Chapter 14 #2
But he had to. David had to marry someone more status-appropriate. It made him wince, knowing that he saw Caroline as that, but she would understand. David had to do his duty and find himself a wife. Once he was back at their main home, he would be looking again.
And he wasn’t really looking forward to it.
“David?” Caroline waved a hand in front of his face. “Are you there?”
“Hmm?” David jumped as her fingers nearly hit him on the nose. “What?”
“You went off into your thoughts there.” Caroline gave him a bemused look. “Care to share your thoughts, or will you keep it a secret?”
“Oh. Right.” David cleared his throat. “I guess I’m still a little tired. Everything that’s happened in recent months has just slammed into me, and I’m exhausted.”
Caroline looked sympathetic.
“I understand that. I’m sure it’s hard work looking after all this and then making sure your sisters are happy.”
“You go through the same thing with your parents, don’t you?”
“Essentially.” Caroline sighed as she looked towards the small figures far below. Henrietta, Gwen, and Nanny Drew had reached the water’s edge, and Gwen had already removed her boots and stockings to paddle in the water.
“It’s shocking how much they’ve changed over the years.
They used to be so strong and did everything on the land.
They didn’t care about the fact they had a title; in their minds, it was just a piece of paper.
It didn’t mean they couldn’t get their hands dirty to look after their own.
But then they became ill, and it was bad.
Things changed after that, and it’s like they’re completely different people. ”
David could imagine. He recalled how Caroline’s parents were spritelier than they were, so to see them looking far older and less robust than they should was shocking.
And a little sobering. From his experience with his mother dying during childbirth, people could go from strong to weak or gone within a matter of seconds.
The change was so fast nobody could keep up with it.
“How are they doing? Are they managing without you?”
“The staff is looking after them, and with the money I’m sending back, things are getting better.”
“You’re not sending all your salary, are you?” David frowned at Caroline. “I told you that you needed to save money for yourself.”
Caroline rolled her eyes.
“Of course, I’m not. I’m saving ten percent for myself. Everything else should be going to my parents.”
“Caroline …”
“It’s my money, and I’ve got priorities. That’s what we agreed on, remember?”
David did remember, but he didn’t think Caroline would still sacrifice pretty much everything. He sighed.
“You really need to save up. If something happens to your parents …”
“Then I’ll inherit what they have. They both have wills saying I get everything instead of passing it to a male relative.” Caroline shuddered. “Although I don’t want to think about my parents passing away. That’s far too sobering.”
David didn’t answer that. He knew all too well how painful it was to think about something like that.
He still had memories of witnessing his father falling from his horse to his death.
They didn’t give him nightmares and make him wake up in a cold sweat anymore, but David still didn’t like to think about it.
“Forgive me, David.” Caroline’s eyes had widened. “I just remembered. I didn’t mean …”
“Don’t worry about it. It’s not something I can avoid.” David gave her a smile. “Shall we talk about something more uplifting? Or do you want me to tell you how to manage your money?”
Caroline groaned.
“You make it sound like I have no idea how to deal with finances.”
“I’m just …”
“Don’t be cheeky, David. I’m the one who was teaching you mathematics. I know what I’m doing.”
David now felt like he had stepped his foot in it. He gestured with his cane towards the slope.
“If I get more irritating, feel free to push me off the edge.”
Caroline laughed.
“I’ll keep that in mind. Although it will be a bit of a mess. Henrietta and Gwen don’t need to see that.”
“So you’re going to wait until they’re elsewhere?” David grimaced. “Charming.”
Her laugh was making David feel happy. It seemed to lift a weight off his shoulders, and things were feeling better.
He didn’t think he had experienced that with anyone in a long time, and David didn’t know how to react to it.
Something was building between them, and he didn’t have any desire to stop it.
This was going to get complicated. Maybe he shouldn’t have brought his family and Caroline out to the Lake District.
