Within a couple of days, Drake had called in some favors, and Alexander was ensconced in the Covington’s home nearest to Huntington Hall.

His plan to call on the Huntingtons made him slightly nervous.

How was Lizzie going to react?

The plan he put in place would depend upon her cooperation.

Well, at least it would depend upon her parent’s cooperation.

Alexander knocked on the door, and the butler, Faraday, answered and greeted him enthusiastically. “Captain MacGregor. Come in, come in. I’ll let the family know you’ve arrived.”

His gracious welcome made him wonder if the staff had been made aware of their broken engagement.

If they had, then mayhap they’d be anxious to help him mend the breach.

Potential allies?”

He was shown into the parlor and assured the mistress would be there shortly.

It didn’t take long at all for Lizzie’s mother, Lady Huntington, to enter the room. She looked incredibly relieved and she hurried forward. “Oh, Alexander! I’m so happy to see you.”

That was encouraging. “I’m happy to see ye as well, Lady Huntington. I hope your family is doing well?”

She shrugged one shoulder. “As well as can be expected. Are you in the neighborhood long?”

She was naturally fishing for information, information that he was happy to give. “Lord Browning and I are actually staying with your neighbors, the Covington’s, for an unspecified amount of time.”

“Oh, Alexander.” She smiled at him, and he knew she had read his intentions correctly. “I would love to have you stay here as you did when you were younger, but perhaps staying with our neighbors is for the best in this situation. Please, let Lord Browning know he is welcome at any time.”

“Thank you. And did I mention my mother is to join me?”

Lady Huntington’s mouth fell open, before her hand rose to her mouth to cover it as she squealed! “Margaret is coming here?”

“Aye. Just so.”

“Oh, Alexander!”

Again, her knowing look gave the impression she knew exactly what he was up to, and fully approved.

“I was hoping to get a chance to see Lizzie today. Is she around?”

“Have a seat. I have some refreshments and tea, and Lizzie will be here as soon as possible.”

“Thank you. That sounds wonderful.”

He settled in to wait, confident that the first part of his plan had been executed beautifully.

***

“, there is someone to see you.”

Lizzie looked up from the book she was reading, to look at her mother outlined in the bedroom door. Her first thought was that Mr. Russell had followed her to continue his courtship. But her mother looked too excited for that. And so …

“Is it Alexander?”

Mother pressed her lips together as if to hide the smile trying to escape. She nodded vigorously. “It is. He’s downstairs in the parlor waiting for you.”

Her heart started to pound in her chest as sudden hope swelled within her. “Why did he follow me here?”

“Oh, Lizzie. Isn’t it obvious? He wants to repair the breach between you.”

Lizzie wasn’t sure what Alexander’s motivation was. She never knew with him.

She put the book aside, and stood. She quickly crossed to glance into the mirror and then was immediately upset with herself for doing so.

What did it matter what she looked like? After all, her eyes would always be the color of mud.

She straightened, and ran hands down the front of her dress to smooth out any wrinkles. She wasn’t going to hold the words of his youth against him anymore, she reminded herself. They’d been children, and it was no longer an issue.

She hurried past her mother, down the stairs and into the parlor. Lizzie’s heartbeat quickened. Sure enough, there he was, tall, lean, and handsome, his body perfectly suited to the elegant clothes he wore. His dark hair, the color of mahogany, was thick with a slight curl. Intense emerald eyes watched her, showing no emotion. A sensual mouth, high cheekbones. Now that he wasn’t hers anymore, had he actually become more attractive?

She took a steadying breath. “Captain MacGregor. It’s nice to see you.”

He quickly stood and crossed the room to her.

The closer he moved, the less she was able to keep her composure as a feeling of vulnerability swept through her.

He stopped in front of her, looked down into her eyes, and smiled. “Lizzie. ’Tis good to see ye again.”

“You as well.”

Was it her imagination, or was he tense?”

He always straightened his shoulders and spine and clasped his hands behind his back when he was nervous. Exactly as he was doing now.

