Chapter 4 #2
“We had to let him go. We couldn’t afford him. However, I did most of the gardening myself. Pa and I…” Her breath hitched, and she took a moment before continuing. “We loved gardening. It was something we enjoyed together.”
Alastair hadn’t expected that. He was aware of Fairleigh talking about the gardens, but he hadn’t been aware that Lady Arabella had done the same. Maybe he had heard it, and he hadn’t really listened; Fairleigh had talked a lot.
He wanted to know more about her, but he could tell that she was very reluctant to be there. She was stiff and formal, indicating how she felt about her current situation. He couldn’t blame her for that, but he was still annoyed about it.
“You might, at least, put a smile on your face,” he muttered as they moved along the bank of the lake. “Or try to look pleasant and relaxed.”
She shot him a dark look.
“You think I can be happy with the current situation?”
“If we’re to make others believe we’re courting…otherwise, it’s going to look as if our courtship has ended before it started.”
She didn’t answer him for a moment. Then she sighed heavily, and she slid a hand through the crook of his elbow and rested it on his arm.
Alastair saw her trying to school her expression into something that could’ve passed as showing she was content.
There were people walking toward them, two ladies with parasols and their maids, walking their large, lolloping dogs that danced around in delight.
One of them jumped into the lake and began to paddle after the ducks, who swam away quickly.
“Chester!” one of the ladies cried. “Get out!”
But Chester didn’t pay attention. He looked like he was having a great time. Alastair and Lady Arabella stopped and watched the scene for a moment. It felt surreal to have a carefree moment in their current tension. Then Alastair realized that Lady Arabella was looking at him curiously.
“Why?” she asked.
“What?”
“Why wouldn’t you want to marry someone like Miss Linton? From what I’ve heard, she’s certainly the most attractive woman in the room. She has plenty of suitors who would want her attention, but she focused on you.”
Alastair grunted.
“She just wants my money and title. She doesn’t love me.”
“How do you know that?”
“Because I do. I’m not about to marry someone for financial gain on either side. If I do ever find a wife, it’ll be for love.” He made a face. “And I don’t think that’s going to ever happen.”
“Why not?” She frowned at him. “Don’t you believe in love?”
He didn’t. Alastair had seen how his parents had been growing up, and how his father had shown such disrespect to his mother.
He couldn’t do that, not when it was all about marrying well socially instead of someone who made him feel happy.
He might love someone, but if they didn’t love him in return—just his money—then there wasn’t any point.
“My father believed in love,” Lady Arabella continued, now looking at the water, the ripples more pronounced from the waves the dog was making. “He loved Mother so much he wanted to go with her into death. But he was told that he had children, and they needed him more.”
“He really would’ve died to be with his wife?”
“If I’m honest, I don’t think he would’ve gone through with it. Pa was terrified of death, even if it meant being with Ma. But that’s how devastated he was when she died.” She took a deep breath. “It’s been six years since she died, and it still feels a little raw. I can see how he felt.”
There was a sadness in her voice, and Alastair saw her dip her head a little more.
His heart cracked a little at the sound.
He’d lost his father when he was barely a man, and while his father hadn’t been a good person, Alastair still felt his loss greatly.
He understood what Lady Arabella was going through right now.
He took a hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. Lady Arabella looked down at their joined hands with a surprised expression.
“It gets better in time,” he said gently. “You might not think it will, but it certainly will improve.”
She stared at him for a moment, as if she was weighing up his words.
But then he saw something shut down her expression, turning cold as she turned away and pulled her hand from his.
Alastair let her go, watching as she went to the edge of the lake just as Chester the dog got out of the water and shook himself, sending water everywhere.
“Chester!” His owner sounded exasperated as she approached. “You naughty dog! You’ve gotten the poor woman wet!”
“It’s fine.” Lady Arabella smiled at her as she petted the dog’s head. “No harm done.”
The owner didn’t look convinced, taking Chester’s collar and leading him away before nudging him to go ahead.
“And watch him more carefully!” she called to the nearest maid, who looked chastised. “He shouldn’t be going anywhere near the water.”
Helena moved to Alastair’s side as Lady Arabella started walking again, this time on her own, with her maid following at a discreet distance.
“I have a feeling this is going to be interesting,” she murmured.
“Why interesting?”
But Helena simply gave Alastair a sly smile before limping on, catching up to the maid. Alastair stared after her, wondering what his sister meant by that.
He couldn’t see this being interesting. More like frustrating.