Chapter Ten

F lora curled up on the chaise in the library, staring at the gloomy weather outside. It had rained for the past two days. She had been stuck indoors and suffered from boredom every second. She no longer barricaded herself in her bedchamber to avoid the servants, which only showed she accepted her role as the lady of the manor and not the governess. Her embarrassment was forgotten since she now understood and accepted the reason for Lennox’s deceit. The servants were still pleasant to converse with, even though they addressed her as “my lady” or “Lady Hepburn.”

If only she shared the same with her husband. They had kept their distance from each other since their conversation in his study. She had attempted to understand his concern for her welfare, but Lennox had distracted her to where she had admitted how much his gifts meant to her. She had avoided him ever since then, and he never tried to seek her company either. Their distance kept them at a standstill, frustrating her.

If she were to be honest, she longed for his quick wit and the charming smile bestowed upon her. She missed their daily walks exploring Edinburgh, where he held her hand on his arm in an affectionate caress. And the press of his hand on her back as he guided her along an uneven path. Or when her curls escaped out of her bonnet, and he tucked them behind her ear.

Flora closed her eyes as she remembered his kisses since he returned to her life. They held a mixture of passion and desperation she ached to experience again. Any sign of affection from him would help settle her uneasiness that Lennox hadn’t grown tired of seeking her forgiveness.

Her doubts had intensified after the morning meal. She hurried to her bedchamber, excited to discover the present Lennox had left for her today, only to find her bed empty. Lennox had left no gift. With the daylight slipping into darkness, the harshness of his absence lingered with each second he remained away.

A flurry of activity outside the library drew Flora’s attention away from her melancholy musings. She wandered into the hallway to see the servants bustling around with their intended orders. She didn’t understand the rush. Dinner was an hour away, and it was always a simple affair. Flora continued farther along to find Murray to see what the commotion was about and saw him talking with her husband in hushed whispers. The last time she found them together, they had been discussing her, and the outburst from her husband still lingered in her thoughts.

She paused a few steps back from them, taking in her husband’s unkempt appearance. Lennox had always dressed as a proper gentleman since his arrival. He wore a cravat all hours of the day, never once relaxing his attire. She always felt drab around him, even though that wasn’t his intent. However, today he wore his usual garb as if he were in the Highlands. A worn pair of tan trousers molded around his thighs, and a simple white cambric shirt hung off his shoulders with a few buttons undone.

Flora gulped at the sight before her. A rush of memories from their time together before their marriage came rushing back. It was difficult to hold back the flood of desire consuming her when he finished out the delectable sight with his hair in tousled disarray. His sleepy appearance held the effect for her to disregard her doubts. She longed to run into his arms and beg him to take her abovestairs and make her his wife again. Every silly girlhood dream she held for her knight in shining armor bloomed to the needs of a woman starved for her husband’s attention.

The man before her was who she fell in love with, not the proper gentleman he had been portraying since his arrival. She bit at her bottom lips as the husky tone of his voice wrapped around her. It held the same deep vibration when he had seduced her with whispered promises he wanted to fulfill with her right before he would kiss her senselessly. How she ached for those kisses.

Lennox, oblivious of Flora watching him, growled in disappointment at Murray. “Why did you allow me to oversleep?”

Murray, unruffled by Lennox’s tone, explained. “You overextended yourself and needed your rest. A man cannot function without the proper amount of sleep.”

Lennox swiped his hand through his hair. “I needed to spend the afternoon with my wife.”

“Lady Hepburn safely spent her time in the library today exploring your grandfather’s collection. The weather prevented her from straying outdoors.”

Lennox relaxed with relief that Flora had remained out of harm’s way. Even though she received no more threats, Lennox couldn’t shake the uneasiness in his gut. He held an eerie premonition that the culprit would strike against Flora soon. Somerville agreed with Lennox’s suspicions during their daily correspondences. Yet they were powerless until the offender struck with their vengeance.

However, that wasn’t what bothered him about sleeping through the afternoon. The discord between him and Flora troubled Lennox. He wanted to win her heart again, not push her away so she would never forgive him. Her silence at dinner left him in doubt if they would ever share a future. He hoped his plans for the evening would turn the tide on their dysfunctional marriage.

“Did you procure the tickets?” Lennox asked.

“Yes, my lord. I secured you a private box on the second level with a superb view of the stage. The lady should enjoy this evening’s performance.”

Lennox rubbed his hands together with approval. His mood improved at the possibilities the evening’s adventure held. “Excellent.”

“Also, the other arrangements are awaiting the lady as you requested.”

Lennox slapped Murray on the back with enthusiasm. “Well done. Please inform the servants that once we leave, I give them permission to take the evening for themselves.”

“Lord Hepburn, is there something amiss?”

Lennox swung around at Flora’s question. She caught him by surprise, and he wondered how much she had overheard. He hoped it was only the end of the conversation and she hadn’t learned he had slept part of his days away. She hadn’t questioned the arrangement of his disappearance throughout the day, but they were necessary to keep her safe.

He owed the servants a debt of gratitude for how they protected Flora when he retired to sleep at odd hours of the day. He risked incurring her wrath once she discovered his secret, but he would gladly listen to it because it meant she remained safe within his sight.

“Of course not, Lady Hepburn. I only inquired to Murray of your whereabouts. He informed me how you enjoyed the library this afternoon. I am remiss in not joining you for afternoon tea. I hope you will accept my apology,” Lennox rambled on.

