Somerset
July 1815
Edward wasn’t going to be put off another day. He had one last duty to perform—a personal favor for the man who had saved his life and subsequently lost his own—and he wouldn’t fail.
He’d visited the modest estate and manor house in Somerset for the past three days and been turned away each time. Today was the fourth day he’d been denied entrance, but he wouldn’t leave without speaking to Grace Kent in person. He suspected she’d been home on that first day. He’d been shown into the drawing room and told to wait before the butler had returned to tell him that his mistress was away from home. On his next three attempts, he’d been barred from admittance at the door. But it didn’t matter if Miss Kent was home and refusing to see him or avoiding him by going out each day, he would see her today.
It was early afternoon, and he settled in for a long wait amid a small grouping of trees to the east of the house. He wasn’t positioned so far away that he wouldn’t be able to see the comings and goings of those within, but the cover provided by the trees would obscure his presence from those same people.
In retrospect, he realized it had been a mistake to send Miss Kent a note informing her of the purpose for his upcoming visit to Somerset. It would have been better to turn up unannounced and give her the letter her betrothed had asked him to deliver if he didn’t recover from his injuries.
Edward didn’t pretend to understand women. Freddie had confided that he’d known Grace all his life and that their friendship had blossomed into love shortly before he’d enlisted in the army. He would have thought the woman would welcome a final missive from her beloved, but he supposed it was possible her resistance to seeing him meant that her grief was too great to deal with the reminder of everything she had lost when Freddie died.
He hated times like this, when he had nothing to do but sit and wait. His thoughts drifted then, to past battles and all the horrors he had witnessed. Memories were the curse of those who’d survived. And now, more than ever, he couldn’t forget the day he had failed the man who’d saved his life.
He’d lost track of how much time had passed when he spotted two figures riding toward the house. As they approached, he could see one of the riders was a woman and, from the way the second was dressed, guessed he must be a groom. They rode toward the stables where the man helped the woman to dismount before leading both horses inside.
When she turned toward the house, Edward jumped to his feet, intent on seizing the opportunity to corner the elusive Grace Kent. He cut across the grounds, his long stride eating up the distance. Miss Kent had avoided him thus far, but today he would finally discharge his duty and begin the business of trying to establish some sort of civilian life for himself.
He knew how to move quickly and quietly, and she didn’t hear him approaching from behind. She was still several yards from the front of the house when he caught up to her.
“Miss Kent,” he called out.
She stopped and turned to face him. She must have expected him to be the groom because her gaze darted from him to the stables before finally returning to him.
She took a step back, her face tightening as she waited for him to speak. But he found himself unable to do so for several seconds, struck silent by the beauty of the woman before him.
Golden hair tumbled from beneath the edges of a tall hat, her pale skin accentuated by the deep blue of her riding habit. The color of the garment had the odd effect of making her blue eyes appear an even brighter shade. Or perhaps that was the natural color of her eyes. He gave himself a mental shake when he realized he was staring. It was little wonder Freddie hadn’t been able to stop talking about his future wife. At the reminder that he was here on Freddie’s behalf, he experienced another stab of guilt at having been the cause of the young man’s death. If the private hadn’t intercepted the blow meant for him, he and Miss Kent would be reuniting right now.
“Please excuse my abrupt appearance. I only just arrived and didn’t want to miss you again today.”
“And you are?”
He frowned. Surely she wasn’t going to pretend she didn’t realize who he was. He’d play along, however, for Freddie’s sake.
“Captain Edward Hathaway, at your service.” He started to bow but hesitated when she began to shake her head in denial. “Am I correct in assuming you are Miss Grace Kent?”
She took another step back. “No… I’m sorry, but…”
She didn’t finish, but he didn’t need her to. Damn, this must be Grace’s sister.
“I apologize. You must be Lady Trenton. I served with Freddie Reynolds and considered him a friend. He spoke of your sister, and of you, often.”
Her forehead smoothed and she dipped into a curtsy. “I am pleased to make your acquaintance.”
What was she doing? Needing something to do with her hands, she reached up and toyed with the locket she wore around her neck. It was bad enough that she’d been avoiding Captain Hathaway—thwarting what was no doubt an unpleasant task he hoped to fulfill before heading back to his own home—but now she was also lying to him. She hadn’t intended to. She’d been shaking her head not in denial of her identity but because the very last thing she wanted was to be presented with one last letter from Freddie. She didn’t think her conscience would be able to survive the guilt his words would no doubt cause.