“So, what brings you to the neighborhood?”

“Ye do, of course.”

There was no “of course” about it. After the way they’d parted company the last time, she wouldn’t have expected him to show up here. She’d thought she might never see him again, and hope and relief seemed to be the emotions rising to the top.

“I wondered if I might interest ye in a walk around Rutledge pond?”

The name of the pond brought a flood of memories. They’d spent a lot of time there when they’d been young, catching frogs, collecting pussy willows, and catching tadpoles in glass jars. He’d been a treasured friend at one time.

Once again, the memory was disconcerting. Had she truly forgotten so much because of the last ugly confrontation they’d had?

She glanced at the food on the table — the cakes, and the tea. “Have you had enough to eat?”

“I’m fine, Lizzie. I’d much rather go with you. If I play my cards right, mayhap I’ll get invited to dinner later tonight.”

She rolled her eyes at that. No doubt her mother was already ordering up a fatted calf. “Come on, then. Let’s go.”

As the two of them walked toward the front doors, she couldn’t help glancing at Alexander again.

The fact that he was here, after she thought she’d never see him again, was … well, it was slightly wonderful.

***

glanced at Lizzie.

Now that he was here, now that all of his schemes were focused upon this one girl walking beside him, he realized there was a gaping hole in his strategy.

He’d never had to court Lizzie before, because she’d always belonged to him.

Now she suddenly didn’t. He could set up as many stratagems as he wished, move people about as if on a chessboard, setting them here and there, but when it was just the two of them, it was up to him to charm Lizzie.

He never had to put himself to such an effort before for any woman.

Because he’d already had one.

Was this how other men felt as they walked beside the girl they’d chosen to court?

Conversational tidbits ran through his mind, one after another, and were quickly discarded as boring. Overall, he experienced a real feeling of insecurity, something he’d never felt with a woman before.

Without prompting, she reached out and took his arm, even though he not offered it, and satisfaction welled within him. Apparently he’d done something right.

He wondered if there was a book he could read on the subject of courtship. Or mayhap someone he could interview? He looked around, slightly desperate. “The place looks much the same.”

“What’s that?”

He gestured around the property, looked back at Huntington Hall, at the grass, trees, and gardens. “’Tis been at least a decade since I was here, and the place looks much the same.”

She looked around the property, and nodded. “You were what? Fifteen when you were last here? That was the year we found Fluffy. Do you remember?”

He grinned. “The event is branded in my memory. I was able to play the hero, rescuing the little mongrel from the muck and the mud.”

“Don’t talk about Fluffy that way.”

He grinned at her. “If ye will remember, she bit me on the fleshy part of my thumb, which then became infected and the doctor had to lance the wound.”

“It wasn’t her fault; she was scared.”

“She must be ten years old now.”

“She’s led quite the life of leisure. How is your mother?”

Alexander wondered if Lady Huntington had mentioned that she was coming. “She’s fine. As ye will see for yourself when she arrives.”

Lizzie’s brows rose. “Truly? Your mother is coming?”

“Aye, she’s on her way.”

At that, Lizzie fell silent, and he couldn’t help but wonder at her thoughts. Was it obvious he was using his own mother as a lever to pressure Lizzie into accepting his suit once more?

No doubt, it was.

They were soon at the pond, and Alexander looked over the reeds, the cattails, and the algae covered water. “I remember it being bigger.”

She smiled. “That only makes sense, as I remember you being much smaller.”

“Mayhap we should have brought some glass jars? We could have captured some tadpoles.”

“They always died, and then we felt bad.”

Unable to help himself, he turned to face her. He took a breath, trying to find the right words, and then closed his mouth again. She was looking up at him, her beautiful brown eyes encouraging and he scrambled for something to say.

Did he talk of her exquisiteness? Her accomplishments? The fact that he wanted to grab her up and kiss her senseless? Obviously, he wasn’t very good at this courting game. “I remember catching frogs here, do ye?”

