Chapter Five
No one seemed to be about when Gavin returned to the house the next afternoon. Though Louisa hadn’t seemed pleased that he wanted to stay overnight at Mr. Roberts’s house, she had sent James to him this morning with a horse so he had a way to return to Walsley when they finished. It had given Gavin the chance to help the tenant fix not only all of the fencing, but also to replace the damaged shelter with an enclosed stable that would house all of his animals. It had felt good to be outside performing physical labor and helping someone else. It had also served as a reminder that he needed to spend more time at Rosemere. Between fulfilling his duties in the House of Lords, and his quest to convince Louisa to marry him, he had been shirking his obligations to his own tenants and estate. Having never had anything but a contentious relationship with his own father, he didn’t understand why Louisa would want to remain at Walsley instead of becoming the lady of her own manor. Given his obstinate nature, her father was likely to outlive all of them. The thought of her withering away in the duke’s shadow did not sit well with Gavin. There had to be a way to convince Louisa that she deserved a home and a family of her own, and that he was willing and able to give her everything she could ever want.
He wasn’t sure what Louisa thought about his sketching, his interest in birds, or how he had behaved yesterday with the children. Unaccustomed as he was to letting anyone see beyond his public veneer, he was concerned about how she now saw him. Their wager weighed heavily on his mind. Losing the bet would mean losing Louisa, as well. With Edward still in London, Isa seemed his only possible ally to help him win her regard.
The problem was finding the opportunity to speak with Isa without Louisa being present. Though he didn’t imagine Isa would mind, a note might look suspicious to the servants, and he certainly didn’t want anyone to erroneously assume he was attempting to seduce Edward’s wife. He might try to catch her as she left her bedchamber, but skulking about in the corridor outside her room would be equally odd. He would simply have to take his chances waiting for her in the library and hope she would appear.
As luck would have it, the library was empty when he arrived, so he grabbed the ornithological encyclopedia and headed for a comfortable chair. Though he did wonder where Louisa was, for once he was grateful that she wasn’t about. A knock sounded on the door, and a footman entered. “My lord, a late lunch is being served in the small parlor this afternoon if you would care to join Lady Kenworth.”
“Thank you. I believe I will.” Late indeed. The sun would begin to set within the hour. He followed the footman on the short trip and was surprised to discover Isa alone, although it suited his purposes.
“Good afternoon, my lady.” He bowed.
She smiled and waved a hand toward an empty seat. “I’m afraid I am your only company. Louisa headed into the village for something or other, and Lady Concord decided to accompany her.”
He took his seat and nodded as a footman heaped food atop his plate. “As a matter of fact, this is a rather fortuitous turn of events since I was hoping to be able to speak with you privately.” Aside from Edward, she probably knew him better than anyone else. Her brother had attended school with Edward and him, and Gavin and Isa had become friends when she had been masquerading as Lady Concord’s companion before the tiara was discovered.
“Oh?”
“To ask for your help. What should I do so I don’t destroy my relationship with Louisa?”
Isa frowned. “Have you done something wrong?”
“Not that I’m aware of. It’s just that things seem to be going fairly well, and I’m afraid I’ll do something to ruin it.”
“Thornbrook, I think you’re creating problems where they don’t exist. Just be yourself with her. Keep giving her glimpses of your real personality like you did in the carriage, rather than the facade you favor in public.”
“There’s a huge chance that will send her running away from me.” And that she would never speak to him again if he told her why her father had forced him to leave Walsley.
She took a sip of tea and shook her head. “I doubt that, but the only way you have a chance to win her hand is if you stop hiding from her and allow her to see who you really are.” She squeezed his hand. “Remember, I have some experience with hiding behind a false identity.”
“It’s not quite the same.”
“No, but believe me, I know how difficult it is to reveal your true self to someone, to make yourself vulnerable. But look at where I am now.”
He nodded. The difference was that Edward had already been desperately in love with Isa before he found out who she really was, and of course, she was a much better person than he could ever hope to be. He took a bite of ham.
“Also, it may help if you try to spend less time with her.”
The ham caught in his throat. “I don’t see how that will help,” he coughed out.
“Trust me. It worked with Edward. The only reason he noticed me was because I was the only one in a houseful of ladies who wasn’t chasing after him. The fact that I wasn’t interested in him is what caught his attention.”
Hmm. There was no chance that Louisa didn’t know he was interested in her. He’d made that perfectly clear on several occasions. Though in his experience, men did tend to gravitate toward the ladies who paid them no heed, himself included. Her utter lack of regard for him was what had first drawn him to Louisa. But surely women preferred to be doted on, not ignored. “I don’t see how spending less time with her will help. She’s more likely to forget about me altogether.”
