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Abigail shook her head, too upset to speak. She tugged her hands out of his grasp and gathered her dress to cover herself. Lucas tried to help her, but she swatted his hands away. She scurried to her feet and hid behind the tree. Fighting back her tears, she lowered her dress down her legs and tied her chemise. With hands that shook, she finished buttoning her dress. Abigail pressed her head against the tree, drawing forth the strength to face Lucas she didn’t think she possessed.
Lucas jumped to his feet, wanting to rush after Abigail to soothe her, but he gave her the privacy she needed. He paced back and forth, working up the courage to apologize for his ungentlemanly behavior, a behavior he had fought to indulge in but he was helpless when he held Abigail in his arms.
Abigail stepped from the tree and moved to the blanket, sweeping it up into her arms and holding it in front of her chest. She glanced at Lucas and saw the stricken expression across his face and knew he regretted his actions. She tried to hold back her despair, but a tortured moan escaped. He stepped forward to reassure her, but Abigail took off. She would fall to pieces at his feet if Lucas offered any sort of comfort.
“Abigail, wait,” Lucas shouted at her departing form. When she didn’t stop, he muttered, “Ah, hell.”
He gathered the picnic basket and took off after her. He didn’t need her to utter a word to realize she had misunderstood why he stopped her from unbuttoning his shirt. Her tortured expression and the tears in her eyes spoke of what she believed.
The sun started its descent, and the impending darkness increased his need to reach her before she entered the manor. He didn’t want anyone to notice the state of her distress, nor the grass stains on her dress. Lucas took off at a run.
Abigail swiped at the tears streaming along her cheeks, but a fresh batch kept falling in their place. She heard Lucas behind and tried to run. However, the blanket got in her way and tripped her. She couldn’t lose it or else she would have nothing to cover her disheveled appearance with. If any of the servants or Colebourne saw her, they would draw their own conclusions and she would bring shame upon herself.
She wrapped the blanket around her dress, finding it easier than carrying it. Also, it helped to increase her pace. She drew closer to the manor and realized she would be clear once she snuck through the door and escaped through the secret passageway.
However, luck wouldn’t remain on her side. Lucas had reached her, swinging her around to face him. He clutched her arms, stilling her as she fought off his hold.
“Stay still,” Lucas hissed, trying to catch his breath.
Abigail’s eyes widened at his tone, and she didn’t make another move. He didn’t mean to frighten her but needed to explain why they had stopped before she disappeared into the house and stayed hidden until everyone arrived.
“Ahh, Abby.” He wiped the tears on her cheeks away. He never wanted to hurt her, but at every turn, he made her miserable. Lucas now understood why she wanted to move away.
He wrapped his hands around her cheeks, brought her face closer, and placed a light kiss on her lips. She still didn’t move, but he only had precious seconds before she erupted on him. Abigail was a sensitive creature who always cried first, then her temper would explode. All the signs pointed to her fury. Her eyes narrowed, she bit at her bottom lip to keep quiet, and her chest heaved with each breath.
“I will not apologize for my actions this afternoon. Because to apologize would show I regret every kiss and caress. Which I do not. Your gift this afternoon was only a sample of what I desire from you. I desire to kiss every inch of you while we make love. Because, you see, I am a greedy bastard and one afternoon with you in my arms will never satisfy my needs.” He paused, noting how her breathing had calmed, but her glare continued to pierce him.
“I want you to prepare yourself, Abigail Cason, for I mean to pursue you until you are mine. No governess position or other gentleman my family members mean to dangle in front of you—nothing will stop me from possessing you, heart and soul.”
Abigail poked him in the chest and gritted her teeth. “Then why, Lord Gray, did you stop me from touching you?”
A wicked smile spread across Lucas’s face. “Because, my love, when you strip the clothes from my body, it will be in the privacy of my bedchamber and in front of a fire with a soft bed I can lay you upon as our souls become one.”
Abigail gulped at the passion blazing from his eyes. Still, she must resist his charm. If not, then she would transform into a meek girl again, begging for any attention he would grant her. No matter how tantalizing his kisses were or how the stroke of his fingers lit her on fire, she must stay strong.
Abigail scoffed, regaining her power of resistance toward Lucas. “My love? Are you not taking your smooth words a little too far, my lord?”
She brushed off his hold and rushed away. Once she reached the manor, she made the mistake of looking over her shoulder. When Lucas reached out to grab her, she dropped the blanket to block his path and hurried inside, hoping to escape anyone’s notice, but she ran smack into Selina and Duncan.
“Steady now.” Duncan grabbed Abigail before she fell flat on her face. He withdrew his hold after he steadied her. However, Selina wrapped Abigail in her arms, squeezing her in an affectionate hug.
“Now what is this nonsense about taking ourselves off to Charlie’s?” Duncan asked Oakes.
“Well, that is . . .” Oakes floundered.
Abigail had never seen the butler at a loss for how to respond. Not to mention the guilty expression covering his face.
“How were you able to travel through?” Abigail interrupted.
“Abby!” Lucas called out from the doorway. He stumbled inside, juggling the picnic basket and blanket. He stopped in his tracks when he saw his cousin. “Duncan?”
Duncan bowed. “At your service, my lord.”
Lucas scowled. He held no patience for his cousin’s tomfoolery. “I suppose the road is clear. When are the other heathens expected to descend upon us?”
“Lord Gray, your comment is uncalled for!” Abigail reprimanded him.
Lucas arched a brow at Abigail’s formality. “I do not believe it was, Miss Cason.”
Duncan glanced back and forth between Lucas and Abigail, noting the tension simmering between them. He also took in Abigail’s disheveled appearance and his cousin’s surly mood. If he wasn’t mistaken, it would appear Lucas and Abigail had shared more than a picnic.