Flora questioned Lennox’s peculiar behavior, as well as his casual attire. He left her with a suspicious, lingering doubt that he kept secrets from her. What was the purpose of their truce if they lacked honesty with one another? Just as she leaned toward trusting him again, he had her question his every motive.

Flora’s lips twisted to the side as she pondered how to answer him. Instead of accepting his apology, she inquired about his whereabouts. “How did you pass away the afternoon?”

Lennox cleared his throat to stall. Unfortunately, he must lie to her, and it must be believable too. “The stable hands needed my help with a repair I requested with the stalls.”

Flora glanced at the raindrops pelting the windows to Lennox’s dry clothes. He blatantly lied to her and expected her to accept him at his word. Their truce was for naught, and she refused to stand another minute in polite agreement, especially when he made no effort to apply the same manner.

Flora offered Lennox one last smile of politeness before brushing past him to climb the stairs to her bedchamber. Over her shoulder, she remarked, “You must teach me how to keep one’s clothes dry while coming inside from the rain.”

To think she had only been admiring him a few moments ago, longing for him to sweep her into his embrace and ravish her lips with a passion swirling out of control. If he were to lie and keep secrets, then she refused to remain under his care. Once the weather cleared, she would write to Vivian with her change of plans. She would accept her friend’s offer until she decided her fate. Because fate wasn’t the cosmic effect of the universe to determine one’s future but one’s own common sense in making a solid plan for survival.

“Flora, you misunderstand,” Lennox called from behind her.

Flora ignored Lennox and stormed toward her bedchamber. She had no use in hearing his false words to placate her. She had fallen for them for the last time. No longer was she an innocent lass impressed with sweet endearments. Lennox could find another lass to trick with his lies.

She came to a halt at the activity in her bedchamber. Footmen poured water into a tub, and her maid instructed two other chambermaids with her demands. But none of that stole her attention more than the dress hanging against her wardrobe. It was an exquisite creation of lace and silk. Any girl who wore the dress would portray an elegance they only ever dreamed of. The emerald green of the fabric set a statement to those who would admire it from afar. It demanded respect for whoever wore the dress.

Flora swirled around in astonishment at Lennox, who stood inside her bedchamber with an apprehensive expression. The scene surrounding her left her more confused than ever. Was that the reason for Lennox’s secrecy? Had she overreacted when she stormed away by not allowing Lennox to offer an honest response? Flora glanced over her shoulder at the stillness behind her. Everyone had come to a halt at their arrival. Their gazes darted between her and Lennox before glancing away to focus on anything but them.

Lennox stayed silent but gave a nod to the servants to make themselves scarce. Once everyone departed, he closed the door. His smile at Flora held the same apprehension, as well as a hint of boyish mischief at surprising her. Oh, be still her heart. Flora was a doomed lass. She had fallen once again for Lennox Fraser’s charm.

Flora’s hand fluttered in the air toward the dress. “What is the meaning of this?”

Lennox held his hands behind his back. “My gift for the day.”

Flora’s teeth dug into her bottom lip as she stared at the stunning dress. “Is it not a bit extravagant from your usual gestures?”

Lennox smirked. “I do not believe so. It complements the evening I have planned.”

“And that is?”

Lennox remained near the door, not wanting to give Flora any reason to reject his surprise. He had noted her frustration with his secrecy before she stormed upstairs and her skittish behavior once she walked into her bedchamber overtaken by the servants. She had walked in on the servants following the instructions he had laid out in an attempt to woo her with his sorry state of a courtship she had deserved before they got married.

He had pursued Flora for his own selfish reasons. Once his parents stated their ultimatum, he had been powerless to disagree. Since they determined his fate, he had seduced Flora as a means to an end. They had presented him with a bride he required. It had saved him from a search he had found no pleasure in enduring. However, he had failed to realize what a prize he had captured until Flora left him. She had nestled her way into his heart, unbeknownst to him. Staying apart from her had left him in a hole of loneliness he had never experienced before, nor ever wanted to again.

Lennox rocked on his heels. “An evening at the theatre, if you are so inclined to agree.”

Flora moved to the dress to trail her fingers across the luxurious material. “Is it wise to flaunt ourselves in society?”

Lennox took a step closer. “’Tis only an evening of a husband wanting to spoil his wife.”

Flora kept her head turned so Lennox couldn’t see how his answer affected her to such a profound degree that it softened her heart to mush. She was so willing to forgive his past indiscretions and start anew. Was it possible to have the happily ever after marriage with Lennox she so desired?

Flora raised her head to meet his gaze and murmured, “I accept.”

Lennox’s smile widened. He tampered down the excitement he wished to express with a stronghold he barely contained. The hope flittering in Flora’s gaze eased his burden of guilt and blossomed hope to flourish. The moment felt like a giant leap in progress to the expectations he had set forth to win Flora’s heart again.

“Then I will leave you in Jean’s care to help you prepare. I await your presence with eager anticipation.”

Lennox rushed away before Flora asked any more questions. The thrill of her accepting his invitation left him with a sense of pressure to make the evening a memory she would never forget. His need to please her beyond reason drove him to plan every moment of the evening’s activity with a romantic detail sure to capture her attention.

He entered his bedchamber with a renewed purpose different from when he awoke in a panic that he had disappointed his wife by avoiding her. His activities during the long nights since he returned were taking their toll. Soon, his actions would crash around him if he didn’t discover who was behind the threats to Flora and her friends. The silence from the culprit drove him mad with determination. He needed the evening to be a success for more than one reason. But most of all, for earning Flora’s forgiveness.

Without it, he held no hope of earning her love.