Читать книгу Scandalous Regency Secrets Collection - Кэрол Мортимер, Louise Allen - Страница 31

EPILOGUE

DANY SNUGGLED AGAINST Coop as they reclined against a wide tree trunk, the two of them looking out over the stream. Remnants of their meal lay scattered on the blanket, and from time to time he lifted her hand to his mouth, kissing the ring he now saw as the true promise of their shared lives.

“Forgive me yet?” he asked her when she sighed, hopefully in contentment.

“I do. But you could have just told me, couldn’t you? I would have understood.”

“I wanted everyone to know, to see. Darby most particularly, since he was feeling guilty about having come up with the idea of a sham engagement in the first place. Now there’s no question. I love you, Daniella Foster. In fact, I’m fairly dotty about you.”

“But Darby isn’t. You did notice that, didn’t you? He smiled and kissed my hand, and said all the right things, but he seemed distracted, as if still bothered by something.”

“That’s because he is. He took me aside while you and the ladies were talking, and told me about a letter he found waiting for him when he arrived here this morning. It seems our friend has found himself in a bit of a pickle.”

“Don’t say pickle. I don’t even want to see a pickle for another five years. What’s wrong?”

“It’s a long story, and Darby’s to tell, but while we were stuck in a French prison—this was a year before Waterloo—he struck up a friendship with one of the physician captives who helped care for us. The man had a daughter, and when Darby asked how he could repay the man for saving his eye, if not his sight, his answer was that, if anything happened to him, Darby would take charge of that daughter.”

“And Darby said yes? And the man died? But—but that was years ago. You already said that.”

“No, the physician didn’t die. He was wounded attempting to steal food from the French soldiers guarding us, but he didn’t die. Then. Apparently he now has, and the daughter is keeping Darby to his word. In fact, according to the letter he showed me, she’ll be arriving here at the cottage within a few days.”

Dany pushed herself up to a sitting position, to look toward the others, sitting a good distance away from them. They were all laughing and talking and thoroughly enjoying themselves. But Darby was once more standing alone, his hands shoved into his pockets, a look on his face that didn’t bode well for anyone who might decide to approach him.

“What is he going to do? I can’t imagine him with a ward, let alone a female ward.”

“I don’t know. I do know he’s asked his friends to help him, which of course we will. So, if you don’t mind, before traveling to see your parents and ask for your hand yet again, do you mind staying in town a little longer?”

How old is this child? Is she still in leading strings? Is she ready for a come-out? How many hoops will Darby have to jump through before he’s shed of her?

“Oh, no. Goodness, no,” Dany said, settling against Coop once more. “I don’t mind. I don’t mind at all...”

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