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No, dear. Although, I must confess, I ve never fully understood your desire for an ordinary life.
To
me, the word implies dullness.
To me, it means safety. Knowing what to expect. There have been so many terrible surprises for
us, Amelia... Mother and Father dying, and the scarlet fever, and the house burning...
And you believe you would have been safe with Mr. Bayning? Amelia asked gently.
I thought so. Poppy shook her head in bemusement. I was so certain that I would be content
with
him. But in retrospect, I can t help thinking... Michael didn t fight for me, did he? Harry said
something to him on the morning of our wedding, right in front of me... She was yours, if you d
wanted her, but I wanted her more. And even though I hated what Harry had done... part of me
liked it that Harry didn t think of me as being beneath him.
Drawing her feet up onto the settee, Amelia regarded her with fond concern. I suppose you
know
already that the family can t let you go back with Harry until we re satisfied that he will be kind
to
you.
But he has been, Poppy said. And she told Amelia about the day when she had sprained her
ankle,
and Harry had taken care of her. He was thoughtful and gentle and... well, loving. And if that
was a
glimpse of who Harry really is, I... She stopped and traced the edge of her teacup, staring
intently
into the empty bowl of it. Leo said something to me on the way here, that I had to decide
whether
or not to forgive Harry for the way our marriage started. I think I must, Amelia. For my own sake
as
well as Harry s.
To err is human, Amelia said, to forgive, absolutely galling. But yes, I think it s a good idea.
The problem is, that Harry the one who took care of me that day doesn t surface nearly
often
enough. He keeps himself ridiculously busy, and he meddles with everyone and everything in
that
blasted hotel to avoid having to think about anything personal. If I could get him away from the
Rutledge, to some quiet, peaceful place, and just...
Keep him in bed for a week? Amelia suggested, her eyes twinkling.
Glancing at her sister in surprise, Poppy flushed and tried to stifle a laugh.
It might do wonders for your marriage, Amelia continued. It s lovely to talk to your husband
after you ve been to bed together. They just lie there feeling grateful and say yes to everything.
I wonder if I could convince Harry to stay here with me for a few days, Poppy mused. Is the
gamekeeper s cottage in the woods still empty?
Yes, but the caretaker s house is much nicer, and at a more convenient distance from the house.
I wish... Poppy hesitated. But it would be impossible. Harry would never agree to stay away
from
the hotel so long.
Make it a condition of your returning to London with him, Amelia suggested. Seduce him.
For
heaven s sake, Poppy, it s not that difficult.
I don t know anything about it, Poppy protested.
Yes, you do. Seduction is merely encouraging a man to do something he already wants to do.
Poppy gave her a bemused glance. I don t understand why you re giving me this advice now,
when
you were so against the marriage in the first place.
Well, now that you re married, there s not much anyone can do except try to make the best of
it.
A thoughtful pause. Sometimes when you re making the best of a situation, it turns out far
better
than you could have hoped for.
Only you, Poppy said, could make seducing a man sound like the most pragmatic option.
Amelia grinned and reached for another tart. What I mean to suggest is, why don t you try
making
a headlong dash at him? Try to make a real go of it. Show him what kind of marriage you want.
Charge at him, Poppy murmured, like a rabbit at a cat.
Amelia gave her a perplexed glance. Hmmm?
Poppy smiled. Something Beatrix advised me to do early on. Perhaps she s wiser than the rest
of
us.
I wouldn t doubt it. Lifting her free hand, Amelia pushed aside the edge of a white lace curtain,
sunlight falling over her shining sable hair, gilding her fine features. A laugh escaped her. I see
her
now, coming back from her ramble in the wood. She ll be thrilled to discover that you and Leo
are
here. And it appears she s carrying something in her apron. Lord, it could be anything. Lovely,
wild
girl... Catherine has done wonders with her, but you know she ll never be more than half tame.
Amelia said this without worry or censure, merely accepting Beatrix for what she was, trusting
that
fate would be kind. Undoubtedly that was Cam s influence. He d always had the good sense to
give
the Hathaways as much freedom as possible, making room for their eccentricities where
someone
else might have crushed them. The Ramsay estate was their safe harbor, their haven, where the
rest
of the world dared not intrude.
And Harry would be there soon.
Chapter Twenty-one
Harry s journey to Hampshire had been long, dull, and uncomfortable, with no companionship
except his own smoldering thoughts. He had tried to rest, but as a man who found sleep difficult
in
even the best of circumstances, trying to doze in a jolting carriage in the daytime was impossible.
He had occupied himself with making up extravagant threats to bully his wife into obedience.
Then
he had fantasized about what he would do to Poppy in her chastised state, until those thoughts
had
made him aroused and aggravated.
Damn her, he would not be left.
Harry had never been given to introspection, finding the territory of his own heart too
treacherous
and tricky to examine. But it was impossible to forget the earlier time in his life, when every bit
of
softness and pleasure and hope had disappeared, and he d had to fend for himself. Survival had
meant never allowing himself to need another person again.
Harry tried to divert his thoughts by staring at the passing scenery, the summer sky still light as
the
hour approached nine. Of all the places in England he had visited, he had not yet gone to
Hampshire. They were traveling south of the Downs, toward the thick wood and fertile
grasslands
near the New Forest and Southampton. The prosperous market town of Stony Cross was located
in
one of the most picturesque regions of England. But the town and its environs possessed
something
more than mere scenic appeal a mystical quality, something difficult to put his finger on. It
seemed they were traveling to a place out of time, the ancient woods harboring creatures that
could
only exist in myth. As evening deepened, mist collected in the valley and crept across the roads
in
an otherworldly haze.
The carriage turned onto the private road of the Ramsay estate, past two sets of open gates and a
caretaker s house made of blue gray stone. The main house was a composite of architectural
styles
that shouldn t have looked right together but somehow did.
Poppy was there. The knowledge spurred him, made him desperate to reach her. It was more than
desperation. Losing Poppy was the one thing he couldn t recover from, and knowing that made
him
feel fearful and furious and caged. The feelings catalyzed into one impetus: He would not be kept
apart from her.
With all the patience of a baited badger, Harry strode to the front door, not waiting for a footman.
He shoved his way into the entrance hall, two stories high with immaculate cream paneling and a
curving stone staircase at the back.
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