“Nonsense. She’ll notice your absence.” Isa smiled. “George is planning to come for Christmas, and Her Grace usually invites some of the neighbors to stay, so we will have plenty of company in another week or so. What I’m suggesting is that you not spend every waking moment with her while there are so few of us here. Trust me, she’ll notice your absence, and she might even be curious about how you spend your time and seek you out.”
“That means I have to actually find some sort of occupation. It won’t do me any good if she finds out I’ve been hiding in my bedchamber.”
Isa bit back a smile. “You needn’t hide. Just find something to do that keeps you away from her for at least part of each day. Continue with your sketching, or go explore other places at Walsley where your skills can be of use.”
He nodded. Surely he could find something to occupy his time. Anything that would make Louisa want to spend more time with him was welcome, though it still seemed to him that Isa’s plan could result in disaster.
“What if Louisa decides she prefers my absence?”
“I think that’s unlikely, but if it were to happen, at least you would be free to pursue other ladies.”
Therein lay the problem. He didn’t want anyone else. He wanted Louisa. She was the only woman who had ever challenged him, the only one who had called him out over his behavior. She tested him at every turn, forcing him to push himself to be the sort of man who deserved her regard. All of which meant it was imperative that he win their bet because it was likely the only way she would ever agree to allow him to court her.
…
Where was Thornbrook? Louisa had expected him to be in the library waiting for her so they could continue with the journal as soon as she returned from the village. He hadn’t made it back to the house yet when she’d left earlier, but surely he should have returned by now.
Neither a search of the small or large parlor or her mother’s sitting room revealed his location, and none of the staff seemed to know where he was. She decided to head up to the family quarters. Since she couldn’t very well knock on his bedchamber door to determine whether he was there, she would ask Isa if she knew.
Turning left at the top of the staircase, she immediately went to her chamber and knocked loudly. “Isa, are you there?”
“Yes. Come in.”
Ensconced in a comfortable upholstered chair, she was seemingly engrossed in the book she was reading.
“I’m sorry to disturb your rest, but have you seen Lord Thornbrook today?”
“I dined with him a few hours ago, but haven’t seen him since. He may have talked about going out to watch birds.”
There was something odd about the way Isa was behaving. As if she had something to hide. “Are you feeling well?”
“As a matter of fact, I’m feeling better than I have for a long time. I think I’ve made it through the worst of it now.” She set her book on the side table and stretched. “I have something to tell you.”
Her stomach clenched.
“I had a lovely conversation with Thornbrook earlier. He really has matured since I first met him. In fact, he mentioned that he’s ready to settle down and start a family.”
Of course, she already knew that, though she wasn’t aware that he was sharing that information with others. He’d made it seem as if she was the only lady he was pursuing, but clearly that wasn’t the case, which meant she needed to determine what she wanted before the decision was taken out of her hands.
Isa laughed. “You of all people shouldn’t be surprised. He’s been very kind and attentive to you for the last several months. Surely you’ve noticed a change in him.”
She begrudgingly admitted to herself that he had seemed to have matured substantially since she had first met him. Or perhaps it was her perception of him that had changed once he let her see his interest in birds and how well he managed the children. She shrugged at Isa. “I admit he has changed for the better, but I can’t see him settling down yet.”
“Well, that is what he wants. In fact, since I’m feeling better and he is bored—”
“He told you he is bored here?” What sort of game was he playing?
“Well, not in so many words, but how could he not be with only you, me, and Lady Concord to entertain him?”
Perhaps she had a point. “I suppose we could allow him to invite a friend or two to join us if he’d like.”
Isa shook her head. “There’s no need. George was already planning to come, and according to Edward, your parents always invite the neighbors to come to Walsley at Christmas. Isn’t it about time to send out the invitations?”
Louisa frowned. Though Isa was correct, something seemed amiss. However, perhaps if Louisa arranged everything on her own, it would be one more step toward proving to her parents that she was a mature lady and not the little girl they still saw her as. “I suppose if we sent out the invitations in a few days, the timing would be correct for them to arrive before Christmas. I’ll write the invitations myself.”
“Excellent.” Isa shot her a smile and returned to her book.
It was imperative now that they make their way through the journal more quickly. A houseful of guests would hamper their ability to look for the jewelry should they be lucky enough to find clues to follow, and she needed to spend as much time as possible with him so she could determine once and for all which she wanted more—Walsley, or a husband and family.