But when Captain Hathaway immediately jumped to the conclusion that she was her sister Helen, she had taken the opportunity to avoid the inevitable pain for yet another day.
Now that her initial panic was beginning to fade, an uncomfortable realization began to take shape. As she stared at the stranger before her, she realized she was drawn to him in a way she had never been to Freddie. Taller, broader, more handsome, he was everything her betrothed had never been. But greater than his physical appearance, there was an indiscernible quality that drew her attention like no man she had ever met. She imagined that few women would be able to resist Captain Hathaway once he chose to pay them court. And unlike her feelings for Freddie, whom she had known since childhood, she could never imagine her feelings for Captain Hathaway being even remotely brotherly.
“Is Miss Kent at home today?”
It took her a moment to realize he had spoken. From the resigned look on his face, she could tell he didn’t expect her to answer in the affirmative. And given the fact that she had all but said she was Helen, it was too late to correct his misconception.
“My sister has been away from home this past week.”
He raised a brow in reply to her statement, making no effort to hide his disbelief.
“Upon my word, Captain, my sister is not in residence at the moment.” The words were true enough, only they were about the wrong sibling.
“I don’t suppose you could tell me where I might find her?”
The weight of Captain Hathaway’s regard almost made her squirm, and she couldn’t help but think he must see right through her pretense. “If you have something for Grace, you can leave it with me. I’ll make sure she receives it.”
She thought that was a good compromise. She wouldn’t have to feign a pleasure she didn’t feel at receiving a letter from Freddie. And more importantly, she wouldn’t have to read it now. She could put the missive away and read it at a later date, after she had dealt with the grief of losing a good friend and the guilt she felt daily at the knowledge that she’d planned to break their betrothal when he returned from war.
But instead of handing her the letter, he shook his head. “I’m afraid I cannot do that. I was the last person to see Freddie alive, and he asked me to deliver his missive into her hands personally.” He hesitated, as though considering whether to continue, before adding, “He saved my life, and honor demands that I fulfill his final request.”
Grace faltered, her mind floundering for a suitable response. “I understand.” She wanted to cringe at the banality of her reply.
The air lay heavy between them, neither saying anything for several seconds. Finally she had to look away from him.
She heard his exhale. “So, your sister? If you’ll tell me where she is, I’ll make sure to deliver the letter to her there.”
She shook her head and braved another glance at him. “I… arrived after she’d left.”
“Without telling anyone where she was going?”
“I think she wanted to avoid me.” She warmed up to her tale, recalling how many times her sister, who was the elder by only three years, often meddled in her affairs. “If she told the staff where she planned to go, she swore them to secrecy.”
“People deal with grief in many ways.” The flicker of anguish she saw on his face told her he was dealing with his own sorrow.
“We all knew and loved Freddie. News of his death hit us very hard.” She had to close her eyes as another wave of guilt and sadness threatened to overwhelm her.
She almost jumped out of her skin when he reached for one of her hands and squeezed it.
“He was a good man, one of the best I’ve had the pleasure of knowing, and it was an honor to serve with him.”
Her lips trembled, and she squeezed his hand back in acknowledgment of his own loss before releasing it. “Thank you.”
He cleared his throat. “Do you know when she is returning?”
After their brief moment of camaraderie, she had to look away before voicing the lie. “I’m afraid not.”
Captain Hathaway squared his shoulders. “I’ll wait for her arrival, then.”
“And if she doesn’t return soon?” She hated the thought of wasting the captain’s time. Perhaps she should tell him the truth. He’d be annoyed with her, but not as much as he’d be if he were to learn some days from now that she hadn’t been honest with him.
A gleam entered his eyes as he stared down at her. “Then we’ll have time to get to know one another.”
A thrill shot through her at his words, along with the realization that he must know her sister was a widow. And in that moment, she knew she’d do almost anything to get to know this man better. It wouldn’t go anywhere—it couldn’t—but she’d never met a man who intrigued her even half as much as Captain Hathaway did.
She mentally asked Freddie for his forgiveness as she smiled back at the captain. “I’d like that very much.”