Chapter Twenty-Eight
It had been seven days since Seth made love to Cassandra and woke with her in his arms. Seven days without her.
Seven excruciating days of fighting with himself to stay away from her.
Each day its own slice of purgatory that he survived by counting the minutes until she would be in his arms again. This time, as his wife.
Thursday.
He could make it to Thursday.
Visions of her filled his dreams. When he closed his eyes, he saw the word love on the same page as his name.
He dreamed of her body under his, her hair through his fingers, her laughter haunted him…
and then he would wake alone, in a cold bed, embraced only by the sounds of the city.
He missed her. God, how he missed her. Unaware of how accustomed to her he had become.
He took for granted that he could open a door and find her on the other side.
But that would change soon.
Unfortunately, there wouldn’t be much time for a honeymoon.
In a particularly uncomfortable conversation, Lord Bolderwood had allowed Seth one full day with Cassandra after the wedding and called himself reasonable.
Stressing expediency, he instructed Seth to: “Get it over and done with, so you can focus on your work.” There was no shortage of work, but that would change, too.
Things would settle, and he would take Cassandra on a holiday, if nothing else.
If Lord Bolderwood would allow that.
A lingering taste of coffee remained on his tongue, the brew becoming as vital as oxygen.
Tea wasn’t strong enough for the hours he kept.
If he thought Cooper had pushed him at a breakneck pace, he was nothing compared to Lord Bolderwood with a point to prove.
Though Seth could do his work anywhere, Lord Bolderwood kept him chained to his office, looming over his shoulder while he drafted the front line rifle.
Cooper and Mr. Sanderson were hard at work readying the factory in East End. Seth had yet to see it. Making good on his promise to not see Seth outside of a church, Cooper had banned him from entering until Friday morning.
Today, Seth was determined to finish signing the papers for a townhouse in Mayfair, per his deal.
He selected the townhouse for its proximity to both the Cooper’s residence and Lord Bolderwood’s.
Even if Cooper never forgave him, he would forgive Cassandra, and she would wish to be near her siblings.
Seth wanted to see how many steps walking distance meant and took a stroll through Hyde Park to find out.
He wouldn’t call. Wouldn’t walk down her street. He just needed to know how close she was, only for peace of mind.
“I’ll have to write a letter to Ma and tell her that I’ll be living in Mayfair.” Trevor grinned. “Why, you know, I don’t think she’ll believe it.”
Less of a valet and more of an assistant and courier, Trevor had slimmed in the face and frame from running errands and relaying messages from Lord Bolderwood’s residence in Mayfair to Mr. Sanderson’s factory near the docks.
“You write a lot of letters to your mother.” Seth raised an eyebrow, wary whenever someone overused writing instruments in his vicinity.
“She misses me when I’m away, sir. Wants to know everything about my life.
You know how mothers worry… oh… I suppose you don’t.
” Trevor shrugged. “They worry a lot. You can hardly leave the room without them giving you orders to take care of yourself, or that you’re doing something wrong.
” He mimicked a voice that didn’t sound very feminine, “‘Eat your vegetables, Trevor. Walk silently, Trevor. Don’t track mud in the Manor, Trevor. Never start with a man’s fingernails, Trevor, you want him awake. ’ You know, basic things.”
“Fingernails?”
“No, sir. The questioning should always come first.”
“What questions need to be asked before trimming a man’s fingernails?”
Trevor quirked a brow.
“Trimming, sir?”
Seth’s head throbbed. “Go back to being quiet, Trevor.”
Trevor nodded.
“And stay away from my hands,” Seth added.
With his next breath, Seth inhaled the clashing scent of fresh-cut grass and coal stacks.
In the country, nature surrounded him. Here, nature was manicured and maintained, a place for promenading and picnics, even in this dismal weather.
Horses attached to carriages crunched gravel under their hooves.
Men dressed in brown and black tailcoats walked past him, faceless shadows tipping their top hats to each other.
He had forgotten how dark London was.
But then he caught a flash of pink through the haze.
His eyes shot to the source. And there she was.
Straight ahead, a group of women approached.
With them, a woman wearing a familiar pink bonnet walked arm-in-arm with Lady Dorchester.
Even with her face obscured, he knew it was Cassandra.
The shape of her burned into him. Heart thudding in his chest, he ached to run to her, sweep her into his arms and keep her there.
Behind them, a golden-haired imp he would recognize anywhere walked beside a grinning Lady Jasmine, waving her hand in the air.
“Mr. Reeves!” she called out. “Trevor! Over here!”