“The road to Colebourne Manor is perfectly fine. We traveled separately from my parents,” Duncan explained.
“I hope your delay was not because of anything dire,” Abigail said.
Duncan winked at Selina. “No, nothing too dire.”
Selina turned red, and Abigail knew their delay was because of marital bliss. The thrill Abigail had felt when Selina married Duncan wasn’t only because it freed Lucas from a betrothal agreement out of his control, but also because once Selina married Duncan, her true self shined through. No longer was she a spiteful shrew; instead she was a delight Abigail shared a close friendship with.
Selina beamed at her husband. “Nothing dire at all.”
Abigail continued to stare at Duncan and Selina as they lost themselves in each other’s gazes. The look they shared was one written in romantic stories. Abigail wished that for herself. She stole a glance at Lucas and saw him frowning at the lovely couple. She shook her head. He would never understand undying love. Lucas was hopeless, and Abigail needed to give up any notions that he would change.
This was only the start of the remaining week. Once everyone arrived, it would be couple after couple showing their devotion to the one they loved. Over and over. While she enjoyed watching their happiness, sometimes depression would set in, leaving Abigail with a vulnerability she didn’t wish to endure.
“Did you say there was nothing wrong with the road?” Abigail asked.
“We traveled on it with no problems,” Duncan replied.
“I do not understand,” Abigail stated in confusion.
“Well, ‘tis simple. Carriages and horses travel across the road to reach their destination,” Duncan teased.
Selina lightly slapped Duncan on his arm. “Silence, husband. It appears if there is a slight confusion about our arrival.”
“Oakes?” Lucas bellowed, stopping the butler’s escape.
Oakes turned. “Yes, my lord?”
“Please explain,” Lucas demanded.
Oakes cleared his throat. “’Tis best if the duke explained.” Before Lucas asked him any more questions, the butler scampered away.
Duncan laughed. “You have frightened him.”
“That conniving coot,” Lucas growled.
Selina’s eyes twinkled. “Is Colebourne playing matchmaker again?”
Lucas snarled. “He never stopped.”
Abigail gasped at Lucas’s sharp tone. “If you will excuse me.” She rushed away, not waiting for a response.
Selina turned to Lucas, shaking her head in disappointment. “You have not changed one bit. Why she loves you is beyond me. But keep with your insensitive remarks and soon Abigail will come to her senses.” She strode off after Abigail, wanting to offer her friend comfort from Lucas’s foolish words.
Duncan slapped Lucas on the back. “When will you ever learn? Your father gave you the perfect opportunity to win Abigail’s hand, and you keep blundering it.”
Lucas raked his hands through his hair and strode off for his study. He didn’t care if Duncan followed him or not. But he knew he would. They were as close as brothers, and Lucas always confided his troubles with him. Even when Duncan stole his bride, Lucas had never allowed it to come between their friendship.
He poured himself a shot of whiskey and slugged it back. Then he repeated it twice more. Duncan yanked the bottle from his hand before he took another swallow and pointed at the chair. But Lucas defied him and paced back and forth in front of the fireplace instead.
Duncan took a seat and waited patiently for Lucas to gain control. Quite a few minutes passed and Lucas was in no better of a mood than when Duncan arrived. Since Lucas refused to discuss his problems, Duncan would have to drag them out of him.
“Do you want to discuss the picnic you shared with Abigail?”
Lucas stopped pacing and glared at Duncan. That subject was taboo and only between Abigail and him. “No,” he growled.
Duncan nodded. “That is fair. Should we discuss your father’s latest machinations?”
Lucas threw his hands in the air. “What is there to discuss? He is relentless in forcing Abigail and me together.”
“So, your interaction with Abigail is still forced?”
“That is not what I meant.”
“Then please explain,” Duncan ordered.
Lucas slumped in a chair. “I don’t know where to begin.”
“Perhaps at the beginning,” Duncan replied with sarcasm.
“Fine. Father said the storms wiped out the road. Then he has taken all his meals in his bedchamber, pleading he needed more rest.”
Duncan frowned. “Is he sick again?”
Lucas shook his head. “No.”
“Have you spent this time alone with Abigail?”
“Every available second. It was as if the past year never happened. We fell back into our comfortable friendship.”
“So nothing untoward has occurred between you two? Because it appeared that Abigail might have spent the afternoon getting tousled.”
Lucas growled. “Do not speak of Abigail in that regard.”
Duncan nodded. “I apologize.”
Lucas wiped his hand along his face. “I don’t believe I am as strong as you,” he confessed.
“You are. You only choose not to believe in the love you could share with Abigail. And until you do, you must break your ties with her. ‘Tis not fair to string her along and give her false hope.” Duncan sat forward. “You must see how you break her heart each time you speak in disgust at your father’s matchmaking mischief. With each derogatory remark, you make her feel unworthy of your love. Then when you turn around and lay on the charm, she believes you have fallen in love with her. When you kiss her, it only shows proof of your devotion. You confuse her with your actions, and Abigail doesn’t deserve this treatment.”
Lucas stayed silent during Duncan’s lecture. Every word he spoke held truth in them. But he refused to stay away from Abigail. It was too much for anybody to ask of him. Once the rest of his family arrived, Duncan and Selina would share his blunderings with them. Then he would receive a lecture from every single one of them.
“Do you agree?” Duncan asked.
Lucas stood. “No.” He offered no more, leaving Duncan alone. He needed to find his father and demand for him to stop his matchmaking. It had gone on long enough. His father’s attempts only impeded his own.
Well, that and his own foolish behavior.