Chapter 15
Garden parties were clearly the thing when it came to springtime. At least five invitations had arrived. Whether Ronan liked it or not, he had to eventually attend one.
At least this garden party was in a comfortable and open park, still private, hosted by Sebastian and Isabel.
This party was scheduled perfectly for a sunny morning at a slightly unfashionable hour. But that was Isabel. She was already mother to a boy and a girl, both of whom were running about somewhere with the nursemaids. As was Ronan’s boy.
A perfect place, he thought, to introduce Isla to Oliver.
I hope. It is long overdue. But he and Anne arrived safely yesterday in London. There is no more putting this off. Besides, Isabel would have probably stormed the estate to visit Oliver had I not agreed to bring him today.
“Aren’t you supposed to be enjoying yourself?” Isabel said as she came up to him with a glass of lemonade.
“I am,” he said while slipping a hand into his pocket.
After checking his pocket watch, he confirmed it was twenty-two minutes and everyone who desired to be fashionably late should have arrived by now. Everyone except Isla.
“What is it?” Isabel asked while trying to look at the time. “Oh. Has she not arrived? I could have sworn I saw her.”
“If she had arrived, she would have come to greet me,” he said with a huff.
That garnered a raised eyebrow from Isabel. “It’s a large party and you’re hidden away. Sebastian said he hasn’t seen you move anywhere yet.”
Ronan resisted the urge to tell everyone to stop watching him and judging him. No one here had a need or right to judge him. Besides, nothing was wrong. Not yet. Not if Isla made an appearance.
“I didn’t want to disturb the party.”
His gaze strayed from the crowded tents toward the children. What an obnoxiously large party. Isabel had said it was a treat for her eldest child, but that hardly stood to reason to have all these strangers around. There were presents somewhere. And children. Where had the children gone?
While Isabel talked about something, he turned in a circle from the tree where he was enjoying the shade. But like she had noted, he had cornered himself near a small apple grove.
What should have been a refuge has become a trap. Why wasn’t I more mindful?
The grin on Isabel’s face told Ronan she had caught his mistake and meant to take full advantage of it.
“I remember when we met, Ronan. Your idea of disturbing a party was singing the most inappropriate ditty imaginable.”
“Those were different days.”
She nodded gracefully. “So they were. It doesn’t mean you aren’t still your charming self. Don’t you wish to enjoy yourself? The children are going to play a game before we turn them inside for the rest of the party. Perhaps you would like to join Oliver?”
“He’s too young to play games.”
Isabel’s loud laugh surprised him. Feeling eyes fall on him, he shifted uncomfortably in the shade. He glanced up warily to see who looked their way.
There stood Isabel near the back gravel path. It led to the stables where the carriages and horses were being held during today’s festivities. He could see her over the hedges. Their eyes met. An electric current surged through his spine like lightning, holding him captive.
“Isn’t there anything I can say to convince you to join everyone else?
” Isabel asked. She prodded him in the shoulder, and it forced his attention from Isla.
Irritation simmered while the duchess cheerfully chattered on.
“Once the children go in, we’ll play a game of bowls. Perhaps you would like to join us?”
He thought about leaving early. “I highly doubt it.”
“Now you’re just acting ornery.”
His eyes widened. “What the devil did you just call me?”
“You heard me.”
“If you cannot manage polite conversation, then I have nothing to say to you,” was all Ronan could think and he started off.
The gall of it all. He could tell Isabel was watching him, smiling like this was all in jest. The woman thought everything was a jest. How had he become the tail-end of a joke?
The very thought bothered him most of all, for it was he who used to make everyone laugh. He truly had changed.
It was necessary, blast it. People change over time, do they not?
Frustration bloomed so thickly in Ronan’s mind as he started toward the house that he almost didn’t hear the shrieks.
The first was a shout. “No, hold, please!”
The second was a child’s screech.
“No!” The third came from Isla and Ronan twisted, running before he was even thinking.
Everyone else was turning in the same direction. A few moved but he was faster. His eyes spotted the gravel trail between the party set up and the low hedges that did little to create a separation. Ronan took it all in.
He saw the horse, nervous and jumpy as an equally scared stableboy tugged the beast away. Isla had been there moments ago. She was gone now. Then he spotted the uniformed nurses running about, collecting their charges. A few he recognized and others he didn’t. The one he searched for wasn’t there.
Oliver. No. No! Where is Oliver?
