expression, but she caught it just in time.
Unlooping her arm from his, she tilted her head and eyed him. “Papa…”
He sighed. “Perhaps I had better rest for a moment.” He pointed to a tree with his cane. “That looks like an excellent sitting spot.”
She bit on her lip while her father settled himself down against the tree. She would need to get word to Brook that they could not come or that he and his father needed to travel further. That would bring them onto Larkin land, however, which could certainly be dangerous indeed. Even in her father’s state. Oh dear, what to do?
“Do not be downhearted, Daughter. Why do you not go on without me? I know how much you enjoy your walks by the river. You can come back for me and we shall walk the rest of the way home.”
“But, Papa...”
He shook his cane at her. “Go on, I insist. I shall enjoy the fresh air and the peace for a while.” He yawned. “This looks like the perfect spot for a little nap.”
Chloe grimaced. There was no persuading him but his knee was painful, she did not wish to. Nor did she wish to leave Brook waiting for her so she had better make haste. Giving her father a quick peck on the cheek, she continued along the path until it started to open into a clearing.
Her pulse began to speed up when she spotted the broad shoulders and long legs of Brook. She frowned. But no Mr. Waverley. It seemed neither of them had managed to bring their father along.
“Brook?”
He turned swiftly and his expression softened when it landed on her. He glanced left and right. “No father?”
She shook her head. “No. And you do not have one either?”
“No. But I do have a mother.” He jerked his head to the right of him. “She is admiring some flowers not far from here. She shall return before long. My father was not feeling well enough but I did not want to leave you waiting here alone. Unfortunately, my mother decided she wanted to walk instead.”
“Ah. My father made it some of the way but his knee is causing him problems at the moment.”
“It seems we really are destined never to get our fathers together.”
Chloe closed the gap between them and pressed a hand to his arm. “We shall just have to keep trying. It was a good plan,” she insisted.
He gave her a half-smile. “You are a stubborn woman, are you not?”
She nodded vigorously. “The stubbornest.” She grinned.
There was a rustle from the trees and the sound of a woman humming. “That’s my mother. I do not know how she will react to your presence but I think it best that she does not see us together. She will suspect something is up.”
“Oh yes. I shall tuck myself in those trees over there and wait until you are gone.” She thrust a thumb in the direction of a group of trees by the riverside. She had squeezed herself between them many times as a child and they made an excellent hiding spot.
He nodded. “Let us meet again soon.”
“Of course.” As she hurried away to hide herself, she tried to shoo away the silly, excited feeling in her stomach. Brook wanted to see more of her. How foolish she was. It was only because of his determination to fix the rift between their families. Nothing more.
She squeezed herself in between the trees, wincing as the branches pressed into her stomach and breasts. She rolled her eyes at herself. The last time she had hidden here, she had probably been a darned sight smaller. She would be lucky if she could get out.
She peered through the leaves, satisfied that she was well hidden from Brook’s mother. His mother emerged, holding a bunch of flowers. She could not quite make out what they were saying but they conversed briefly and his mother left. Brook watched her leave then headed toward her position. “You can come out now.”
Chloe gave a little wriggle. Oh dear Lord. She was stuck fast. “Oh no, you go ahead. I shall just…stay here for a moment.”
“I made an excuse to remain. Now we can discuss our next steps rather than sneaking out of the house during the night again.”
She wriggled again but the branches seemed to press harder into her skin. There was no way of disentangling herself from this with any chance of being ladylike. Brook would never let her forget it.
“I…I think I quite like it in here. I might just remain here a little while.”
Brook came closer, his brow creasing. “Chloe, are you, by any chance, stuck?”
She let her head drop and heat flowed into her cheeks.
“Chloe?”
“Fine. It is because I am far too plump for this hiding spot anymore. And I am completely and utterly stuck. Happy now?”
His lips tilted. “You are certainly far too well-endowed to hide in there. Though, I would not normally say such endowment is a bad thing, you are perhaps not made to hide between trees.”
She huffed. Could he make this anymore worse?
“Give me your hand.” He thrust a hand between the branches toward her.
She weighed her options. She could remain and he would probably remain with her, teasing. Or she could continue to try to tear herself out and do herself an injury. And probably ruin yet another dress. Or she could swallow her pride and take his hand.
She supposed the latter was the better option. Reluctantly, she slipped her hand into his, aware of their gloves brushing against one another. His strong, capable fingers wrapped around hers then he offered his other hand and she took that as she wriggled from side to side while he pulled.
Slowly but surely, she emerged from between the branches. When the last branch gave way, she popped out like a cork from champagne and st
umbled forward, launching them both back toward the river. He caught her in his arms, but it was too late. Her weight upon him forced him backward and they toppled into the shallows by the river.
“Oh no.” Cold water splashed up her hems and soaked through her layers. She landed fully atop him, her hands upon his chest. The river lapped at the sides of his jacket.
Dropping her head down, she rested her forehead against his chest. It was not making the situation any better but she was not sure she could bear to look at him. What a fool she had made of herself.
His body shook and she knew she should move. No doubt he was freezing in this water. It took her a moment to realize the shaking was coming from laughter. She lifted her head and stared at him. “What is so funny?”
“This.” He splashed his hands into the river. “Somehow, being with you has turned into quite an adventure, Chloe.”
She looked at his amused expression and felt a tiny smile of her own slip across her lips. It was a rather ridiculous situation to get into.
He gripped her arms and eased her off him then helped her to her feet. It was only then did she become aware that she had been pressed fully against him, feeling every hard ridge of his thighs and the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. Any chill from the river swiftly dissipated and she glanced away from him.
Brook pressed a finger under her chin to force her to look at him. “Are you hurt, Chloe?”
She shook her head. “Only my pride.”
“At least it was only I who witnessed it.”
“You are probably the worst person to witness it. You shall be retelling this story forever.”
He lifted a shoulder. “Perhaps. But I shall tell it with fondness.”
He glanced down at his soggy breeches and her soaked hems. “We should dry off before returning home. I am not certain how either of us shall explain this.”
Chloe considered her father waiting for her but suspected he had most likely settled in for an afternoon nap. He would not miss her.
“Yes, you’re right,” she agreed, despite the fact that her family would quite readily accept that she had been silly and slipped in. And if Brook’s parents were still questioning him at his age, that would be a curious thing indeed. Whatever the reason for insisting they spend more time together, she could not bring herself to argue against it.
Married to the Rake (The Wallflower Brides Book 1) Page 6