Winning the Gentleman (Hearts on the Heath #2) - Kristi Ann Hunter Page 0,102
how could he ever entertain bringing a wife into it? And what was the point of staying connected to her if he would never let it get to marriage?
He had to move forward alone.
They’d be looking for him soon. When Mr. Knight told them what he’d done, they’d form a search party.
The head groom would do fine for the rest of the meeting. Aaron had given him his notebook with race times, jockeys, horses, and preparation details. The truth was, if the horses and jockeys weren’t ready at this point, there was little Aaron could do for them. He’d tried to tell the man it was no different from readying a horse for Lord Stildon.
The groom had coughed. “I’d say it’s remarkably different.”
“Only if you let it be. I need your help, Mr. Knight.”
The words had been difficult to say and, apparently, difficult to hear, because Mr. Knight’s eyes had widened and he’d responded with a silent nod.
Aaron hadn’t waited around for more questions. He didn’t have any answers anyway.
He checked his pocket watch. The mail coach would leave for London in four hours. That was enough time. Possibly too much time, but he could avoid his friends.
None of them would expect him to run off to London, but he would.
None of them would expect him to call in every favor he could, but he was going to do that too. He would give Sophia something as close to her dream as he could, and he wouldn’t allow himself to see her again until it was complete.
If he did, he might convince himself that a life with him wouldn’t be so bad.
He scoffed. Look what had happened with that logic this morning. He had no doubt she’d have hidden her leg from him if she could. He didn’t want to have to wonder if she was hiding wounds on her soul.
Best to step out of her life now.
He bought a ticket for the mail coach, then a stack of paper from the innkeeper. He methodically worked through all the necessary steps as he wrote note after note, marking each one with a time and date to be delivered.
Coins in the innkeeper’s palm ensured they would be delivered as requested. Timing was important if everything was going to go right. If anyone got their note too early, it would give them time to ruin everything by trying to convince him to change his mind.
Even worse, they might succeed.
THE DISCUSSION OF where Aaron had gone and what he might be doing swirled around her, and Sophia wanted to be anywhere other than that stall. She’d even rather be doing another circus show.
Miss Hancock had finally stepped in and wrapped an arm around Sophia’s shoulder, guiding her out of the stall and past the hovering group of concerned aristocrats. “Since you are already home, Stildon, I’m borrowing your curricle.”
If Lord Stildon answered, Sophia didn’t hear him. She was too thankful to be out of there.
Miss Hancock drove the curricle with an ease Sophia envied. She’d never been able to drive. Normally Sophia fought feelings of jealousy, but right now she embraced them. Anything to ward off the numbness lurking at the edge of her mind.
They returned to Lady Adelaide’s, and Miss Hancock had a hot bath prepared. Sophia stayed in it until the water turned frigid. While she was soaking, Lady Adelaide returned and insisted on calling for a doctor, though in the interest of privacy, she sent the footman to fetch one from Cheveley instead of Newmarket.
There wasn’t much the doctor could do aside from bandage the strikes that were bleeding and suggest she rest. Because the perfect thing for her to do right now was lie around and think over every minute of the day and wonder what on earth had happened.
Maybe Lady Adelaide could recommend a good book.
After the doctor left, Sophia was tucked into that enormous cloud of a bed and a tray of food was brought in. Miss Hancock accompanied the meal and proceeded to distract her with story after story. Half of them couldn’t possibly be true, but Sophia didn’t care.
Miss Hancock was the only daughter of the only son of a wealthy businessman. The sum she’d inherited from her grandfather meant she could travel the world and never marry if that was her wish. According to her tales, plenty of men sought to change her mind, but a grand heiress with complete independence was a hard woman to tie down.