Chapter Fifteen
Though he’d barely slept, Gavin was wide awake, making the trek to the stables as the sun rose to melt away the frost. They had only a vague idea of the location of the gazebo, but he hoped it would be easy to find. Since it was farther afield than the pavilion, they wouldn’t have much time to explore if they wanted to keep their morning adventures secret.
With his mind focused on the task at hand, he nearly crashed into someone at the top of the staircase. His heart froze when he looked into the eyes of the woman who had the power to ruin him. His luck at avoiding her had run out. “I beg your pardon.”
“Not to worry, my lord.” Sally glanced around before adding, “It’s always a pleasure to see you.”
He nodded and moved quickly down the staircase and out the front door. Hopefully she would take his lack of response for what it was, a rebuff. Suddenly, the weight of a thousand carriages rested on his shoulders. Louisa finding out about his indiscretion on top of having to convince her father to change the requirements for her to inherit Walsley would be too much. He had to redouble his efforts to win his wager with Louisa so his most egregious decision so many years ago would not ruin his chance with her. Once they sorted out the inheritance and were married, he could confess everything and beg her forgiveness for the impulsive boy who had made a mistake. But for now, it was imperative that she not discover his blunder.
The duke had placed him in an untenable position. If Gavin agreed to his requirements for Louisa to own Walsley, it would compromise his ability to remain active in Parliament and to carry out his obligations to Rosemere and his tenants, and those were not mistakes he was prepared to repeat. After his father died and he assumed the title, he had not realized the extent to which the estate had fallen into disrepair, and he would never forgive himself for causing his tenants to suffer due to his irresponsibility. The duke himself had admonished him on several occasions for not taking his duties seriously, so it defied reason that he would now require Gavin to do that very thing in order to wed his daughter. He had to assume that Louisa’s father intended to make it impossible for her to marry, but surely the duchess would have something to say about that. She was their only hope.
He entered the main aisle and helped James by saddling his own horse, then moved to saddle a mare for Miss Eliza. Louisa’s dog shot into the stables, announcing the arrival of the ladies.
He led the two horses around the corner toward the door and nearly ran into Louisa. “Are you certain it’s a good idea to bring Nubbles? We’ll need to move quickly if we want to make it back before anyone notices our absence.”
She waved him off. “He won’t have any trouble keeping up.”
He knew better than to argue with her, so he’d have to trust her judgment and hope he wouldn’t end up having to carry the little cur back to the house atop his horse.
They walked out into the sun and James helped Miss Eliza onto her horse while he took care of Louisa. She turned to face him, and he nearly leaned in to kiss her before he came to his senses. Instead, he put his lips to her ear and whispered, “I want to kiss you. On your lips, your neck, behind your ear, and anywhere else you’ll allow me to.”
Her face colored in a most becoming manner that made him want to kiss her even more. He grinned and lifted her up onto her mare, letting his hand linger on her leg as she settled herself in the saddle. Then he ran his fingers slowly down her thigh, which elicited a wonderful sound from deep in her throat. He wondered how many other sounds he would be able coax from her if he could touch her like he did in his dreams.
She narrowed her eyes and leaned toward him. “I’ll get you back when you least expect it.”
He laughed out loud. “I look forward to it.”
After that, the flirting ended so they could focus on their mission. Once the horses had a chance to stretch their legs, they set off at a brisk canter along the north side of the river, slowing only when they reached the edge of the woods that had been marked on the diagram. Louisa was correct that Nubbles could keep up with the horses. The little beast wasn’t even winded.
“If I’m looking at this correctly, we need to start searching for an overgrown path on the right-hand side of the river.”
They all scanned the line of trees, but James saw it first. “Over here,” he called.
Gavin drew up beside him. “Do you think it wise to take the horses? I’m afraid the ladies might get their hair caught in the branches.”
“Nonsense,” Louisa said, steering her horse onto the barely discernable path. “We’re capable of ducking, Thornbrook. Besides, we’re much less delicate than you think.”
James bit back a smile and Gavin decided it was much easier to let her do as she wanted than argue with her. They followed along behind, shoving branches out of the way and untangling them when they caught on the horses’ tackle or in their own hair. Just when Gavin was about to give up and dismount, Louisa let out a whoop.