Two weeks in a remote area seemed to have made something shift in the air, especially between him and Caroline.
It wasn’t necessarily uncomfortable, but David wasn’t sure how to process it properly.
Suddenly, Caroline let out a squeak and ended up on the ground, nearly tugging David down with a jerk that made David stumble. He caught himself and turned to stare at her.
“What happened there?”
Caroline flinched as she shifted to sit fully on her behind.
“I think I got my foot caught in a rabbit hole. That actually hurt.”
David crouched at her feet, putting his cane to one side. He started to reach for her foot, only to hesitate before he touched her.
“Do you mind if I have a look?” he asked, glancing up at Caroline. “After all, I’m not meant to …”
“I don’t care if it’s inappropriate or anything like that,” Caroline grumbled, flexing her foot. “It hurts too much for me to care what is happening.”
Even so, David was careful with what he touched as he inched her skirt above her ankle to run his fingers over the offending body part. Caroline winced, but she didn’t pull away. Growing a little bolder, he gently clasped her foot and moved it back and forth.
“Ouch!” Caroline gritted her teeth. “Would you stop doing that? It’s like you’ve never seen a foot before.”
“That hurts, then?”
“Of course it does!”
“Well, it’s moving, so I doubt anything is broken.” David saw the hole by Caroline’s foot. “It’s probably just a sprain or a simple twist. You’ll be fine in a couple of days.”
Caroline grunted.
“At least I’ve got an excuse not to run around after your sisters.”
David laughed.
“Is that all you’re worried about?”
“More like relieved. They’re lovely, but they’re exhausting.” Caroline adjusted her skirts, pushing them back over her ankles. “Can you help me up? I think I’ll go and sit elsewhere. This grass isn’t as soft as I thought it would be.”
“Oh. Right.” David stood up and plucked his cane from the grass. Then he held out a hand. “Let’s get you upright.”
For a moment, they just stared at each other. David thought he felt something in the air shift, but then it was gone. What had just happened there? Finally, Caroline grasped his hand, and David hauled her to her feet.
“How is your foot now?”
“I … it’s still sore.” Caroline gingerly pressed onto her foot, her expression not too happy. “I might need some help getting back to the house. Do you mind?”
“Of course not.” David held out his arm. “Lean on me. I’ll make sure you don’t fall over again.”
“You make it sound like I fall over as a habit,” Caroline muttered.
“Do you want me to respond to that with all the examples from when we were children?”
Caroline glared at him.
“I’m not that same person anymore. I’m not normally this clumsy.”
“Did I say you were?”
She looked like she was going to argue. Then she sighed and took his arm.
“Forgive me. I didn’t mean to sound so rude. I’m just embarrassed that I did this in front of you.”
David smiled.
“It’s me, Caroline. You know me. Embarrassing yourself shouldn’t be a problem when it comes to us, seeing as you’ve done it many times in the past.”
“That doesn’t make me feel any better, David.”
“I’m just saying that I doubt there’s anything you can do that is embarrassing.” David urged her to walk, slowing down so Caroline could limp along beside him. “Just be grateful this happened in front of me.”
“I suppose that is a small mercy,” Caroline grumbled.
“Just don’t sprain the other ankle. Knowing you, that’s something you would do.”
Caroline groaned and leaned her head on his shoulder.
“You certainly know how to make me self-conscious, David,” she said quietly. “Now I’m going to be paranoid that I’m going to catch my foot in another hole.”
“I can do a little detour back to the house so that can happen.”
Caroline muttered something under her breath and swatted his chest. David laughed, ignoring the fact he could still feel the heat from her hand through his shirt. It was like she was still touching him there long after she removed her hand.
And her holding onto his arm, leaning on him, made him want to put both arms around her. It would feel satisfying to have Caroline snuggled up against his chest, leaning into him with that smile he liked seeing on her.
But he didn’t do that. Because he wouldn’t be able to let go. And then he would have to answer some awkward questions.