His Lady Peregrine (10 page)

Conrad took his mother by
the hand. “No need, Percy. I’m taking Mother home. This
instant.”

Georgiana sat on
her favorite bench at the Bird Sanctuary. She’d
not had any desire to leave her house, but somehow had let Mary
persuade her into coming here. Perhaps her maid had grown so weary
of hearing Georgiana weep that she couldn’t stand it anymore and
for once showed her temper.

Georgiana had been so
taken aback that she’d agreed simply so Mary would calm herself. If
the maid had suffered an apoplexy on Georgiana’s account, the guilt
would have done her it.

Guilt.

Hadn’t Percy mentioned
that as a large reason for his staying with the dowager? Had
Georgiana been too hard on him? She’d brushed aside his words, but…
She glanced over at Mary, who was feeding bread crumbs to some
ducks. Guilt certainly could be a strong motivator to do things one
would rather not.

He’d told her to examine
her heart for the truth. She remembered his kisses and embraces.
The way he’d touched her skin and whispered endearments. She had
felt an instant connection with him the first time they met.
Georgiana was sure,
sure
that he’d felt it too. Not just by what he said
or did, but by how he seemed when with her. She couldn’t even quite
explain it to herself, but the two of them… it was as if they’d
been made for each other.

They simply fit
together.

Did any of that really
matter? Even if he forgave her for tossing him from her home, if
his story was true, then he was stuck. Stuck in his home with that
awful woman. And who knew how long it might take for her to recover
her right mind?

What if she
never
did?

She watched Mary for a few
more minutes as she fed the ducks. Would Georgiana’s short leave
from the house to visit the sanctuary appease her angry
maid?

Mary tensed as if
something startled her and glanced toward a grove of trees on the
other side of the pond. Had she seen some animal that frightened
her? Though the ones Georgiana usually saw were quite small.
Rabbits, squirrels, and of course birds. Mary poured out the
contents of her bag and without a backward glance at her employer,
took off walking at a fast clip in the opposite
direction.

How odd.

She had no desire to run
after Mary and retrieve her so they could return home. No, ever
since all of the unpleasantness had begun with Percy and the
dowager, Georgiana had felt as if all her strength had flowed out
through her toes, leaving her listless.

In that case, I’ll just
wait here. She can’t walk around the sanctuary all day.

She sat and listened to
the warbler sing in a tree right above the bench. Georgiana closed
her eyes. The bird’s sweet song lulled her into a near sleep. How
pleasant to just sit. If she was lucky, maybe she’d fall asleep and
dream of Percy.

The sound of footsteps
registered somewhere in her mind, but she cared not enough to open
her eyes. Whoever it was would surely—

“
Ah… It seems I’ve
discovered a lovely maiden in the middle of a nap.”

Percy?

Georgiana’s eyes flew open
and she gasped. It was true! “Why are you here?”

He sat down, uninvited,
and angled around so that he partially faced her. “It seemed a
lovely day for a visit to my favorite spot. And of course to visit
with my favorite lady.”

She lowered her eyebrows.
“How did you know I would be here today?”

“
Your maid.”

“
But—”

“
If one offers enough
incentive, it often spurs people to do one’s bidding.”

“
You
paid my maid?
Again?”

“
Well, yes.”

Georgiana fumed. Of all
the nerve! Thinking he could force the issue with her to try to
worm his way back into her heart. But wait… How could he even be
here? Be away from his house and the dowager? “But why are you… I
mean, how could you leave home?”

“
There’s where the story
gets interesting, Lady Peregrine.”

“
I told you not to
call—”

He grabbed her hand, not
giving her a chance to pull away. “If you would please just listen
to what I have to say?”

She struggled in his
grasp. “I don’t—”

He stroked the back of her
hand with his thumb, and a warm sensation went up her arm straight
to her heart. “Please. Just listen. If after I’m finished you still
wish to not be of my acquaintance, then…” He swallowed. “Then I
will honor your wishes.” He tilted his head and waited.

Oh how she longed to reach
up and touch his face, stroke his cheek. But no, that wouldn’t do.
With a nod, since she couldn’t seem to form the words, she
agreed.

He sighed and then smiled.
“Thank you. Now, you already know the first part of the story… that
the dowager fell, hit her head, and then mistook me for her… her
husband.”

Not trusting her voice to
come out as anything other than a sob, she simply
nodded.

“
What you didn’t know was
what happened yesterday after I left your house.”

She took a deep breath,
wanting to apologize for how she’d acted yet feeling that it would
be wrong to say she was sorry when she really hadn’t
been.

“
Aren’t you going to ask
me what happened?” One side of his mouth rose.

Familiar warm feelings
flowed through Georgiana’s mind as she remembered his quick wit and
odd sense of humor. “Aren’t
you
going to just go ahead and tell me
anyway?”