Heads swiveled and turned their nose at her display, but Trevor’s grin widened and he stood on his toes, waving so vigorously he swayed with the movement. Lady Dorchester smiled at them, which Seth took to be a good sign. Caroline’s smile was bright enough to light up the park.
Cassandra didn’t look up.
Under her bonnet, dark curls had broken free of their pins. Wisps fell over her shoulder, hiding her face from view.
Seth’s face fell.
Trevor voiced the question Seth had in his own mind. “Can we talk to them?”
“Why don’t we ask permission?” Seth suggested. “Shouldn’t questions come first?”
“Precisely, sir. Do things in the proper order. Like my Ma always says, ‘screaming men keep secrets.’”
Seth frowned. “You know, Trevor. If I had your mother, I would do whatever I could to keep her happy, too.”
Seth slowed their pace and allowed the women to come to him, and he bowed. “Good afternoon, ladies.”
“Mr. Reeves, I had not expected to see you so soon,” Lady Dorchester said. “I’m sure you’ll appreciate that I’m not pleased with you.”
“I understand that apologies aren’t enough, Lady Dorchester, but I hope to one day earn your forgiveness.” Seth’s eyes trailed back to Cassandra, who still wasn’t looking at him, and he added, “And everyone else’s.”
“Mr. Reeves.” Caroline curtsied. “I’m glad to see you alive! Heavens! My brother gave you quite the beating! Did you earn the cut over your eye from your brawl with him, or from the knife fight?”
Seth’s spirits lifted, and his shoulders relaxed. At least nothing had changed between him and Caroline.
“Your brother.” He leaned down to her eye level and whispered, “It needed three sutures.”
It would leave a scar. When Cooper could look him in the eye again, it would serve as a constant reminder of what Seth had done.
Unconcerned, Caroline beamed at him. “Cassandra said it was a bloodbath.”
Seth turned to Cassandra. “Did she?”
“You aren’t here looking for trouble, are you Mr. Reeves?” Jasmine asked. “Not following us? Just happened to be around?”
“A blessed coincidence, my lady, nothing more,” Seth assured her. “Where are the four of you headed this morning?”
“Back home for the girls. We just left the modiste.” Lady Dorchester said pointedly, “Cassandra needs a very important dress this week.”
“I can’t wait to see it,” Seth smiled. Four more days. “Could I walk alone with her?”
“I shouldn’t allow it.” Lady Dorchester looked between Seth and Cassandra, then sighed. “But I don’t see the harm in it. It’s not as if you can compromise her further. Cassandra, what do you think?”
An eternity passed before she spoke.
“Would it be all right?”
Relief washed over him at the sound of her voice.
“Of course, dear. I’ll give you some space to talk.” Lady Dorchester turned to Seth. “Keep your hands where I can see them, Mr. Reeves.”
Without a word, Cassandra took his arm. He came alive at her touch.
She wasn’t a phantom from a dream, but tangible.
A week of painful longing melted away, replaced by the desire to steal her away.
He wanted to carry her to his new townhouse in Mayfair, kiss every inch of her, and never let her out of his sight again.
If only he could see her face.
Perhaps paranoid, Seth felt eyes on him as they walked. Even through the crowded park, they stuck out like a beacon, so much in the public eye they had become. Cassandra kept her eyes trained to her feet, but once out of earshot of her companions, Cassandra leaned against him.
“Seth, I’ve missed you.” In her voice, he heard the same desperate yearning he had felt for the past week. It shouldn’t have soothed him, but it did.
“I’ve missed you too, sweetheart. So much.” He squeezed her hand. “Why won’t you look at me?”
“Isn’t it bad luck to see the bride before the wedding?” she teased. And yes, there she was, his little bird.
He tapped his elbow on her side and smiled. “We could use all the luck we can get.”
A gentleman in a black tailcoat and top hat walked by, only a flash of his sneer visible, and it seemed familiar. He must have met him before, but Seth paid him no mind..
Let them all stare.
Under Cassandra’s bonnet, he caught a flash of a smile, and he redirected his focus to the corner of her mouth.
“Thank you for the gifts. They’re lovely, but you have to stop sending them.” She gave a laugh, a beautiful sound. “The floor is half soil by now. There’s no space to walk, pots are being knocked over all day. If you send anything else Matthew might kill you.”
“That would require him speaking to me.”
“You haven’t seen him at all since you arrived?”
Seth shook his head.
“How have you been conducting business?”
“Through Trevor. He’s been running all over London.”
“He does look thinner.”
“Much,” Seth agreed.
A few steps.