Ronan stumbled as horror shook him like a rag doll, his bones loose and his eyes wild. His boy. Where was the boy? He couldn’t shout. He couldn’t breathe. Picking up speed, he searched the children amongst the three nurses as he felt the blood draining from his face.
“Are you certain? Are you well?”
He twisted around the next hedge at the sound of her voice. Crouching down in her skirts, Isla held the arms of little Oliver who was wide-eyed and speechless.
“Oliver!” Ronan snatched the boy into his arms.
Flesh and blood. The boy was real. He was right there. The pounding in Ronan’s heart was a dizzying sensation as he clutched the boy close. One arm held Oliver close and the other checked his extremities for harm.
There was no blood. Dirt and gravel and grass, but no blood.
“Ronan?” Isla said softly as she rose to her feet.
He twisted to face her. “What the devil happened?”
Her eyes widened in surprise at the vehemence of his tone. But he couldn’t think of apologizing with the way his heart raged. They stared at one as she folded her arms.
As her own expression firmed into something serious, Isla said, “There is no need to take that tone with me. He’s out of harm’s way now. It was all only an accident, but he’ll be all right.”
“Only an accident?” He echoed heatedly. “He could have been killed.”
“Don’t scare him so, there’s no need for that.”
“I’m not! I mean, I’m not trying to.” He glanced down at Oliver who was no longer shaking and had since wrapped his arms around his neck.
The warm little weight there still left Ronan shuddering at how close he had come to losing his boy. Just taking his eyes off him for a moment could have gone so wrong. A lump formed in his throat.
“Goodness gracious! We are so awfully sorry,” Isabel came bounding over with her hands clasped together. “The colt is still very skittish. I don’t know why he was out for training at this hour, I’m so awfully sorry. Is Oliver all right? Yes? Oh, dear, Isla, your dress!”
He stopped cold as he watched the young woman blush while his friend’s wife fawned over her. Too late he realized he had blistered an already injured hide.
“I’m really all right,” Isla started.
But she winced when Isabel took her arm, revealing bloody scratches having ripped her gloves.
The duchess immediately wrapped an arm around her, calling orders to everyone.
“Do carry on, please! Sebastian, help her up to the house, would you? Where is Smythe? I need your attendance now! Please enjoy yourselves, friends, I’ll return shortly once I’ve cared for our guest.”
Ronan exhaled even as he saw the rips in Isla’s dress. The garment was filthy on the side and ripped badly down at the knees. How had he not noticed?
His legs led him toward the house, trailing behind them with Oliver still in his arms. Shames filled him heavily in the stomach. Feeling something bitter on his tongue, he couldn’t imagine how uncouth he must have appeared. He hadn’t meant to be so insensitive. But if he had taken one look…
“Ro?”
His throat constricted. The hand he’d held on Oliver’s head to keep him steady in his arms loosened, and the boy wiggled to lean back and meet his gaze. Big green eyes stared back at him. “Yes, Oliver?”
The boy twisted but didn’t attempt otherwise to escape. “I’m sorry.”
He couldn’t manage his r’s yet. The childish words melted through Ronan. Forcing a smile, he shook his head.
“You have nothing to apologize for. Unless you purposefully stood in the path of the horse?”
Oliver pouted as Ronan took them inside. “I wanted to pet it.”
“Not without someone to help you, Oliver.” He internally groaned. “You could have been injured. What am I to do with you? If Isla hadn’t been there…”
“Isla?”
Can a man drown on land because I am floundering here. The two of them have met, no thanks to me, in the worst way possible. None of this is according to my plan. Why can’t anything go right?
Ronan cleared his throat. Carefully setting the boy down, he crouched low so they could have a quiet conversation together. This didn’t happen often. He never really knew what to say when it was just them. Usually his nursemaid or someone was there between him and Oliver.
“Isla is the lady who saved you. She and I are to marry.”
“Marry?”
“Yes, as man and wife,” Ronan pointed out. “She would come live with us. With you.”
The boy looked about like he might spot Isla. There was a deep furrow in his brow. Ronan let him for a moment, keeping him close when he tried to wander, and trying to straighten his clothing. “Marry now?”
“No, no. Not for a little while more. She’s who I wished you to meet. Do you remember talking on the carriage ride here? I wanted to introduce the two of you.”
Oliver looked forward and poked the emerald pin in Ronan’s cravat. Then he simply said, “I was sleepy.”