Chapter 13
A few days later, Kathryn pointed to an illustration in the landscaping book. “What do you think about this design?” she asked.
Mr. Clifford scratched his chin. “It’s a beautiful design and I do love the colors, but I’m afraid this garden isn’t large enough to implement that design.”
“Oh. I see. How silly of me,” she said, her eyes downcast. She’d been hoping to impress him, but now she felt like a fool and wanted to shrink into herself.
Mr. Clifford looked around to make sure they were alone before he traced his finger along her jaw and lifted her chin.
“My dear Lady Kathryn, you aren’t foolish at all, and if I could accommodate the design within the space we have, it would have been my pleasure.
Perhaps a combination of some of the other designs would work better. ”
He was so close, and she inhaled his scent—something between bergamot and orange.
She could feel his warm breath on her face as he gazed into her eyes.
The way he looked at her made her feel beautiful—something she’d never felt before.
She closed her eyes and did something so out of the ordinary for her that she was surprised she had the courage to follow through.
She pressed her lips against his and kissed him. She felt him stiffen at first… until his lips became soft and pliant as he pulled her into his embrace.
The man certainly knew how to kiss, and Kathryn felt as though she were floating on the wind. She’d never felt so cherished in all her life, and a moan escaped her lips.
Mr. Clifford wasted no time in deepening the kiss, pulling her closer. She couldn’t get enough of him.
When he finally stepped back, she felt a momentary loss. She opened her eyes to see him smiling at her.
“You are exquisite, Lady Kathryn,” he said as he caressed her cheek.
She hardly knew what to say. Could she trust that his admiration was genuine? No man had ever looked at her the way Mr. Clifford did, and she wanted more of that every day. She felt off balance and looked around the garden for a moment before answering.
“Mr. Clifford, you’re very kind, but I’m sure that’s not true.”
“Do not doubt my word, my lady. I never lie, and I know true beauty when I see it.”
She had no answer for that, and a small flame of hope ignited in her chest. “I don’t know what to say.”
“I only need to know if you enjoyed our kiss. That will be enough for me.”
Kathryn reached for his hand and squeezed it. “It was the most earth-shattering thing that’s ever happened to me, and I thank you for giving me such a momentous first kiss.”
“Then I’m happy, although I do hope that it will be the first of many,” he said with a smile that lit up his handsome face.
Kathryn felt the heat rise up her neck. “You want to kiss me again?”
Mr. Clifford nodded. “If you’ll allow it.”
Now it was Kathryn’s turn to smile, as she once more checked to see if they were alone before she stepped into his embrace again. “I do believe that is something I’d allow every moment of every day.”
Mr. Clifford kissed her long and deep before stepping away and tipping his hat. “Until later, Lady Kathryn.”
“Mr. Clifford?”
“Yes.”
“Would you call me Kathryn when we’re alone?”
“I’d be delighted, Kathryn, and I’m Sam.”
“I’ll see you later, Sam,” she said.
He gave her another devastating smile before walking away.
Kathryn sank down on the bench, reliving every delicious moment of Sam’s kisses.
Could it be that she’d finally found a man who would love her unconditionally, not for the prestige of being with an earl’s daughter, not for her dowry, but just for her and her alone?
She was still worried about how her family would react to her growing attachment to him.
They would see a commoner, not the man she was falling in love with.
She could hardly wait to share this latest development with Grace. Now she understood her friend’s excitement when Mr. Wallings had kissed her for the first time.
“Good girl, Belle. Only a little farther,” Peter said as they turned into the drive of the Berkeley manor.
From what Mr. Randolph had told him, Lady Berkeley had passed away several years ago, and it was only Lord Dudley and his father who resided there, now that an older sister had married and moved away.
Lord Dudley hadn’t been very forthcoming about his father’s condition at Sunday services, but Peter had a pretty good idea what was ailing Lord Berkeley.
He’d seen the condition before when he was a curate in London.
He knew it to be frustrating at times for the caregiver when their loved one seemed to lose a little bit of themselves every day, becoming people who were no longer who they used to be, and eventually not recognizing their family members.
As he pulled on the reins to get Belle to stop at the front door, a young groom came around the corner. “Good day, vicar.”
“Good day to you. My horse could use some water.”
