A Momentary Marriage(52)

Netherly turned soulful brown eyes on her. “I could not leave Lady de Vere to bear this alone.”

“Of course.”

“How is dear James this morning?” Adelaide asked. “We are all so worried about him.”

“Much the same,” Laura answered vaguely. Anything she told Claude’s wife would no doubt go directly back to him.

“I’m so glad you decided to come down to breakfast,” Tessa told her, reaching out to pat her arm. “It must be dreadful, sitting at his bedside all day long.” Tears welled in her eyes, and Tessa dabbed delicately at them.

“I am a little tired,” Laura admitted. “I thought I might walk in the gardens.”

“Lovely. You’ll feel much better. The flowers are glorious now. The bluebells along the roadway are all in bloom.” Tessa gasped, then beamed. “I know exactly what you should do! You should go for a ride through the countryside.”

“Oh, no, I don’t think . . .” Laura began to demur.

“Yes, yes, it’s beautiful. I’ll tell the coachman to take the back road toward Lydcombe. It’s the long way round by the old castle—a bit farther, of course—but perfect for a ride. It’s so picturesque.”

“Bluebells line the road like blankets of stunning blue,” Mr. Netherly intoned, apparently contemplating a new poem.

“And the old bridge over the river just past the castle!” Adelaide joined in enthusiastically. “Such a romantic vista.”

“I could sit with Sir James while you are out,” Netherly went on. “I’ll read to him. Nothing lifts the soul like poetry.”

That, Laura thought, would be certain to send James to his grave, but she said only, “That’s very kind of you, but James is sleeping, and I don’t wish to disturb him.”

“It’s a capital idea,” Walter put in. “Going for a ride, I mean.” He flicked a disdainful glance at Mr. Netherly. “You can take the victoria and fold the top back. Nice fresh air . . . scenery. I’ll escort you if you like.”

“Oh, Walter,” Patricia said scornfully. “She won’t want company. That’s the whole idea—to have a few minutes by herself.”

“Well, yes, of course, I mean, no, needn’t go with you.”

“Thank you, it’s very kind of you to offer,” Laura told him. “But it would be nice to have a bit of solitude.” The idea of a drive by herself in the fresh air really was appealing. She hesitated at leaving James alone that long, but he was doing better now, and he would have Dem and Owen with him. The more she thought about it, the more she longed for a chance to get away.

“There! It’s done.” Tessa saw the acquiescence on Laura’s face. “I’ll tell them to have the carriage ready for you this afternoon.”

So it was that Laura found herself getting into Tessa’s elegant low-slung victoria a few hours later. As Littletree, the coachman, climbed up onto his seat, Laura glanced over and saw Claude walking out of the stable. She had a moment’s panic that James’s brother had decided to accompany her, but fortunately, when he turned and saw her, he merely tipped his hat and continued walking toward the house.

Laura let out a sigh of relief and settled back to enjoy the ride. The calash top was folded back, and though Laura had the parasol Tessa insisted she carry, she let it rest on the seat beside her, enjoying the caress of the sun on her shoulders. Though the team was spirited, Littletree kept them to a sedate pace, allowing Laura to fully enjoy the view.

Just as Tessa had described, thick swaths of vivid purplish-blue bluebells lined both sides of the country lane. The road wound around, coming back in a U to drop in a long dramatic slope to the old castle at the bottom of the hill. Beyond the castle lay the river and the quaint narrow wooden bridge Adelaide had mentioned. In the distance the lane curved out of sight around the hill. On her right Laura could see the roofs of Grace Hill above the trees, the gardens in between.

The descent was steep, and the coachman stopped the carriage at the top of the hill to jump down and attach the chained brake slipper to a rear wheel. They had just started down the hill when suddenly the right horse jumped and whinnied, shying to the side, startling its companion so that it, too, reared. They began to run.

The coachman pulled back on the reins, calling to the horses to stop, but just then a loud crack sounded beneath the carriage, and the brake slipper went tumbling down the road. The noise panicked the horses even further, and they leapt forward. Littletree braced his legs against the footrest and hauled back with all his might, but nothing could stop the headlong flight of the horses down the hill.