“Good morning, Phillip.”

Anthony jumped, startled to hear another voice in the morning's quiet. He had found himself waiting at the entrance to the woods, should Miss Williams choose to take another quiet stroll. Apparently, she had.

“Good morning, my lady. I take it you need my assistance this morning.”

Eliza smiled a little, acknowledging his superior knowledge of the woods. “Indeed, Phillip, I believe I do. And please, call me Miss Williams.”

Without another word, she walked past him and into the woods, leaving Anthony in her wake. Forgetting about his servant façade for a moment, Anthony caught up with her almost immediately, seeing her surprise as he walked beside her. Cursing his negligence, he dropped a couple of steps behind her, as any servant would.

Eliza walked in silence for a long time, forgetting all about Phillip’s presence. A lump clogged her throat as the thought about her dilemma. On top of that, there was Lord Stockton and her sister. Her emotions rolled within her, tears threatening. It was as though the woods allowed her to be free in her feelings, unhindered in her expression of them. She was trapped in a cage, with Lord Penn her jailor. Her tears flowed freely now and she made no attempt to wipe them away.

Anthony grew concerned. This was now the second morning where this unwelcome guest had grown sorrowful in his presence. Almost unwillingly, he spoke to her gently.

“Is something the matter, Miss Williams?”

Stopping in her tracks, Eliza spun around to face him, hastily wiping her face. “Oh, I had quite forgotten you were there,” she replied, her attempts at cheerfulness falling vastly short. “I am quite well, just…troubled.”

Anthony tried his best not to be rattled, for normally he was not easily forgotten. Yet here, as a servant, it was as though he was invisible. "Should you like to speak of it?"

Cursing himself, he wondered why he had asked such a thing. It was probably some nonsense over a broken heart or some small slight by another lady of the ton.

Eliza considered the gardener's words. She had no one else to tell, and perhaps, simply speaking about it would relieve some of her anxiety. "I suppose I may as well, I am only forbidden to speak of it to anyone of consequence," her features clouded as she realized her poorly chosen words. "That is, I mean to say–"

Anthony, thoroughly intrigued by her words, interrupted her, ignoring her attempts to correct herself. “Forbidden?”

“Yes,” she replied, tears filling her eyes once more. “It is a long story, so I shall start at the beginning.”

She began to walk again, talking quickly, but walking slowly. Anthony felt his anger rise, the more she spoke. He knew little about Lord Penn, but to treat a lady in such a despicable manner was unacceptable.

“So, you see, Philip, I am quite at a loss,” Eliza finished, sobs beginning to interrupt her words. “If I give him the necklace, it will be the end of my mother. It is one of her most prized possessions but, if I do not, then …”

“Then your father will have his gambling debts exposed, called in, and you shall all be quite ruined,” Anthony finished, ensuring he had a clear picture.

“Indeed.” They walked in silence for a few moments, Eliza’s sobs punctuating the silence.

Anthony’s brow creased as he thought. “Why should you not tell Lord Stockton?”

“How do you know of Lord Stockton?” came the quick response, Eliza studying him curiously.

“Ah, well, news travels quickly below the stairs,” Anthony mumbled, fumbling for an answer. “Although no formal announcement has been made yet, I hear.” Relieved that she seemed satisfied with his answer, Anthony let out a breath.

"If I tell anyone of this matter, Lord Penn will ruin me entirely, ensuring I cannot show my face within society for the remainder of my days." She stopped for a moment, looking at him in the eye, but Anthony noticed a blush rising to her cheeks. "He put a hand on my leg last evening, under the dinner table."

There was silence for a moment, Eliza embarrassed by her own words and Anthony struggling against the desire to find Lord Penn and put a bullet through him.

“I see,” he managed, through gritted teeth, Lord Penn’s threat becoming abundantly clear. The man was strong, whilst Eliza was small and slight; he would have no problem overpowering her should he put his mind to it. Anthony was determined that Lord Penn should never have the opportunity.

“What of the earl?” he asked quietly, beginning to walk the path once more. “Would he not be able to assist you?”

Eliza let out a short laugh. "I should not think so. I have barely met the man, except for bumping into him in the hallway. By all accounts, he is a very studious and serious man, caring only for his books and estate business. I doubt he would look favorably on any attempt to engage him in my situation."

Anthony said nothing, wincing a little at the ring of truth her words held.

Eliza paused for a moment, exhaustion building. She felt weary, although telling Phillip her dilemma had caused her to feel a little less distressed. “Do you mind if we sit for a short while?”

Nodding, Anthony took a few steps off the path, leading Eliza to a small clearing that he knew was nearby. “Here,” he gestured to a couple of large stumps, waiting until she sat before sitting down himself.

“I am grateful to you, for listening to my complaint,” Eliza said softly, surprised at the feeling of friendship developing between them. “I have not been able to speak of it with anyone up till now, and I find that has lessened my burden a little.”

Anthony smiled the first genuine smile to cross his face since their first meeting. Eliza, seeing it, inhaled a long breath, realizing how handsome the gardener was. His black hair still fell in an untidy heap, and his boots were still dirty, but none of that stopped her unbound attraction to him. Letting out her breath slowly, she looked away, catching a falling leaf in her hand.

It would have surprised Eliza to know that the ‘gardener’ was having very similar thoughts. The look of pleasure on her face over something as simple as a falling leaf was a punch to his gut. Whilst Lord Penn was a despicable man, the desire to protect Eliza was something deeper than just a general concern.

“I suppose I should be getting back,” he heard her say softly. Getting to his feet quickly, he held out his hand to her, desiring both to help her up and to feel the touch of her hand.

Eliza, touched at the gardener’s thoughtfulness, gave him her hand without hesitation. To her surprise, it was soft and warm, with none of the callouses she would have expected from a working man.

“Thank you,” she stammered, aware that he had not let go of her hand and that she hadn’t pulled it away. They stood close to each other for a moment, Eliza feeling as though her heart was about to come out of her chest. His piercing blue eyes were roving all over her face, stopping at her lips. She licked them self-consciously, unaware of the effect it had on Anthony.

Without being aware of it, Anthony caressed Eliza’s fingers, rubbing his thumb back and forth over the back of her hand, aware that her pulse was racing. If he was honest, it matched his own heart, as he found he simply couldn’t break the moment. She was so vulnerable, yet so strong, keeping all her anxieties and troubles to herself in order to protect her family. Her blond hair, tied back once more in a simple braid, tickled his fingers, and he lifted his hand to touch it. He heard Eliza catching her breath as he did so, the desire to kiss her growing stronger and stronger.

All of a sudden, Eliza took a step back, pulling her hand from Phillip's grip. Whatever had she been thinking? She was nearly betrothed to Lord Stockton and fraternizing with servants was a sure way to put that to an end. Telling herself that her pull to him was simply from his willingness to listen to her troubles, Eliza began walking back towards the path, nearly tripping in her hurry.

Equally frustrated – but for an entirely different reason – Anthony followed, walking the remainder of the journey back to the estate in silence.