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THE WAVES TUMBLED AGAINST the shore. Normally Sebastian would relax against their soothing sound, but now he was focused on one thing: Genevieve.
He shouldn’t have left with Lady Letitia. Not without speaking with Genevieve. He’d allowed himself to think that everything with Genevieve had been false, but he’d never asked her why she’d acted as she had. He’d lived with her mother and her. He knew what they were like: wonderful. Why would they concoct a vile plot against him?
The idea was preposterous.
Finally, the coach neared the cottage. He made his way to the driver. “Please stop here.”
“This ain’t a stop.”
The duke raised his eyebrows and pressed some coin into the man’s hand.
The driver glanced at the shiny metal and grinned. “I would have done it for less.”
In the next moment, the coach had stopped, and in the moment after that, Sebastian was striding through a field toward the cottage.
He didn’t feel any regret, only lightness and happiness. This was certainly the right choice.
Finally, he arrived at the cottage.
He went to the door, clasped onto the handle, and—
Nothing.
The door was locked.
Sebastian stared at it, and his heart moved to a lower perch. He must be very near Genevieve, but a strange nervousness moved through him.
Surely, Genevieve was here.
But what if she wasn’t?
Sebastian went to the beach to see if anyone was there, but it was empty. Then he strode toward the frog pond in the woods, but it was similarly empty.
Finally, Sebastian decided to peer through the windows of the cottage.
The place was immaculate.
Perhaps too immaculate.
An odd feeling of dread moved through him.
They were gone—because of him. They’d asked him to understand, and he’d gone with Lady Letitia and her mother to Hampshire. Why would Genevieve and her family stay here? He’d been cruel when Genevieve had needed him most. She’d wanted to confess something to him earlier, and he’d instead lauded the present and future. He should have listened to her then. He shouldn’t have abandoned her.
Sebastian proceeded to run. He needed to get to the posting inn. Perhaps someone had seen where they’d gone. He ran over the dirt lane, and a few sheep stared at him with bemused expressions on their faces. He ran and ran and ran. His lungs burned, but it didn’t matter. All that mattered was Genevieve.
He passed Mr. Williams’ farm. A plow sat in the field, and he quickly scrambled over the fence and grabbed the plow, thankfully still attached to a horse.
“What are you doing?” Mr. Williams called out.
“I’m sorry,” Sebastian blurted. “I need to borrow this.”
“You can’t borrow a plow!” Mr. Williams shouted.
“I’ll buy it.”
“Nonsense.” Mr. Williams grabbed hold of the plow. “I forbid it.”
“Then I’ll buy the field.”
Mr. Williams hesitated. “Truly?”
“Truly. I am a duke.”
They settled on a price, then Sebastian was off, toward the woman he loved, dragging the plow behind him.
The horses moved methodically through the field. They were going to miss the coach. They were going to be too late.
Finally, he spotted a mail coach moving on a lane.
*
“IT’S SEBASTIAN!” BILLY screamed. “He’s plowing the field!”
Mama sighed. “You have a strong imagination, dear child.”
“No, it’s him!” Billy scrambled from his place on Mama’s lap and scurried to the window. The other passengers on the mail coach sighed heavily and muttered about the impropriety of traveling with children.
Mama flushed.
“No! It’s really him!” Billy pointed at the window.
Genevieve followed his gaze.
Then her heart stopped.
Billy was correct. Sebastian was sitting on a plow that was moving slowly toward the mail coach.
Heavens.
She poked her head out the window and waved. “Sebastian! Sebastian!”
The other passengers frowned.
“I suppose that child has just been raised poorly,” one of them muttered.
“Nonsense!” she exclaimed. “Billy is a wonderful boy.”
“Stop the mail coach!” Sebastian hollered. “Genevieve!”
“Sebastian!” Genevieve waved frantically.
His eyes brightened, and everything in the world was perfect. “Sweetheart!”
“Darling!”
“I love you,” Sebastian screamed.
“I love you too!” Genevieve yelled.
Genevieve’s heart was full. Unfortunately, the coach was rushing away from them.
She tried to get the attention of the driver. “Stop the coach!”
“I’m forbidden to do that,” the driver said pedantically.
“But please!”
“Absolutely not.”
“Then I’ll jump.”
The driver hesitated, then shook his head firmly. “It’s against our rulebook. We’re going twenty miles an hour.”
Genevieve hesitated. Twenty miles an hour was very quick. Heavens, she was going to lose him. She looked around. A wheat field was in the distance. Once the mail coach reached it, Genevieve opened the door quickly, then jumped out of the coach.
She fell into long strands of wheat, and her body ached, as she rolled and rolled and rolled.
“Genevieve! Genevieve!” Sebastian’s voice came toward her. “Are you well, Genevieve?” He held her in his arms. “You must be well. I love you. I want to marry you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
She was conscious of the coach wheels halting. No doubt, Billy and Mother and the maid were exiting the coach with their luggage, after all.
Genevieve opened her eyes, then tilted her head. “Who are you?”
His eyes widened. “I’m Sebastian, sweetheart. You don’t remember?” Anguish was in his voice.
She shook her head. “I couldn’t forget you.”
Then he chuckled. “You horrible woman. I love you so much.” Then he kissed her and kissed her. Finally, he smiled. “A duke never forgets either.”