“Of course. Shall I unhitch her as well?”
Peter shook his head. “No, that won’t be necessary. I won’t be staying that long.”
“Very good, sir. I’ll take good care of her. Come on, girl.”
Peter climbed the steps to the front door. Before he had a chance to reach for the knocker, the door opened.
“Good day, vicar. How may I help you?” the butler asked.
“Good day, Tatters. I’ve come to pay my respects to Lord Berkeley.”
The butler opened the door wider. “Please come in, Mr. Wallings. I’ll see if Lord Berkeley is receiving guests today.”
“Are both father and son at home?”
Tatters shook his head. “Only Lord Berkeley is here at the moment.”
“I see. I would very much like to see him if possible.”
“Of course, sir, but I must warn you that sometimes the earl is not quite himself. You mustn’t take it as a personal affront.”
“Of course not. Thank you for telling me.”
“Simon!” A scream tore through the air, followed by a loud crash.
“Oh dear. I must see to him at once. Excuse me, Mr. Wallings,” Tatters said, rushing away.
Peter followed him into the drawing room.
“Simon, where are you?” came the plaintive plea.
Tatters and Peter rushed into the room to find Lord Berkeley wringing his hands in a terrible state of agitation.
“Never can find that child when I need him,” the earl mumbled as he paced the room.
“My lord, the vicar is here to see you,” Tatters said.
Lord Berkeley turned his wild eyes toward the sound of the butler’s voice. “Tatters, where is the child?”
Peter knew exactly how to help the ailing earl. The best thing to do was to distract him. He walked to him. “My lord, won’t you come and sit down? You must tell me about your boy. What’s his name again?”
“Simon.” A spark of recognition lit Lord Berkeley’s eyes when he saw the black cassock. “Vicar, this isn’t your usual day.”
Peter nodded. “I know, but I found myself missing your company and couldn’t wait until our next visit to talk with you again.” He took hold of the older man’s arm and led him to the sofa.
“Have you seen the boy?” Berkeley asked.
“Yes. He’s playing out by the stables. Not to worry. All is well,” Peter said in a soothing voice.
“Oh, thank the good Lord. I thought I lost him,” the earl said, slumping against the sofa cushions.
“Nothing has befallen the child.”
“Good, that’s good,” Berkeley said, his agitation easing.
“Shall I accompany you to your room for a short rest, my lord? You don’t want to be tired when the boy comes inside, now do you?” Peter asked.
“No, I suppose that wouldn’t do.”
With Peter on one side and Tatters on the other, they helped Lord Berkeley to his feet.
Peter continued to talk to him about light-hearted things while they made their way to his bedchamber.
Once inside, Tatters helped Lord Berkeley remove his jacket, waistcoat, and boots before guiding him to the bed.
“You’re sure the boy isn’t hurt?”
“No, my lord. He’s perfectly healthy and should return shortly. Now you must rest so you’ll be refreshed when you see him,” Tatters said.
“Yes, yes, you’re right,” the earl said as he sank into the pillows and closed his eyes. Soon, the only sound in the room was his steady breathing as he drifted off to sleep.
Tatters led Peter back downstairs. “Thank you, Mr. Wallings. Sometimes when he gets that way, it’s hard to get him upstairs to rest. That was masterfully done.”
“Not at all. I had some experience with parishioners with the same ailment in my last congregation. It’s best not to try to correct whatever they’re saying but merely agree with them and try to distract them.”
“I will remember that. Thank you again for your kindness, Mr. Wallings. Good day to you, sir,” Tatters said, opening the front door.
“Good day, Tatters. I’ll come around again soon to check on Lord Berkeley.”
“Very good, sir.”
Peter walked around the corner of the house and saw Belle grazing on a bit of grass. “Hello, sweet girl. Let’s go visit the Fletchers while we’re out this way.” He climbed up on the bench and clicked Belle into motion.
On the way to Dandridge Manor, he thought about the earl’s sad condition. All the grandeur and wealth the earl possessed meant little when dealing with afflictions of the brain. It was a sad situation, and he planned to visit him as much as possible in the future.
It didn’t take long to reach Dandridge Manor. Jones opened the door. Peter jumped down from the bench, tousling the hair of the boy who ran out to take Belle’s bridle as he walked past him.