She turned away, and the moment was lost.

He thought himself a coward, but he wasn’t ready yet to make his case. He didn’t want to do so too soon, and risk losing her forever.

“Of course, I do. After all, I named one of them after you.”

He laughed. “I’d forgotten about that. Whatever happened to dear old Alex the Frog?”

She smiled at him sweetly. “He died of a lingering illness. It was quite sad actually.”

With that, she turned and walked back up the path, leaving him to wonder if there was a personal message for him in that.

***

she walked with Alexander back toward the house, the man who usually had plenty to say to her seem to be tongue-tied.

She seemed to suffer the same affliction.

The awkwardness, between them was slightly upsetting.

She’d rather have the old Alexander back, the one who said what he thought, even if she didn’t like hearing it.

The fact that his mother was coming out was somewhat telling, and again, hopeful.

He truly was hoping to reconcile, which meant he still wished to marry her.

As he walked silently beside her, she reached out and took his arm once more. It felt … right.

Once again, she considered the proposal from Mr. Russell. To move away from all that she loved — her family, her home, her friends — to live in the wilds of Texas. There was no denying that there was a part of her that was excited by the thought of it.

By the adventure of it.

But, to lose Alexander …

She was tempted to just flat out ask him what he was thinking.

The man always planned every event and she’d no doubt he’d done so here, as well. Did she let him off the hook, and encourage him to talk it out?

Or did she wait to see what he had planned for her?

There was no doubt that he been courting her since his arrival in London. But it was different this time, wasn’t it? This time, they weren’t a couple anymore.

Perhaps she wanted him to work to win her?

Perhaps she was enjoying the fact that there was a little bit of uncertainty, for both of them? Yes, their marriage would effectively erase any stain on their honor. Their parents would be thrilled.

But what of Alexander? Did he do this out of duty? Out of feelings of honor, decency, principle, or did he do it because he truly cared?

Again she considered the two men. One, she knew exactly what to expect from. She knew his family, his home, and knew what was required of her there.

Mr. Russell’s offer was a little more bewildering.

The man was an unknown entity. Attractive, certainly. And the thought of crossing an ocean, of living in a much wilder land, did hold a certain appeal.

Did either man love her? Perhaps that was the question she should be asking.

Or better yet, did she love either one of them? Unequivocally, she could say that she did not love Mr. Russell. She might grow to love him, but at the moment, the answer to that question was no.

But Alexander? He had filled her childish thoughts, her girlish dreams, and her imagination as a young lady.

The letters exchanged between them … she still had every one of them.

He’d been such a part of her life for so long, and hadn’t she felt gutted when she driven out here with her parents?

She’d felt a true sense of loss.

And now, with him beside her? All seemed right with the world. So why didn’t she put them both out of their misery and tell him so?

Was it that she wished to punish him still?

She’d thought about that quite often as a young lady. Enjoyed every compliment from every young man sent her direction.

And why? Because every time she’d been told she was pretty, beautiful, or enchanting, who had she thought of?

Alexander.

She’d wanted him to know that others didn’t find her unattractive.

What would he think right now if she told him that Mr. Russell had proposed?

Some dark part of her wanted to do so. Wanted to see how he’d react, and if it would prove he had feelings for her. That he felt possessive of her.

But it wouldn’t be an honorable thing to do, and so she kept her mouth closed.

She walked beside him, very aware of his every movement, and had to suppress a sigh.

No doubt, she was a fool for the man.

What remained to be seen was if he felt the same way about her.

***

mother arrived the next day.

Enthusiastic, gregarious, and as happy as always, she screeched when she saw her friend, and the two women hugged each other and erupted into a flurry of words.

Alexander, having come out from breakfast with the rest of the family, stood off to the side in the dirt of the driveway, waiting for his mother to notice him.

Lizzie joined him.

“This brings back memories, does it not?” Alexander asked.

Lizzie chuckled. “You’ve been away for a long while; this continued on even after you went off to school.”