“I see it.” She took off at a gallop, but Gavin followed along behind the others, studying the clearing. The grass was tall, but there weren’t any small trees mixed in, leading him to believe that this field was maintained. Though Louisa had said she hadn’t known about this place, someone at Walsley certainly did.
By the time he arrived at the gazebo, Louisa was already searching inside, no doubt hoping to be the one to discover a clue and be one step closer to winning their wager. The paint was a bit faded, but it had definitely been applied within the decade, if not the last few years.
“There aren’t any suspicious boxes on the ceiling this time,” Louisa said.
They all continued to search the inside of the small space, looking for anything inconsistent. James studied the ceiling while Gavin studied the benches built along the edge of the structure. There didn’t seem to be any place where something could be hidden.
He walked around the outside and noticed a solid board across the back of one of the benches. The others had only latticework behind them. There had to be a reason for the discrepancy. He hurried to where Eliza held the horses and withdrew a hammer from the saddle bag.
“Did you find something, my lord?” she asked.
“I hope so.”
He rushed back inside and began prying nails from the large board.
“What are you doing?” Louisa asked.
“This is the only inconsistency I could find in the woodwork. It has to mean something.” The last nail came out and the board fell to the ground. He knelt and searched the bottom of the bench. A small bag was stuffed in the upper corner and he pulled it off. It was another piece of oilcloth tied closed at the top.
“Louisa.”
She rushed over and he handed it to her. “Dang it. As excited as I am to see what’s inside, I’m not at all happy that you’re going to get credit for finding whatever it is.”
He was relieved that so far, they were about even with discovering clues.
Her fingers shook as she attempted to open it. Finally, he took it from her and untied the knot, then handed it back to her. Just like before, she found another sheet of vellum.
“Ugh. It’s another clue we already have. ‘Whilst nymphs dance upon the water.’”
“That doesn’t help at all. It could be any body of water.”
Louisa frowned. “I vote that finding clues we already have do not count toward our wager.”
“You wouldn’t be saying that if you were the one who had found it.”
“True, but that’s beside the point.” She grinned, and he couldn’t help but smile back at her.
“Fine, I will agree with you on this point, but only because it means that I am ahead.”
She scrunched up her nose. “How do you figure that?”
“Because I am the one who suggested that the poem in the journal was a clue, and since so far all of our other clues are contained in that poem, I am the one who discovered them.” He fervently hoped he was correct, because the only way he could win her heart would be if he won the bet.
“I’m definitely not agreeing with that.”
“You’ll have to if one of the clues in the poem leads to the jewelry. For now, I’m content knowing that I’m right.”
She glared at him but didn’t argue. “I guess this means we’ll have to stick with our plan to search the pond, though I’m not sure how we’ll accomplish that. We have no idea how deep it is, and the water is too cold for one of us to swim in it.”
“We’ll figure it out in the morning. We should be glad it hasn’t rained for a few days. Maybe the water level has lowered and it isn’t very deep.”
“Perhaps. But now that you’ve gone and said it out loud, it’s sure to rain all night.”
“You are such a beacon of light and happiness.” He bumped his shoulder against hers.
“I’m realistic.” She bumped him back. “So far, all of the clues have been lines from the poem. Is it worth it to slog around in the pond if all we’re going to find is a clue we already have?”
“But what if it’s a new clue?”
“It’s just our luck that there’s no way to know without completing a search of the pond.”
“Then that’s what we’ll do. I’m a strong swimmer. You needn’t worry.”
“You are most certainly not going to swim in that pond.” She turned met his eyes. “I mean it.”
He shrugged. “We can argue about it on the way there tomorrow.”
“There will be no argument because you are not going into that pond.”
“It almost sounds as if you would care if I drown.”
She sighed. “You have to know I would.”
A jolt of pleasure swirled through him. “Now I do.” He ran his knuckles over her cheek and down the line of her pulse. She leaned toward him, and he had just decided it would be a good idea to kiss her when James approached. They shot away from each other.
“Shall I replace the board before we head back?” Gavin asked Louisa.
James came up beside them. “It’s already done, my lord.”
“Then let’s get back to the house. I’m taking the guests bird watching this afternoon and I’m certain everyone is excited. I wouldn’t want to disappoint.” In truth, he just hoped at least a few of the guests would attend.
