“Yes, I remember,” Derek replied, gesturing toward the front door. “Allow me to escort you inside and see to your rooms. I’m certain you would enjoy some hot tea.”
“That’s a marvellous idea!” Beth exclaimed, rubbing her hands together against the cold. “I fear my fingers may have broken off and are now rolling around in my gloves.”
Grinning at his wife, Tristan offered her his arm before he turned his gaze back to Derek, an all-too-serious expression in his eyes. “Not the stables then?”
Ignoring his friend, Derek strode up the steps and into the house, then led the way to the back where his family bustled in the kitchen, preparing supper.
After introductions had been made, Derek was relieved to see that his friends easily found their way around his family. Although he and Tristan had known each other for years, he had never been to Huntington House or met Derek’s mother.
“It’s so wonderful to see you again, Lord Elton,” Kara smiled, a hand on her belly. “I’d get up, but I just sat down and…”
Tristan grinned. “Don’t worry. We have not come to disrupt your family life. However, we would be grateful if you could grant us shelter for a few days.” He glanced at Derek, a mischievous sparkle coming to his eyes. “Your dear brother offered us the stable.”
Kara’s mouth dropped open in shock.
“I offered you the stable,” Derek corrected, ignoring his sister. “Your wife is more than welcome to a room upstairs.”
“That is too kind, Lord Ainsworth,” Beth stated, raising her eyebrows at her husband before she turned to Derek’s mother. “Is there anything I can help you with? This smells wonderful.”
Although Madeline seemed a bit taken aback with their surprise guests, she was soon lost in conversation with Beth, who had a natural ability to draw people in and make them feel at ease. Smiling, Derek watched them, wishing he and Madeline could interact with the same level of intimacy as his friend and his wife did. Was there even still a chance of that?
The next morning as Derek was about to step outside to retrieve a bucket of water from the well, Tristan approached him, his gaze narrowed, and his brows drawn down.
“Is something wrong?” Derek asked, eyeing him curiously, his gaze a bit unfocused as he leaned against the door frame. “Did you not sleep well?”
“Not quite,” Tristan replied, “as I’ve been wondering what on earth you did to make your wife glare at you as though she wishes to rip your heart out.”
Derek’s heart stopped…if only for a moment. “What are you talking about?”
“Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed!” Tristan scoffed, shaking his head, arms akimbo. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you gave her a reason to be jealous.” His gaze narrowed. “Did you?”
“Jealous? No!” Shaking his head, Derek stared at him. “That’s ludicrous! Why would she??”
“Have you told her how you feel about her?” Tristan demanded as he approached, his watchful gaze fixed on Derek. Since when had his friend become this observant? Derek wondered. It was rather annoying! “Let me tell you, my life became a lot easier once I stopped fighting the fact that I was in love with my wife.”
Derek’s jaw clenched. “I would rather not discuss?”
“Fine, don’t talk to me,” Tristan relented, lifting his hands in surrender. “But please go and talk to her, will you?”
Derek sighed and then nodded, hoping his consent would put this conversation to rest.
“And don’t forget to tell her,” Tristan called after him as Derek turned back to the door, “that you’ve been in love with her since the first moment you saw her at the masked ball! What? Don’t deny it! It was written all over your face.”
***
Standing in the hall, outside the kitchen door, Madeline felt her heart leap out of her chest at Lord Elton’s words. Her eyes went wide, and she stumbled backwards until her back collided with the wall. With trembling knees, she sank to the floor as her lungs desperately tried to draw air into her body.
“Did you not know?” came Lady Elton’s voice from down the hall as she stepped forward, a joyous smile on her face. “I thought it was rather obvious.” For a long moment, her gaze held Madeline’s. “May I sit with you?” Without waiting for a reply, the viscountess lowered herself to the floor beside her.
Staring at the opposite wall, Madeline felt the world spin out of control as hope knocked down her defences and reclaimed her heart. Groaning, she pulled up her legs and rested her forehead on her knees. Had she not just spent weeks convincing herself that she had only imagined the connection between them? Had she not worked hard to get through the day without succumbing to tears every time her thoughts strayed to her husband and the Widow Dunning?
“Life is not easy, is it?” Lady Elton mumbled as though to herself. “Especially when love is involved.”
Lifting her head, Madeline sighed, “I don’t know if I dare believe?”
“Oh, but you do,” the viscountess insisted, her light blue eyes sparkling with delight as she placed a gentle hand on Madeline’s arm. “You simply don’t know if you dare admit it to yourself.” For a moment, she held her gaze. “Do you love him?”
Biting her lip, Madeline sighed, not knowing what to say. If she were to?
“Do you?”
Closing her eyes, Madeline nodded. “But he doesn’t?”
“Yes, he does.”
Meeting Lady Elton’s gaze, Madeline wished she could be as certain. “But if he truly does, why does he…? There is a woman, a widow, who lives not far from?” Shaking her head, Madeline squeezed her eyes shut, and unbidden, her mind immediately conjured the image of the beautiful, golden-haired woman in Derek’s arms.
“I see,” Lady Elton mumbled, her voice distant as though she was contemplating how best to reply. “I admit I do not know what happened. However, I feel compelled to tell you that Lord Ainsworth is a man of his word as you must already know. Therefore, I believe it highly unlikely that he would break his marriage vows.”
Madeline swallowed, “What if he didn’t, but…?”
“Wanted to?”
Nodding, Madeline closed her eyes, then rubbed her hands over her face as the unbidden image returned. “I cannot read him. Sometimes I feel as though he might care for me. The way he looks at me, talks to me, I…But then everything changes, and I…I don’t know. How can I be sure? How can I know how he truly feels?”
“Ask him.”
Staring at the viscountess, Madeline shook her head. “I cannot.”
“Why?”
“Because…” As the world began to spin again, Madeline felt a warm hand settle on hers. Opening her eyes, she found Lady Elton’s warm gaze on her, encouraging her to speak her mind. “Would he tell me the truth? He’s a man of honour and duty, would he not consider it his duty to protect me from?”
“He would not lie,” Lady Elton said with conviction, her voice serious and without humour, before a soft smile came to her face. “Let me tell you that you’re not alone in your doubts. We all know them. The only difference is whether or not we listen to them and allow them to control our lives.” Gently, she squeezed Madeline’s hand. “I understand that you would doubt your own observations as you are…biased by your own desires and hopes. However, my husband and myself are not afflicted by them, and we, too, believe that your husband loves you…and that you love him. Has it ever occurred to you that he might be holding back because he harbours the same fears as you do?”
As Lady Elton’s words sank in, Madeline wondered if it would be wise to risk her heart and attempt to claim her husband’s for herself before anyone else were to steal it away.
Wise or not, Madeline knew that if only she could find the courage to do so, she would not hesitate.
Chapter Thirty-Two ? Vulnerable
“Give my regards to your sister and her husband,” Derek said as he embraced his friend before watching him step up into the carriage. “Enjoy Scotland.”