He smiled. “I used to get letters from my mother, describing her continued visits. I remember thinking at the time that our engagement truly had naught to do with us at all, but was simply an excuse for these two to continue their close friendship.”

“Can you imagine these two, if we did marry, and gave them grandchildren?”

Alexander’s chest tightened immediately at the thought. Not at how their parents would feel, but at his own excitement at the thought that she would bring the subject up.

“Alexander!” His mother finally seemed to notice him. She hurried over, and enveloped him in her arms, and he bent over and let her kiss his cheek. Next, she cupped his face and looked into his eyes. “My boy. It’s so good to see you, my dear.”

At that, he straightened, forcing her to release her grasp. Heat crawled up the back of his neck as he saw that Lizzie was smiling at the overly enthusiastic maternal greeting.

“And Lizzie! Oh my, dear. You look so beautiful. You certainly take after your mother. You know, of course, that I knew her when she was your age, and you are her spitting image.”

She looked between the two of them. “Now, what’s this foolish business about the two of you breaking your engagement?”

Alexander groaned, took a step back, and snagged Lizzie’s hand. “We’ll see ye later, Mother. We’ve things to do, as ye know.” With that, he tugged Lizzie across the lawn, and around the corner of the house. “Sorry about that.”

“No, you’re not. You’re the one who invited her here. You know how she is.”

He laughed. “Well, can ye blame me? Where ye are concerned, I’ll take all the help I can get.”

She looked up at him, for a long moment, her gaze searching. “And why is that, Alexander?”

He didn’t even give himself a chance to think, to remember the strategies he’d put in place. He simply blurted out like a green young lad, “Because, I love you, Lizzie.”

Her mouth gaped for a moment, and then she snatched her fingers from his hands, gave him a killing glare, turned, and stomped back toward the house.

That could have gone better.

***

loved her? Where did that come from?

He’d never in his life indicated that he had those kinds of feelings for her.

And wasn’t it convenient that, right after his mother had arrived, he’d found the courage to express these newfound emotions!

She hurried up toward her bedroom, and then changed her mind.

As she well knew, Alexander would have no compunction about following and cornering her in her bedroom.

She took the servants’ stairs, and exited on the opposite side of the house.

What did he want from her?

She’d been raised to believe that duty, honor, and bearing children were the things that she was to have in her marriage.

She realized she was crying.

She wiped at her cheeks and looked at her wet fingers in disbelief.

Why was she crying?

In her heart of hearts, she knew. She was no different from any other young girl who wanted to fall in love, to be loved.

She wanted what her parents had. A wonderful relationship, where they laughed, enjoyed each other’s company, and raised their children together.

She’d seen many a marriage over the years that didn’t bear the slightest resemblance to her parents.

Could she have that with Alexander?

Well, she’d loved his letters over the years. Loved the stories he’d told of school and his time in the military. She’d always known what was happening in his life, just as he’d known what was transpiring in hers.

But she’d never expected any type of grand romance, especially in light of the fact that she’d always known, or almost always had known, that she wasn’t the type of woman he favored.

She didn’t have blonde hair, or blue eyes.

She thought about Mr. Russell again, and once again appreciated his honesty.

It was certainly a mark in his favor. He’d let her know what he felt, what he hoped for in the future, the fact that he’d be faithful.

Alexander was an honorable man, and he’d also come from a family that seemed to have good relations.

His mother and father had had a good relationship as far as she could tell.

But Alexander had never promised her fidelity, faithfulness, or even love. Or even the hope of it.

At sixteen, he’d certainly felt trapped.

A feeling she well knew.

She reached the gazebo at the west end of the property, walked up the stairs, and sank down onto a bench.

Dry-eyed now, she gazed out at the profusion of rosebushes laid out in front of her.

So why had he said that?

Because he knew she had feelings for him? And was trying to manipulate her?

Because he thought it was the acceptable thing to say in the circumstances?

Did he truly feel something for her?

The answer was, she didn’t know.

She just wished she didn’t care so much.