He also didn’t want to go another day without kissing Louisa. It was imperative that he show her the depth of his feelings now, before her parents returned. He needed to make her completely besotted with him, otherwise he was afraid the duke would find a way to convince her to stay at Walsley and remain unmarried.
There were only two sets of field glasses in the house, so they would have to suffice. Thankfully, the nice weather had held out and it was a warm, sunny afternoon. Birds flitted about all over the property despite the fact that it was December. He waited out by the archery field for the guests to assemble. So far only Stowe, Gorham, and Lady Mary and her mother had appeared. Louisa had better join them or he would march into the house and carry her out.
“There’s a starling,” Gorham said. “In fact, it’s an entire flock.”
“Murmuration.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“It’s called a murmuration of starlings.” Gavin glared at him. “They aren’t particularly unusual.”
“I should think not, but I thought the purpose of this outing was to spot birds.”
“Well yes, but if the rest of our party ever arrives, I’ll be taking you to places where we’re more likely to see some less common specimens.”
“I am all excitement,” he quipped, and Gavin resisted the urge to hit him. This was his chance to remind Louisa and the houseguests that there was more to him than his rakish facade, but his chums were being less than supportive.
Thankfully, his temper settled as soon as he spotted Louisa heading toward him with Isa and several of the guests in tow. He had spent a lot of time scouting the grounds of Walsley, searching for unusual birds, and he hoped that at least some of the guests would appreciate his efforts. It was also in the back of his mind to hope that word of his knowledge might trickle down from the guests to the duke and duchess and help prove that he was not the idle man they thought he was.
“Excellent. We can get started now that everyone is here.” He shot Louisa a sideways glance to let her know how he felt about her arriving late. “Our first stop will be the stables.”
“I thought we were searching for birds, not horses,” Louisa said.
“Not you, too.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing. It’s just that no one seems very excited about our outing.”
She touched his hand, just for a second, but he appreciated the gesture more than she could know. “I’m sure that will change once we start seeing birds.”
He led the group through the main corridor in the stables and out to the back. “Look up into the cupola.”
Lady Mary pointed. “Oh, there’s an owl.” Gavin handed her the field glasses so she could look more closely. “They’re quite beautiful up close. They appear to be watching us.”
He took a step back so the others could have a turn with the field glasses. Louisa joined him. “How did you first find the owls?”
“They aren’t called barn owls for nothing. I figured this would be a good place to check. They eat mice and there is a ready supply here.”
“When I saw you sketching in the carriage, I had no idea you were so knowledgeable about birds.”
“Well now you know. I am capable of sustained thought.”
“I never doubted that. I am aware that you graduated from Oxford with Edward. What did you study?”
“Mathematics.”
“Hmm. I would’ve guessed something to do with science, so I wasn’t too far off.”
He was gratified that she had thought well enough of him to assume he had studied something challenging.
Lady Mary and Stowe approached. “What are we going to see next?”
“We’ll head into the meadow to see which birds are around.” He held his hand out for Louisa to walk in front of him.
“Why don’t you lead the way and let me gather the stragglers. You’re the only one who can correctly identify the birds.”
“All right, but don’t be too long. There’s something I want to show you.”
She flashed him a smile, then squared her shoulders and marched toward the guests who weren’t paying attention.
It was a short walk to the open field. Of course, spring was a better time of the year to spot birds, but there were still many to be seen if you looked carefully, which is why he had scouted them out first.
“Oh, look. There’s a goldfinch.” Lady Sarah pointed toward a tree.
“Actually. I think it’s a greenfinch.” He lifted the field glasses to confirm, then handed them to her.
“Oh, it is. I hadn’t realized there were green finches.”
“Yes, there are many different species of finches in England. Of course, most of us don’t take the time to notice the small differences between them, myself included.”
She lowered the glasses and turned to him. “But I thought you were an ornithologist.”
He laughed. “No, I have an interest in birds, but most of my knowledge comes from observation and a good ornithological encyclopedia.”
“Well done, my lord.”
If only it had been Louisa who had said that. Still, he appreciated her compliment.
“What is that?” Lady Mary asked, handing him the glasses. He lifted them and looked in the direction she pointed. “That’s a bullfinch. See how wide his head and neck are compared to the others? That’s where the name came from.”
He handed the glasses back to her so she could take another look. “Why are there so many of them in this area?”
