Chapter Ten
Although Louisa hadn’t decided what to tell her sister the following morning, she was sure it would be difficult.
While Kitty had always been rather practical, she was equally stubborn.
If Louisa tried to explain Rhys’s decision to test Lord Dawson, Kitty would react one of two ways.
Either she would be furious about Rhys and Louisa trying to manage her and Lord Dawson, or she would be furious that they had lied to her about her pin money.
Louisa knew it was going to be a significant argument, and so she was slow to dress that morning. Thankfully, Rhys had tried to reassure her.
“You’ve said it yourself. Kitty is practical,” he said as they exited their bedroom. “She may not like what I did, but surely, she’ll be able to see the reasoning behind it.”
“I don’t doubt she’ll understand it. But that won’t stop her from being angry.” Their voices lowered as they descended the staircase. “Particularly at me.”
“But you didn’t have anything to do with it.”
“No, but that won’t save me,” Louisa said as they reached the bottom landing. “Kitty will think it was all my idea and that’s what I’m prepared for.”
They had barely turned to enter the dining room when Mrs. Crawford came rushing out into the foyer.
“Lieutenant, Mrs. Carlyle,” she said. “The carriage carrying Miss Babcock and Lord Dawson is no longer in the stable.”
Louisa stared.
“Excuse me?”
“It’s not in the stable and neither Miss Babcock nor Lord Dawson are in their rooms. All their things are missing too.”
“Oh no,” she whispered, turning to Rhys. “She’s run away.”
“Or she’s been kidnapped,” Rhys said, standing up. “Ready my horse.”
“Yes sir.”
“Kidnapped? Oh, no, I don’t think, er, wait. Where are you going?”
“To find your sister.”
“You don’t really think she’s been kidnapped, do you?”
“I admit she wasn’t pleased about our discussion last night, but Dawson was obviously the one who had orchestrated their entire elopement.
He was determined to get a payout by marrying her.
And I don’t blame her at all for it. Your uncle has done the bare minimum to keeping you and your sister safe.
I have half a mind to fetch her and bring her directly back to your uncle’s house and tell him exactly what he’s done wrong. ”
“Oh, but—”
“However, as that man is incapable of caring for his nieces, I believe the best place for your sister is Fenwick Park.”
Louisa’s eyes went wide.
“Do you believe that? Truly?”
“I do.”
He was prepared to argue, but in the next instant, Louisa’s arms were wrapped tightly around his shoulders, hugging him as tightly as she could.
The pressure of her soft body against his was enough for him to want to drag her upstairs, but in the next instance, he heard sniffling.
Pulling back, he saw Louisa’s face, eyes red with emotion.
“Louisa?” he asked tentatively, not entirely sure how to handle a crying wife. “Are you all right?”
“It’s just…” She shook her head. “Every day there is something new and good about you, Rhys. And even the idea of bringing my sister here is beyond generous.”
“It’s not generosity, Louisa. She’s your sister, your family.” He paused, himself realizing what his next words meant. “Which makes her my family as well.”
A new wave of tears crested her cheeks and Rhys was confused.
“Louisa—”
But then she was kissing him. Not one to ignore the needs of his wife, Rhys kissed her back, pushing her up against the doorframe. Thankfully Mrs. Crawford had hurried out of the house to the stables, but he broke it off as quickly as he had succumbed.
“No, Louisa, I need to leave.”
“Yes. Yes, of course,” she said, walking to get her cloak. “I’m coming with you.”
“No, you are not.”
They seemed on the precipice of an argument when the sounding of pounding hoofs in the distance distracted them.
Turning, they both saw Mr. Trench riding towards them, and it looked as though he had a bundle of blankets before him.
Rhys could see a face, and he soon realized it wasn’t a bundle of blankets, but Louisa’s sister.
As the horse carrying them abruptly stopped in front of the house, they saw Kitty’s drawn face and sad expression.
“What’s happened?” Louisa asked.
“She was ditched on the side of the road,” Mr. Trench said, swinging a leg off his horse and jumping down, arms extended for Kitty as he helped her off. “I spotted her not two miles down the road.”
“Ditched?” Louisa repeated.
“Yes, by that villain of a fiancé.”
Kitty wailed as Louisa wrapped her arms around her, rubbing her hands over her sister’s back as she tried to soothe her and stop her from crying.
“There, there. Do not worry yourself about the likes of him anymore,” Louisa said as she led her sister back into the house. Mr. Trench and Rhys followed.
Once settled in the drawing room, Mrs. Crawford went off to make tea. Then, Kitty told her story.