“Good day, vicar,” Jones said.
“Jones, good day to you. Is Miss Parker receiving guests today?”
“She is indeed, sir. She’s in the drawing room. Shall I announce you?”
“There’s no need.”
Peter strode into the foyer and turned right to enter the drawing room. He heard Grace’s sweet laughter and wondered who’d given her such pleasure. Perhaps one of her sisters or Lady Kathryn had said something amusing.
However, that wasn’t what he saw as he reached the doorway.
Lord Dudley was standing incredibly close to the woman he loved.
Grace was giggling, and when she squeezed Dudley’s arm, Peter’s mouth fell open.
They were acting very familiar with each other, and it made him question what he thought he knew about her feelings for him.
Had he made a mistake asking Fletcher for permission to court her? Was Dudley also courting her?
Peter had kissed Grace’s sweet lips a number of times, and she’d responded with enthusiasm.
He thought he knew her feelings, but now he wasn’t sure.
Was she playing a game with his affections?
He never would have believed she could be so cruel, but the evidence of the affection between her and Lord Dudley was on full display.
There wasn’t anyone else in the drawing room, so they weren’t even properly chaperoned.
Grace was clearly enjoying the young lord’s attention, and it made his heart shatter.
It was too much to take in. His world was upended in a single moment.
What had he been thinking? How foolish of him to think she could be happy with him when she could be wed to the heir of the Berkeley title with its vast wealth at his disposal?
Dudley could give her anything her heart desired, while Peter could only offer her a modest cottage and a vicar’s income.
Before either of them could see him, Peter turned on his heel and left Dandridge Manor.
Luckily, Jones was nowhere in sight, so he didn’t have to try to hide his obvious distress.
He hurried out, not wanting to have to explain his sudden departure.
He muttered a quick thanks to the boy holding Belle’s headstall, jumped up on the bench, and thumped the reins on her backside to get her moving. “Come on, girl. Let’s go home.”
He had to get away. As his cart trundled cumbersomely down the drive, he couldn’t get the image of Grace laughing and holding onto Lord Dudley out of his mind.
It was clear what his next steps must be.
He had to step back from courting Grace, even though his heart was crushed at the thought.
He’d been thinking about proposing soon, but now that didn’t seem appropriate.
The perfect life he’d dreamed of with Grace by his side was ground into dust.
Silent tears coursed down his face as he drove away.
“Oh, Lord Dudley, surely that didn’t happen,” Grace said as she wiped away tears of laughter. She couldn’t get the image of him hanging upside down from a tree with his breeches caught on a branch out of her mind.
“I assure you it did, and please, you must call me Simon in private.”
“You know that it was most inappropriate to give Lady Kathryn and me your given name when we met you in the woods, don’t you?” Grace asked.
“Of course, but what’s the sense in not enjoying yourself and flaunting the rules sometimes?” he asked with a chuckle.
“You quite scandalized Lady Kathryn.”
“That I did not intend to do. I shall offer her an apology next time I see her.”
“Good. Now, you must tell me the rest of the story. I must confess, I haven’t had such a good laugh in quite some time.”
“Well, I hung upside down for a while. I can only be thankful that it was one of the grooms who found me and not my father. I don’t think I could have lived down the humiliation.”
“I suspect not,” Grace said, trying not to laugh any more as she squeezed his arm.
“To make matters worse, from that day forward, whenever I was not in the company of either my sister or father, the staff called me ‘Branch Buddy’.”
Dudley was chuckling at the silly nickname, and that made Grace laugh all the harder.
Mia chose that moment to walk into the drawing room. “What’s so funny?”
Grace tried to stifle her laughter, but it was impossible. “Just spending time with Branch Buddy.”
“Branch Buddy? Who’s that?”
“Never mind, dearest. It was merely a joke that Lord Dudley told me,” Grace said.
After talking with them both for a few more minutes, Dudley said, “Well, I must take my leave. Good day, Miss Parker, Miss Mia.”
“My lord, do come again. I can always use a good laugh.”
“I shall endeavor to keep you entertained, my lady,” he said with a bow before exiting the room.
“You seemed to like him a great deal,” Mia said.
“I do like him. Not in a romantic way, but more in a brotherly way. He’s really quite witty.”