“I suspect it is because there is less food available in the winter, so they congregate in areas where there are seeds, like this meadow.”
“You are hypnotizing your audience with your expertise,” Louisa said softly.
“I am rather impressive, aren’t I?”
She elbowed him in the ribs and went to take her turn with the field glasses. The afternoon couldn’t be going any better for him. He wished Louisa’s father was here to see him impressing people with his knowledge. It was all because of his daughter. She made him want to be better, to be good enough for her.
The sun was low in the sky. They should probably head back to the house soon, but first he wanted to show them one more thing.
He raised his arm. “Everyone, please be quiet.”
They stilled.
“Do you hear that?”
“What is it?” Lady Mary asked.
“The song of a linnet, a type of small finch. Let’s see if we can locate him.” He took the glasses Lady Mary offered and scanned the hedge row. “He’s just over there, on the hedge, about ten feet from the gate.”
Lady Mary took the glasses back. “What a lovely red color he is.”
Louisa took them from her when she finished, then passed them along to the next person. They continued in that manner until everyone had a chance to look.
“I’m afraid we must go back to the house to dress for dinner, but I’d be happy to lead more bird watching adventures if anyone is interested.”
“I’d be interested, Lord Thornbrook.” Lady Phoebe practically purred at him.
He nodded and smiled, then turned to Louisa with wide eyes, hoping she would understand what he wanted.
“Lady Phoebe, which birds are you hoping to see?” she asked, putting herself between him and Phoebe.
He would thank her later. With luck, there might be a kiss involved as well.
Woot-woo-woo.
Gavin stopped abruptly.
“What is that sound?” Louisa asked.
“It sounds like a turtle dove, but that can’t be. They’re migratory. They spend the winter in southern Africa.”
“You mean like the bird in the “Twelve Days of Christmas” song?” Lady Phoebe asked.
“Yes. Though I’ve never understood why they included them in the song since they aren’t normally here in the winter.”
Woot-woo-woo.
“I think the bird disagrees with you,” Louisa said.
“If there’s a turtle dove here, something is wrong.” He turned to her. “I’m going to look around and see if I can find the bird. Why don’t you take everyone back to the house?”
“Do you need help?”
He shook his head. “I’ll have a better chance of catching it on my own.”
“All right, but don’t stay out too late.”
“I won’t.” He turned away from the group and walked toward the brush, then knelt and looked through the field glasses. A quick scan along the fence line showed movement. It was a female, and her left wing was broken. That explained it. She wouldn’t last long outside. A quick search of his bag revealed a bit of netting. With luck, he might be able to catch her. When he moved closer, instead of running, she hunkered down in the dead leaves and debris, attempting to hide. Moving as quickly and quietly as possible, he tossed the netting over her, then scooped her up and put her in his inside coat pocket. Now the question was what to do with her when he got back to the house. The duke would not be impressed by a bird flitting around in his home.
At the last moment, he veered away from the house and went to the stables. “James?” he called, unsure whether he would still be there.
“How can I help you, my lord?”
“I have an injured bird in my pocket, and I was hoping you might have some clever ideas about how we might go about making an enclosure for it.”
“How about a bird cage?”
“You have one?”
He nodded. “Rumor has it a long-ago lady of the house had a pet parrot. It’s a rather large cage.”
“Do you think it could be moved into my bedchamber in the house?”
“Probably, with a bit of effort.”
“With your permission, I’d like to keep her in the stables for now. I’m not sure if her mate is still around, but if he is, he’ll be able to find her here.”
“Very good, my lord. I’ll bring the cage down from the loft, and once the male bird is secured, I’ll have it moved to your bedchamber.”
While James brought the cage down and placed it in an empty stall, Gavin gathered straw to make a nest for her. Once she was settled in the cage, he went outside to find some seeds. While he was pilfering seeds from the flower garden, he heard the male calling to his mate.
“I hate to ask more of you, but if you have time, could you check the cage a few times tonight?”
“Of course, my lord.”
“The male is nearby. I’m going to leave the door open so he can enter the cage, and I’m hoping you can close it once he goes in.”
“Of course, my lord. Shall I also find a dish to provide water?”
“Yes. Thank you, James.” He rushed back to the house, hoping he wouldn’t be too late for dinner. If he was going to convince Louisa to choose him over Walsley, he needed to devote every waking moment to showing her that they were meant to be together.