15. Chapter 15

Chapter fifteen

Robert made his way to his room, striding over to the wash bin and splashing the cold water in the basin across his face. He dipped the edge of the kerchief in and wiped his nose clean. If only he could douse his entire body in the small dish, perhaps his mind would clear.

In a futile attempt to draw himself nearer to his wife, he had done his very best to flirt with her. But as soon as his hand had been about to cup her waist, every nerve in his arm had screamed at him to stop.

What if you misunderstood her advances? What if she runs off at your touch? And why on earth did you let out that dratted moan as she toyed with your hair?

He flopped back onto his bed, throwing an arm over his face.

"Ow," he quietly mumbled, his nose still tender from Louisa's punch.

What was he to do with himself? While wanting a deeper connection with Louisa, he was still tentative about breaking the physical and emotional boundary between them. But she seemed attracted to him. Though, what if he was entirely mistaken and did something only to make himself look a fool? She did seem to enjoy getting a reaction from him. It was possible she was not actually attracted to his person, but rather, just enjoyed teasing.

After hiding in his room for nearly an hour, he ventured back downstairs. The first thing he did upon entering his office was to open the window and let in the fresh, early afternoon air before sitting down on his leather chair at his desk. He tried to focus, but anytime he picked up a paper to read it, the remembrance of Louisa's hand trailing across his chest wormed its way in.

He slapped the paper back onto his desk, pressing his hands to his eyes. While knowing it would take effort on his part to get to know her, he had not realized it would be quite this difficult. It had never been modeled for him, his own parents having a respectful yet distant marriage, and Jessica only marrying Lord Drake for his money, ending in a loveless marriage with nothing there to even mourn. Robert was in uncharted waters, flailing about and trying to find his way.

A soft rustle near the office door drew his attention.

Prince.

"Leave," he grumbled. But instead of doing as he was ordered, the small white pup sauntered farther into the room. Robert didn't like the greedy look of those black eyes as they surveyed the space. "Just sit down and be quiet, if you please." Goodness. He was talking to dogs now. He leaned back, snapping open the newspaper on his desk while occasionally flicking his eyes to the furry visitor to be sure it was behaving.

Robert stared unseeing at the words. At least he appeared to be busy if someone wandered into the room. He put a tentative finger to his nose, and to his surprise, found himself chuckling. Louisa's fire as she thrust her fist forward had immediately turned to regret as his head snapped back. To her credit, the lady could throw a punch. But perhaps he wouldn't let her know that so they could keep up with their lessons. He found he rather enjoyed them.

Prince circled round on one of the leather chairs and plopped into a little pile of white fur, letting out a contented huff.

Knowing he would not be able to focus on anything productive, Robert paced over to the window. The fresh air was soothing, and he let himself relax, enjoying the view. A squirrel scampered up a tree, birds flew from branch to branch, and everything seemed peaceful and quiet.

Until a small growl sounded behind him.

He turned around, and Prince had his front paws propped against the back of the chair, a line of hair along his back standing on end as his lips curled.

"Prince," Robert said, a chuckle slipping out. Who knew the little dog had a killer instinct buried beneath all that fur? He pointed out the window. "What is it you see? The birds or the squirrel?"

Prince's paws climbed farther up the back of the chair and he gave a yelp.

Robert walked over, picking him up and carrying him to the window for a better view. Prince's eyes snapped to the squirrel, trailing after it as it scurried around a tree.

"Ah, so the squirrel?"

Prince's muscles tightened as he strained against Robert's hand.

Another chuckle snuck out. "Well, perhaps you will be a useful hunting dog. Who would have thought?"

"Not me."

Robert spun about. Arabella stood in the doorway, watching him with a pleased smile. "But, I also did not think you cared much for dogs." She jerked her head toward Prince in his arms. "Apparently I was wrong about that, too."

"Nonsense." Robert placed Prince back down. "I was only . . . trying to scare off a squirrel."

"Bothering you, was it?" Arabella came farther into the room.

Robert shrugged. "They can be destructive."

"Ah, yes. Of course." She picked up a book, flipping through a few pages before returning it neatly back to its place on the shelf. "I plan to leave next week for Glennview."

When Robert only stared, she continued. "As long as you do not mind me settling there. I assumed you and Louisa would go to Willowcrest once Parliament is out of session."

Glennview was their small cottage in Wales and was only used for time away—or when his mother visited her family. She had numerous siblings over that way, so he could see why she would choose to settle there for the winter. But he had not been expecting her to depart yet. Now, it would be just him and Louisa. His mother had been serving as a buffer for him, keeping Louisa company when he was busy during the day. It had helped him feel more at ease knowing that extra help was there for her.

His mother misinterpreted his silence, continuing before he could respond. "I can certainly go to Willowcrest if you plan to use Glennview for a late honeymoon. Seeing as how you and Louisa never took one."

"No," he quickly added before she could spout off any more thoughts. "I mean—that will be fine." Though it would be a nice place to take Louisa one day. The grounds sat on the coast and boasted spectacular views. "Perhaps she and I will come join you in the spring."

"That would be welcome. Then she could meet my siblings. I know they would adore her." Arabella smiled.

"You are likely correct. But I do not want to push her if she isn't ready to meet everyone."

"Nonsense. That sounds more like you than Louisa. She adores meeting people."

"You mean she is comfortable with it. I am still unsure whether she adores it or not." He leaned back against the window casing.

"Well, I am sure. And I know my sister would love showing her the coast."

Robert's head felt fuzzy. It all sounded surreal to him. Louisa was a part of their family, and yet he felt there was still so little he knew about her. "Very well. The spring at Glennview it is."

"If it is all the same to you, I plan to invite Jessica to stay with me. I would hate for her to be alone all winter."

Robert nodded, his fingers tightening against the casing. "I suppose I thought she wouldn't care, based upon her reaction to her husband's death. It seems her life would go along as it always had."

Arabella slowly walked across the room, trailing her fingers over a few decorative items scattered across Robert's desk. "I am not surprised by her reaction, Robert. And I suppose I had other motives in mind with her joining me. Perhaps she could meet someone."

"Meet someone?" He leaned forward. "She will be in mourning for a year."

"Which is why Wales will be perfect." Arabella's hand stopped as she brought her eyes up to his. "She can still get out of the house and socialize without the prying eyes of London."

Robert nodded. "Lord Drake's funeral is in two days' time. I suppose she could go with you if you plan to leave next week. And she would be able to keep you company."

"Exactly," she said with a sigh. "Now, I would also like to come and visit you and Louisa at Christmastime, if that is agreeable to you."

"Of course. I do not want you to feel as if you need permission to come to your own home."

"But it is not my home, Robert. It is yours."

"A situation I find completely unfair."

Arabella's smile softened, her eyes crinkling around the edges. "You always were my tender child." She shook her head, glancing down at the desk. "And I sometimes find myself wondering what your life would look like had your father not intervened as he did."

Robert sat up straighter. "What do you mean? I asked for his assistance."

"I know you did. And I suppose I went along with it as well." She picked up a grouse-shaped paperweight, weighing it between her hands. "But now, with Louisa here, I suppose I have a new hope."

"For?"

"For you to be happy." She placed the paperweight back down, giving him a smile before turning and leaving the room.