Just the person I hoped to meet.” I made my way back to shore.
“But what are you doing here? You should be gone at least another few days. Unless—” She gasped with delight. “You are engaged?”
I shook my head. “I never got the chance.” We walked the path along the shore and I tore a leaf off a tree as I relayed everything that had occurred. “I was so close. Mr. Northam is truly the most perfect man I have ever met.”
“Is he indeed?” Louisa bent and broke off a flower, adding it to her bouquet. “Have you told your family of him? That much perfection would make me uncomfortable.”
“You understand I mean perfect for me. I hardly think most would even consider him a good match. And, no, I haven’t told my family. I want it to be official before I give them hope.” I studied her. “You don’t think Daniel is perfect?”
“No.” Her light skin pinked at her cheeks. “Everyone has faults.”
“Daniel’s is to make people miserable.”
“You shouldn’t say such things.”
“Why not? It is the truth. He made me miserable with his actions, striding in just as I was about to finally rediscover happiness. And he makes you miserable every day by refusing to formally ask for your hand.” If only Daniel wouldn’t allow Edward’s actions to affect his own, he and Louisa would be happily settled and I wouldn’t feel guilty for my role in it, unintended though it was.
“Please.” She touched my arm. “Let’s not speak of it.”
I shrugged. “Well, you may not wish to speak ill of him. And I own that he’s a good enough person when he wants to be. But I consider him very high-handed. He even went so far as to tell me that even if Mr. Northam proposed, he wouldn’t let me marry him.”
“But he has no say in the matter.”
“Yes, and I reminded him of it, too. I believe he thinks I am getting desperate. He doesn’t understand.”
“Your brother is protective because he cares for you. He wants what is best for you.” She stopped to add another flower to her bouquet.
It didn’t matter the reasons behind Daniel’s actions. “Making someone live the way you think they should is not caring. He should encourage me—”
“Margaret! Over here!” Daniel waved from the top of a large boulder that lay half buried in the water. He was barely visible through the trees. His arm froze when Louisa stepped next to me. He jerked his hand down, stepped back, stumbled off the rock, and disappeared into the water.
“Oh, dear!” Louisa exclaimed.
Daniel reemerged, gasping, clearly uninjured though his hair was plastered to his face and his clothes clung to him.
“I think I should go,” Louisa whispered. But she didn’t move, her attention fixed on Daniel. It must have been a riveting sight for the man she loved to be standing so ridiculously wet before her. A titter escaped me.
Louisa turned bright pink. “I—oh.” She thrust the flowers into my hand, turned, and fled back down the path.
I would definitely tell this story at their wedding dinner.
As I walked to the boulder, Daniel slogged to the shore, looking more ridiculous than I had ever seen him. Served him right.
I tried to hold in my amusement, but a snort sounded at the back of my throat. I threw my hand over my mouth as laughter erupted from me. Daniel had embarrassed himself more effectively than any scheme I could have ever executed. If I had been at all adept at painting, I would have immortalized Daniel exactly as he appeared then, cravat hanging limp, coat and vest clinging to him. Then I would have hung the portrait in our entry.
No. I would have given it to Louisa for a wedding present so she could hang it in her entry.
“Margaret, this is not funny!” Daniel strode out of the water, his boots squishing with each step.
The sound made me laugh harder. “Yes, it is.” I leaned on the boulder, no longer trying to restrain the laughs.
Water suddenly ran down my hair into my face. I gasped and straightened. “Daniel!”
He smirked, shaking out the coat he had twisted above me. He draped it over his arm and propped an elbow on the stone. “Refreshing, isn’t it?”
A swampy smell now clung to me as water trickled down my back. Anger and laughter battled within. “No! It’s revolting and wet and—and—” The image of Daniel stepping off the rock flashed and I gave up on anger. “And highly amusing.”
Daniel