He chuckled. “Well yes.
That was the plan.” He winked. “Anyway, when I returned home, she —
that is the dowager…” He cleared his throat. “She seemed to be in
deep distress because of my hasty departure. The guilt crept in
anew and—”

“
Oh I know
how—”

He pressed his finger to
her lips. “Please let me finish, for I fear if I do not say the
words, I might expire from the need to express them.”

She smiled. “All
right.”

“
As I said, the guilt
threatened to overtake me. So when she requested… when she asked
me, begged me for an embrace, I felt I couldn’t refuse.”

“
I… see.”

“
As I knelt on the floor
next to where she lay, and she wrapped her arms around
me…”

Her stomach clenched. Oh
the agony of picturing Percy in the arms of another!

“
She pulled me close and
addressed me.”

Georgiana frowned. “What
do you mean? Did she call you darling again as she did when I was
there?” The memory tore another small piece of her heart
away.

“
She did call me that, But
also—”

“
What? What did she call
you?” Georgiana chastised herself. She’d been so adamant about not
speaking, about holding onto her hurt and anger. But she couldn’t
stand it. Couldn’t stand not to know!

He reached for her other
hand and now held them both. The warmth of the gesture, in
thoughtfulness along with actual warmth from his skin nearly caused
her to weep. “Georgiana, what I mean to say is she said my
name.”

“
Pardon?”

“
My name. She called me
Percy.”

“
But—”

“
At first it didn’t hit
me, the significance of it. But when I asked her about it, she
became defensive, saying I’d been mistaken. That she hadn’t said
it. I began to despair that I’d have no way of proving it when an
angel by way of Amelia entered with Conrad.”

Georgiana smiled in spite
of herself. “I like Amelia.”

“
Me too.” He
grinned.

“
And what… what did Amelia
say?”

“
She’d been suspicious of
her mother-in-law from the start. From some things she told me
afterward, the two have always had a tempestuous relationship. That
Miriam didn’t possess one positive attribute or trait.”

“
Go on.”

“
Amelia came right out and
demanded that Miriam speak the truth. So she did.”

“
And what was it? The
truth, I mean.”

“
Miriam definitely had a
plan in mind, a reason for what she did for her scheme.”

“
Tell
me.”
Before I expire from not
knowing.

“
It seems, my dear
Georgiana, that Miriam desired me.”

Georgiana waited for more.
When there wasn’t anything forthcoming, she tapped her boot against
the grass. “And…”

“
That’s it.”

“
She did
all of that, caused all of the harm and told lies simply because
she desired
you
?”

“
You don’t think that’s
good enough reason? Woman, you wound me.”

“
Of
course
I
think you’re desirable.”

He smirked.

“
But… it just doesn’t seem
like something a person would go to all the trouble to…” Her words
died off when she realized how it sounded. “Oh, I didn’t mean that
you’re not—”

“
Perhaps, just perhaps, I
need to refresh your memory.”

“
Of what?”

“
Of how I can make you
feel.”

“
Oh.” She blinked.
“I—”

He tugged her hard against
his chest, which caused her to gasp. With the force of the embrace,
she’d expected his kiss to be hard and quick. Instead, it was so
soft, so gentle Georgiana nearly melted into the seat of the bench.
His lips traveled over hers in a sensual dance of want and need,
love and promises. Her heart raced, and she pressed closer to
him.

“
Well!”

The exclamation from a few
feet away startled Georgiana. She pulled apart from Percy. That
same large woman and skinny man from before stood on the path,
staring.

Oh good heavens…

The woman grabbed the man
by the arm. “Come away, Mr. Smyth. You shouldn’t be watching such
disgusting behavior.” The woman harrumphed and turned, tugging him
in her wake. But before they’d gotten very far down the path, Mr.
Smyth peeked over his shoulder. And
winked.

Amusement overtook
Georgiana, starting in her belly and climbing up until laughter
bubbled out from her lips. She turned to Percy to see if he’d been
as startled as she. His face was red, but she didn’t think it was
from embarrassment at being caught doing that in public.

No, he was shaking. Trying
to hold in laughter as well. He sputtered, obviously unable to
contain his mirth. He offered her his handkerchief, and she giggled
as she wiped her eyes. She handed it back and he wiped his eyes
before stowing the cloth back in his pocket.

Georgiana swiped at a
stray tear. “Well, that was certainly… uh…”

“
Indeed.” He took her hand
again. “Georgiana, when I kissed you, I was, that is, did it
convince you that…”

“
That you’re desirable
enough for the dowager to have pulled a scheme in order to ensnare
you? Oh. My. Yes.”

He laughed. “Thank you for
the compliment, Lady Peregrine.”

“
You know, even though I
told you not to address me as such, I actually do like
it.”

“
That’s too
bad.”

“
Why?”

“
I’m afraid the term just
won’t do any more.” He shook his head sadly.

“
Why not?”

“
Because soon, very soon,
I’ll be able to call you Mrs. Radcliff.”

As Percy pulled her to him
for a gentle kiss, Georgiana’s heart soared. She had indeed found
the man of her heart.

Her love bird.

The End.

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Also by Ruth J.
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