“I hadn’t slept well last night and had decided to dress for the day when I heard movement outside my door.
I opened it and saw Lord Dawson. He told me we needed to leave, that he couldn’t bear not to be married to me a moment longer.
So, I hastily dressed. I wanted to write a letter, but he told me there wasn’t enough time to do so, and I could post a letter at the next tavern.
When we were a few miles away, he said the horse was lame.
He drew the carriage off the road and climbed down.
He helped me down as well, saying he didn’t want the animals to become spooked and take off without a driver.
But the moment I turned back, he hopped back into the carriage and took off.
At first, I thought the horses were acting up, but then he lifted his hand in the air, like this”—she did so to demonstrate—“and waved goodbye.” Her voice cracked as she stared blankly into oblivion.
“No explanation. No words, just a farewell.”
She burst into tears and buried her face in Louisa’s arms.
“Oh dear,” Louisa tried to soothe her. “Come now, there’s no need for tears.”
Mr. Trench stood up to exit the room, but Rhys was fast on his heels and stopped him.
“Where do you think you are going?” Rhys asked.
“To hunt down that dog and drag him back here.”
Kitty looked up from Louisa’s arms, seemingly dazed at Mr. Trench’s harsh tone.
“He’s no longer welcome here, Trench. There’s no reason to bring him back here.”
“That vile rat needs to pay for dishonoring Miss Babcock.”
“You mean to challenge him?”
“If need be.”
“No,” Kitty cried, but Louisa told her to hush.
“And who is she to you?” Rhys asked loudly, so that Louisa and her sister could hear.
“I…” Mr. Trench paused before shaking his head. “It’s the principle of the matter.”
“Dueling is illegal and having never spent time on a battlefield, Mr. Trench, I can assure you that maiming a man will not lessen the sting Miss Babcock feels. If anything, this is a great stroke of luck.”
“Luck?” Kitty squawked. “How can you say something so unfeeling—”
“Miss Babcock, you will not be returning to London. You will rest and recover from your heartache here and come next spring, your sister and I will provide you a proper season, if any gossip about this little elopement can be kept quiet. In the meantime, let us recognize the blessing that has happened. Lord Dawson was a dishonorable cad and has gone and will not return, coward that he is. You’ve avoided a decidedly bad marriage, and I believe that’s something to be grateful for. ”
Though it was evident that Mr. Trench was at odds with Rhys’s reason, he nodded and turned, exiting the house to do heaven knew what.
Louisa hurried Kitty up the stairs and ordered a bath to be brought up.
After much crying and soothing, she put her sister to bed and crept out of the room.
Though running away would have a terrible impact on Kitty’s reputation, Louisa couldn’t help but focus on her sister’s heartbreak.
Her own heart was pierced knowing that Kitty had been tossed aside without so much as an apology.
Louisa had quietly exited the room, only to be met by Rhys.
“How is she?”
“She’ll survive, although I don’t know if her reputation will,” Louisa whispered as she folded her arms across her chest. Rhys pulled her into his arms and held her as she stared blankly down the hallway. “What are we going to do, Rhys? What if Lord Dawson tells everyone?”
“He’ll do no such thing. He’s still on the hunt for a rich bride. I doubt a failed elopement would help his cause.”
“Still, Kitty is so devastated.”
“Aye, and she will be for some time I imagine. But at least she’s here with you.
And we’ll be able to watch over her and protect her from any other Lord Dawsons that might show up.
It’s better this way, Louisa. At least now she’ll think twice about marriage proposals and peers and the like. Won’t she?”
“I suppose so. It’s just so unfair. To be used like she was. It’s infuriating.”
“Yes, but all we can do is keep her comfortable and hopefully she’ll grow out of this heartbreak one day.” He paused. “People don’t stay heartbroken forever, do they?”
“No,” Louisa said, glancing up at him. “They don’t.”
“There’s a good girl,” he whispered, and Louisa involuntarily shook at his gentle comment.
It was outrageous that a handful of words could turn her insides to warm jelly, but then Rhys smiled, bent down, and kissed her as deeply and as hungrily as possible.
It was beyond indecent to be doing so in the hallway, outside of a guest’s room, but Louisa couldn’t find it in herself to stop it.
Snugged tightly against her husband’s large, warm body, she knew this was the place she was always meant to be.
Breaking her mouth from his, she spoke slowly.
“I love you, Rhys. So very much.”
“I love you too, Louisa. Come,” he said, pulling her hand down the hallway towards their rooms.
And she followed him, happy despite everything that had happened that morning.